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10/17/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
Yes, but wich browser starts at the top? #browserballot
10/16/09
10/17/09
But then someone will start whining about wich of 'em will reach the top first...
Sigh... #browserballot
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
This is absolutely ridiculous. It's bad enough that MS is being forced to do it in the first place, but now they even have to put themselves further down the list?
If Opera and onecorewonderZilla keep this up maybe the EU will can the idea all together.
Personally I think MS should have just stuck with the "no browser" option and send IE cd's to stores like they were going to do. Make Mozilla, Apple, and Opera do the same. Case close. #browserballot
10/17/09
10/18/09
The big boxes would make the layout decision. #browserballot
10/18/09
10/18/09
10/19/09
10/16/09
Just seems a tad hypocritical. #browserballot
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
people who would choose IE probably don't give a shit about their browser. people who choose safari will do so because it's an apple program. but the others? those are the domain of those of us who DO give a damn about our browsers, who actually are familiar with them, and have rational reasons for choosing one over the others.
fans of firefox didn't get to be fans of firefox by randomly downloading it one day because it was the first in some irrelevant list. we heard good things about it and made a concerted effort to check it out.
lastly, where's the victory in duping people into using firefox by way of psychological trickery? isn't this about choice after all? and isn't choice only choice when it's informed, comprehended and consensual? #browserballot
10/16/09
10/16/09
Some people who might not be so familiar with all of these browsers would pick the one that is first, since it would seem like they put it first since it is the best choice, not because of alphabetical order. I mean, come on. #browserballot
10/16/09
It's not completely unheard of to select an item arbitrarily. If you're talking about knowledgeable computer techs, that's one thing. If you're talking about the more average consumer, it's another.
If someone were asked to select one of 5 HTTP Web Server programs, and they weren't familiar with any of them, then the first one in the list would most likely be the best bet. #browserballot
10/16/09
then i'm going to have to assume that's why people vote democrat. #browserballot
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
[www.ted.com]
Without more information to base your decision, you're going to accept the default pretty much every time. That is just how our brain works.
What many on Giz consider as a "no brainer", really isn't for the average person faced with a technology decision. There is real anxiety caused by needing to make this choice. #browserballot
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
And why is Microsoft ordering it by company name alpha instead of browers name alpha?
This whole situation is stupid. #browserballot
10/16/09
Setting something as a "default" effectively precludes choice for roughly 80% of people.
Your brain processes information in a certain way, and lacking data up-front before confronted with the decision, it's difficult to make a choice. If you are not required to make a choice, you will more often than not accept the default. #browserballot
10/16/09
And really when you get down to it, what difference does a browser make for a non-tech savvy person in the first place? The person who picks Safari because it is first isn't someone who is going to go "You know, I like the sandbox structure in Chrome," or "Oh man, why WOULDN'T I want to run Greasemonkey scripts? Firefox it is!"
Sure, you could make a case for stability and proper rendering of sites, but for most people, like you said, it doesn't matter. They pick whatever comes first.
And besides, if we let everyone pick Firefox and use adblocker, what would happen to internet commerce without all those idiots buying ways to brighten their yellow teeth and get those abs they've always wanted! Think of the lost commerce, man! #browserballot
10/16/09
Got it.
Most people make foolish choices consistently. Which includes you, and I. It's just that most of the choices you make on a daily basis have little chance to kill you. #browserballot
10/16/09
I look at this like a menu: I pick what I like, not just what's first on the menu. I think that most non-techie users will probably do things the same way and pick IE because they're familiar with it - it's what they "like."
I don't pick the first item on the menu at some restraurant because I'm not familiar with it, and I wouldn't pick the first item in a list of browsers because I wasn't familiar with some of them either.
I would predict that since most users would be at least a little familiar with IE, that's the one they would pick if they weren't familiar with some of the choices.
10/16/09
10/16/09
@CrimsonKnight13: You just said, you tend to not take the default. Which is it, do you make an educated decision? IN this case, you don't have an education about the decision you are making... Or, do you not pick the default?
Both of you are arguing against me, because you don't want to be generalized. And really, who does. However neither of you appears to have done the research. The first thing I did was link to someone who HAS done the research. Maybe you should go give it a shot, and ponder what he's saying about how the human brain makes decisions. #browserballot
10/16/09
[www.ted.com] #browserballot
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
07/25/09
07/25/09
07/26/09
Pretty much the EU is punishing MS because more PEOPLE make a CHOICE to buy a Microsoft OS. That makes no sense.
Its not anti-trust, its anti-business. The EU is sending a message to EVERYONE that if you do good in your field, prepare to get slapped with fines and having give up to competitors, regardless the quality of their product.
Your also a bit narrow minded. Your upset that your browser you WROTE FOR MICROSOFTs OPERATING system isnt getting exposure. I would ask you "who the hell are you, thinking you can write for MS OS and then bitch because MS dosn't cater to your competing product." How can you not see how asinine that is?
Its also not a question of who is worse, mac or microsoft, its a question of fairness. Its Mac, linux etc forced to upfront offer competing products? When you start up a new mac book, is firefox an option? I don't think so.
07/26/09
07/25/09
Will the EU slap more fines on Microsoft? Will they start sueing the population?