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Google explains what a web browser is, treats you a bit like an idiot
Google's been pushing its Chrome browser for a while now, and there's no question that it's one of the fastest, simplest web browsers around, if you're a Windows user anyway. But it doesn't have all of the features you'd expect from a fuller fledged browser like Firefox yet, such as stable support for plugins and extensions. And most importantly, it doesn't come bundled with most computers, like Internet Explorer.
Earlier this year Google put together a little video demonstrating that many people don't just not care what browser they use... they might not even know what a browser is. So what's the next step?Telling the world exactly what a browser is.
So Google has put together a followup video that explains that the thing you type web addresses into isn't called the computer or the internet. It's a web browser. And it's "the most important piece of software on your computer" because it handles all web pages. Of course, if you don't actually use your computer for web surfing, the browser might not be that important. But then you're probably living in 1992 and most modern browsers won't run on your machine anyway.
Google has also launched a new What Browser web site to help explain what a browser is, what other browsers are available, and sure, how to download, install, and Tweak Google Chrome. But I can't help but wonder who exactly Google is targeting with this overly-simplistic campaign. Because if you don't even know what a browser is, the odds of you coming across this video explaining it are probably slim to none.
Earlier this year Google put together a little video demonstrating that many people don't just not care what browser they use... they might not even know what a browser is. So what's the next step?Telling the world exactly what a browser is.
So Google has put together a followup video that explains that the thing you type web addresses into isn't called the computer or the internet. It's a web browser. And it's "the most important piece of software on your computer" because it handles all web pages. Of course, if you don't actually use your computer for web surfing, the browser might not be that important. But then you're probably living in 1992 and most modern browsers won't run on your machine anyway.
Google has also launched a new What Browser web site to help explain what a browser is, what other browsers are available, and sure, how to download, install, and Tweak Google Chrome. But I can't help but wonder who exactly Google is targeting with this overly-simplistic campaign. Because if you don't even know what a browser is, the odds of you coming across this video explaining it are probably slim to none.
Comments
50
Subscribe to commentstheoneneo81Oct 7th 2009 4:24PM
Welcome to the 21st Century Google
IvanP91Oct 7th 2009 4:28PM
And this video is hosted on youtube?
My god! How will we ever get there using a web browser and typing 'youtube' into a search engine field?
Now we cant watch the video on youtube because of those above problems.
Andrew B.Oct 7th 2009 4:44PM
While this video is cheesy to us tech people, this is needed for a large amount of the population. A lot of people do not know that there is anything besides Internet Explorer.
PaulOct 7th 2009 5:14PM
I agree. This video may be cheesy to us more 'advanced' fellas, but I do know some people that don't even know what a Web Browser is - they refer to it simply as the Internet.
KatyDOct 8th 2009 7:14AM
I agree. Google must be targeting women. I'll be the first to admit that I never understood the word "browser". I thought it just meant the search box on top of my computer screen. I compare it to a car. I get in and drive. But I have NO idea about the mechanics of the vehicle or my computer.
Rocketboy_XOct 8th 2009 7:15AM
Hell, I talk to people every day who do not understand the difference between an address bar the search bar. You don't want to know how much of my life I've wasted trying to get people to enter a site into the address bar, and to not search. And of those people, 50% of them don't even know have a concept of what a search engine is.
Rocketboy_XOct 8th 2009 8:29AM
Really? Many of them are too new to computers to even know what AOL was.
JordanOct 14th 2009 3:27PM
There are many people who need this video shoved in their face. I work in a help desk and often ask the question, "What web browswer are you using"
These are the most common answers:
I have Vista
I use a Mac, there aren't supposed to be problems
Ummm...how do I check
I'm using Internet Explorer 6
What's Firefox?
JamusOct 7th 2009 4:56PM
Still way over their heads for a fair portion of my users. Now, if it was showing how to install the latest "Crappy Toolbar of The Week"... THAT they understand.
XIRUSOct 9th 2009 1:16PM
i am DEFINITELY in agreement with you here! LOL
rev.dakOct 7th 2009 5:15PM
Um, I don't think we're the target audience (i.e. we're not the "idiots" they're addressing.)
I know for a fact a HUGE chunk of people using the "internets", today, don't know the difference between email and AOL, much less the difference between the Internet and a browser.
Brad LinderOct 7th 2009 5:20PM
True... but how exactly do they expect the target audience to even find the video?
Dudde DuddeOct 7th 2009 6:02PM
Google is just trying to make people try out new web browsers, and they're doing it in the simplest possible way to reach markets where no one knows about Chrome.
I personally don't like the Google dominance on the net, and will never migrate to Chrome, but I gotta give them that this video (along with a lot of their other marketing schemes) is pretty damn cleaver. Think I've seen this video mentioned in almost all of my current rss-subscriptions. It's hard to target a broad market as the "not-so-tech-market", but apparently this video started a hype that for sure will trickle down to the "not-so-tech-people".
SrednioOct 7th 2009 5:37PM
Well... Google propably has some knowledge on how wierd stuff becomes popular on the internet. Plus, it's not that they can put what they want on the Youtube home page. ;)
I guess promoting "What a browser is" doesn't really cost them anything, (I mean, corporate money), and no matter how successful it is, it's good for buisness.
benOct 8th 2009 7:14AM
Actually, they don't even plug for Chrome in that video. During the video, they click on the Firefox icon even though there's also a Chrome icon on the screen. At the end, they link to Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Internet Explorer.
JakurbOct 8th 2009 4:22PM
Actually, I think the video was just made by a random Googler.
comhcincOct 8th 2009 7:14AM
I do internet tech support over the phone. That page just made my job easier. Thank you Google.
SlappyOct 7th 2009 6:14PM
Considering the recent video where the average person on the street couldn't describe what a browser was, this video is exactly what the average person could use.
HarshOct 7th 2009 7:30PM
Having been a Network Administrator at a school, I know a lot of people think that Firefox is called Google. Some would call it the other Internet Explorer. Yet somehow they know their way around Facebook like you wouldn't believe. Oh and I'm not talking about the students.
XIRUSOct 9th 2009 1:18PM
LMAO @ this because it's so true!