Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 4th Dec 2009 19:29 UTC
You thought the whole browser ballot thing in Windows was behind us, right? That everybody was finally happy, so that we could continue doing what an overwhelming number of people have already done without a ballot screen - that is, install non-IE browsers? Not exactly. Opera, Mozilla, and Google still had complaints, which Microsoft addressed, making everybody happy.
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Member since:2006-01-09
"The biggest issue these three browser makers had with Microsoft's proposal was that by listing browsers alphabetically by vendor, Apple's Safari had an unfair advantage."
So, they basically claim that users can't go past the first entry and will by default click on whatever is the first one? That's ridiculous, and they are sending a message that they think end-users aren't much smarter than a bunch of monkeys. How wonderful.
So, they basically claim that users can't go past the first entry and will by default click on whatever is the first one? That's ridiculous, and they are sending a message that they think end-users aren't much smarter than a bunch of monkeys. How wonderful.
To be honest, most people that I know really do not know anything about computers, panic immediately at any dialog window that appears and will click OK without thinking twice - not even reading the damn thing! - just to get rid of it as soon as possible and therefore it is very likely that whatever was selected as default in the said dialog really has the bigger chance of being selected by the majority of computer users. Heck, I have a friend who purchased a very expensive laptop mostly for Live Messenger chat, Facebook and to listen to music. She doesn't know how to watch DVDs nor even where her files are stored!
Now, I am not exactly saying that Apple is being given an unfair advantage here as I don't even think that it would be selected by default on the ballot but it is not hard to stretch a little bit the behavior described above so that these users would select ANYTHING - and hence, the first option no matter what - just to get rid of the dialog.
People DON'T read dialog windows at all. PERIOD. Those here that think otherwise are deluding themselves.
That's why I think that to randomize the list is the most fair approach to take, as far as this ballot nonsense goes.
Also, I really don't see support technicians getting confused with the random order on the ballot screen and if they do, they're REALLY lousy support technicians to begin with and probably have problems to keep their business afloat and nobody should shed a tear for them.
Member since:2005-08-06
Member since:2009-12-02
"The biggest issue these three browser makers had with Microsoft's proposal was that by listing browsers alphabetically by vendor, Apple's Safari had an unfair advantage."
So, they basically claim that users can't go past the first entry and will by default click on whatever is the first one? That's ridiculous, and they are sending a message that they think end-users aren't much smarter than a bunch of monkeys. How wonderful. Besides, having things in alphabetical order is what people expect and are used to. Having them in a random order just gives very poor image of both Microsoft and all the browsers in the list.
And most of all...how does this make the life easier for the end-user? This should be all about end-user and their computing experience, NOT about market share!
"On top of that, under pressure from the three browser makers, Microsoft has agreed to remove the Internet Explorer logo from the ballot screen. It was said that the recognisability of the IE logo would give an unfair advantage to Internet Explorer."
This too is nothing more than nitpicking. Yes, plain, simple nitpicking, with nothing of value for the end-user.
God I wish we lived in a world where people and their needs came first, then companies and the pockets full of money.
So, they basically claim that users can't go past the first entry and will by default click on whatever is the first one? That's ridiculous, and they are sending a message that they think end-users aren't much smarter than a bunch of monkeys. How wonderful. Besides, having things in alphabetical order is what people expect and are used to. Having them in a random order just gives very poor image of both Microsoft and all the browsers in the list.
And most of all...how does this make the life easier for the end-user? This should be all about end-user and their computing experience, NOT about market share!
"On top of that, under pressure from the three browser makers, Microsoft has agreed to remove the Internet Explorer logo from the ballot screen. It was said that the recognisability of the IE logo would give an unfair advantage to Internet Explorer."
This too is nothing more than nitpicking. Yes, plain, simple nitpicking, with nothing of value for the end-user.
God I wish we lived in a world where people and their needs came first, then companies and the pockets full of money.
Most aren't smarter than a bunch of monkeys LOL
Member since:2006-01-12
Member since:2006-09-03
Member since:2006-02-15
actually, IE actual share seems demostrate this.
Laziness doesn't equal stupidity; most regular end-users find IE's features all they need and it's already there, so it's an obvious choice them. And you know, there's nothing wrong with that. If it fills their needs then it fills their needs, no point in trying to find something else which does exactly the same.
Also, knowledge doesn't equal smarts; most regular end-users don't know of the security issues in earlier IE versions (I've heard IE8 is a lot more secure nowadays, haven't verified it myself) and thus you can't blame them for that. Not everyone is interested in knowing about the innards of a browser and everything it involves.
Oh, and did you know that the higher you ride on a high horse the easier it is to drop you from there?
