Many others were not so lucky
Regular readers know my quirks, pet peeves and phobias, with the latter list – at least professionally speaking – topped by a paralyzing fear of falling for and helping to spread one of those hoax news stories.
The latest example of the genre is coming to light today. It turns out that last week’s stories claiming that users of Internet Explorer had been proven dumber than users of other browsers was based on research that was complete fiction from an outfit that does not exist.
That the take-away from the “research” served to confirm the biases of most who chose to write about it almost certainly contributed to the runaway success of the hoax.
I remember seeing the stories last week when they first started to appear on major news sites.
I remember being tempted to pile on.
And, I don’t remember why I chose to pass – perhaps it seemed like picking the wings off of disadvantaged browser users — but pass I did.
So I get to work another day without having to confess to having been had.
My turn is coming, though, I just know it.
Welcome regulars and passersby. Here are a few more recent buzzblog items. And, if you’d like to receive Buzzblog via e-mail newsletter, here’s where to sign up. Follow me on Twitter here and on Google+ here.
- “Have I reached the party to whom I am speaking?”
- Imagine your neighbor built a fake Apple store.
- Toyota systems automatically stops car before it can hit a pedestrian.
- A few suggestions for destroying the “indestructible botnet.”
- Monkey business with a camera sparks copyright debate.
- What Microsoft paid The Stones to help launch Windows 95.
- Pilots spar over wisdom of relying on an iPad in the cockpit.
- 18 holes, 18 shots: IT pro puts up rarest of rare Putt-Putt perfection.
- Captain Midnight: ‘No regrets’ about jamming HBO back in ’86
- Tech ‘firsts’ that made a President’s day.
- 2011’s 25 Geekiest 25th Anniversaries.
