Google asks Times Square, "What is a browser?" [video] | Hacker News Reader

Google asks Times Square, "What is a browser?" [video]

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8 pointsheed4 comments

I'm wondering why Google would make and post this video. Doesn't it just prove that they are entering a market that not only is completely misunderstood, but also shouldn't matter to the average person?

I use and like Chrome, but understand that the average person doesn't and shouldn't have to care about what browser they use.

I agree with you about Google having to realize they're entering a market that is completely misunderstood, but I don't think the issue "shouldn't" matter to the average person - and perhaps that is their point. The Internet has become a part of daily life for millions of people who don't have a clue how any of it works. Now, that is a testament to how useful it has become, and how well designed some of the interfaces are: they can send and receive data from the other side of the world virtually instantly - in a way that is entirely transparent to the average user.

The danger in that is that you have hundreds of people using that system to send sensitive data without really understanding how it works. It's like putting someone in a car without basic safety training - sure, if they've seen someone use the controls, they can pick it up pretty quickly. But there's a lot of really important things they don't realize. If people don't know what a browser is, they probably don't know how important it is to keep it updated. They probably don't know about phishing scams, or why giving your email password away is dangerous.

I see and appreciate your point, but i disagree that this is the reason for Google to enter the market and educate the people. People shouldn't have to worry about phishing scams, etc. That should all be managed for them. When you go to put gas in your car, you don't worry about what is in the mixture, or what station you buy it from, where they sourced it, etc.etc. it is just as complicated if not more so, and yet the system just works. We need to find a way to manage these challenges for the user, and I don't believe a new browser is the way to do it. I don't have the answer to how this should be handled, but I think the idea that we can 'train' non-technical people to understand and then care about this is naive.

Not surprised given 40% of people surveyed were NOT able to identify the location of their heart.

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