News
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/23/13 23:22 UTC
"Ilja van Sprundel, a security researcher with IOActive, has discovered a large number of issues in the way various X client libraries handle the responses they receive from servers, and has worked with X.Org's security team to analyze, confirm, and fix these issues."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/23/13 22:04 UTC
"Google is facing a new antitrust probe by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission into whether the company is using its leadership in the online display-advertising market to illegally curb competition, people familiar with the matter said." Sucks to be Google today, apparently.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/23/13 22:01 UTC
"In the midst of the major press blitz surrounding its annual I/O Conference, Google dropped some unfortunate news about its instant messaging plans. In several places around the web, the company is replacing the existing 'Talk' platform with a new one called 'Hangouts' that sharply diminishes support for the open messaging protocol known as XMPP (or sometimes informally Jabber), and also removes the option to disable the archiving of all chat communications. These changes represent a switch from open protocols to proprietary ones, and a clear step backward for many users." That's why I always say: only suckers trust companies.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/23/13 17:52 UTC
"The wave of departures is a sign of internal struggle, but amidst all the bad news, there is a glimmer of hope. According to an anonymous HTC executive cited by WSJ, the crucial HTC One is selling 'pretty good so far'. The executive revealed that HTC sold about five million One units since launch, a performance that is deemed encouraging. However, sales have been limited by the persisting supply issues that still plague the production of the HTC One." Finally some good news for HTC. Five million units amidst supply constraints is very impressive.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/22/13 22:23 UTC
"Sony gave the PS4 50% more raw shader performance, plain and simple (768 SPs @ 800MHz vs. 1152 SPs & 800MHz). Unlike last generation, you don't need to be some sort of Jedi to extract the PS4's potential here. The Xbox One and PS4 architectures are quite similar, Sony just has more hardware under the hood. Weâll have to wait and see how this hardware delta gets exposed in games over time, but the gap is definitely there. The funny thing about game consoles is that itâs usually the lowest common denominator that determines the bulk of the experience across all platforms. On the plus side, the Xbox One should enjoy better power/thermal characteristics compared to the PlayStation 4. Even compared to the Xbox 360 we should see improvement in many use cases thanks to modern power management techniques." AnandTech does its usual in-depth thing.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/22/13 13:38 UTC
"The Verge has learned that HTC's Chief Product Officer, Kouji Kodera, left the company last week. Kodera was responsible for HTC's overall product strategy, which makes the departure especially notable on the heels of the global launch of the make-or-break One. It's not just Kodera. In the past three-odd months, HTC has lost a number of employees in rapid succession." I really hope HTC pulls it together.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/22/13 13:30 UTC, submitted by JRepin
"It is with huge pleasure that the Debian GNU/Hurd team announces the release of Debian GNU/Hurd 2013. This is a snapshot of Debian 'sid' at the time of the Debian 'wheezy' release (May 2013), so it is mostly based on the same sources. It is not an official Debian release, but it is an official Debian GNU/Hurd port release." Important note: 75% of Debian packages are supported bu Debian GNU/Hurd. Impressive.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 22:06 UTC
"The first killer app was VisiCalc. This early spreadsheet turned the Apple II from a hobbyist toy to a business computer. VisiCalc came with room for improvement, though. In addition, a new architecture and operating system, the Intel-based IBM PC and MS-DOS, also needed a spreadsheet to be taken seriously. That spreadsheet, released in early 1983, would be Lotus 1-2-3, and it would change the world. It became the PC's killer app, and the world would never be the same. On May 14, IBM quietly announced the end of the road for 1-2-3, along with Lotus Organizer and the Lotus SmartSuite office suite. Lotus 1-2-3's day is done." Impressive 30 year run.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 21:45 UTC
"There's a disconnect between how Apple CEO Tim Cook sees his company's tax strategies and how some members of the US Senate view it. That became clearer than ever today after Cook and two other Apple executives testified before Congress, explaining why they're holding most of their international income in Irish subsidiaries like Apple Operations International, which declare no tax residency anywhere in the world. AOI hasn't filed a tax return anywhere in the world for the last five years, yet it earned $30 billion in income from 2009 to 2012, according to a Senate report released yesterday." Just because something is legal, doesn't mean it's just. Apple, Google, Microsoft, and many more - these companies might not be breaking any laws, but it's obvious to anyone that what they are doing is scummy.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 15:53 UTC
The new WebKit Opera for Android has been released. "Opera 14 for Android is built on top of Chromium 26, with a total overhaul of the UI in native code, making it fit well with the latest Android design guidelines. Go get the build from Google Play or point your browser to m.opera.com, and give it a spin!"More News »
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Member since:
2006-02-15
"The biggest issue these three browser makers had with Microsoft's proposal was that by listing browsers alphabetically by vendor, Apple's Safari had an unfair advantage."
So, they basically claim that users can't go past the first entry and will by default click on whatever is the first one? That's ridiculous, and they are sending a message that they think end-users aren't much smarter than a bunch of monkeys. How wonderful. Besides, having things in alphabetical order is what people expect and are used to. Having them in a random order just gives very poor image of both Microsoft and all the browsers in the list.
And most of all...how does this make the life easier for the end-user? This should be all about end-user and their computing experience, NOT about market share!
"On top of that, under pressure from the three browser makers, Microsoft has agreed to remove the Internet Explorer logo from the ballot screen. It was said that the recognisability of the IE logo would give an unfair advantage to Internet Explorer."
This too is nothing more than nitpicking. Yes, plain, simple nitpicking, with nothing of value for the end-user.
God I wish we lived in a world where people and their needs came first, then companies and the pockets full of money.