I'm a Chrome user and I thought I came out of the survey fairly well. I felt not-unwarranted pity for you people struggling with Internet Explorer.
If course, there were people more unfortunate than me. There were people using Camino and Opera browsers. They were the top dog, way higher intelligence than IE users, for a start.
That survey was released by a "psychometric consulting company" called AptiQuant. It claimed it had done research among 100,000 browser users asking each one an IQ test and relating the results to the browser used.
It said Internet Explorer users were below average IQ, Chrome users were a bit better and Caminto and Opera users were the highest in IQ rating.
But, it now turns out, the study was a hoax...the BBC, CNN and Forbes (to name a few) all reported it and so did we.
It shows the gullibility of the tech blogging world aswell as the mainstream news media.
But, rest in peace IE users. Perhaps you're not all as stupid as we all think you really are.
The AptiQuant website was set up shortly before and the media world fell for it, including this blog.
In fact, the AmtiQuant website has now changed with its front page saying it did it to prove how bad IE is:
AptiQuant was set up in late July 2011 by comparison shopping website AtCheap.com, in order to launch a fake “study” called “Intelligent Quotient and Browser Usage.” The study claimed that people using Internet Explorer have a below than average IQ score. The study took the IT world by storm. The main purpose behind this hoax was to create awareness about the incompatibilities of IE6, and not to insult or hurt anyone.Excellent hoax that even fooled the BBC, although it's now reporting the hoax.
So, we were all taken in by a price-comparison company. And, it must be said, taken in hook, line and sinker.
Internet Explorer users can rest easy in their beds....and the rest of us can stop trying out the top-rated browsers to prove our IQ is high then average.
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