Browsing the browsers
The Daily Kos notes that his readers are using Internet Explorer less and less to access the site. Previously 80-90 percent of the browsers were IE, but now IE’s share is down to 67 percent.
Because ITA is an infant in internet/blog terms, we can’t track browser usage over a lengthy amount of time. However, readers of JC.C, my previous personal blog, used an IE version over 82% of the time since the site’s beginning two and a half years ago. That can give us a rough estimate of browser usage spread out over the past couple years. ITA statistics, however, measuring browser usage in the last month, shows that IE’s share only constitutes 57% of readers. That’s still a sizable number, but significantly less than their previous dominance. Daily Kos takes the added step of drawing political conclusions:
“There is a clear liberal/conservative divide in technology usage. You can find the data at any weblog with a public sitemeter, and the stats seem to hold true across the board. Liberals are more likely to use non-Microsoft products and conservatives.”
I’m not sure that I agree, but the argument is certainly persuasive. One thing seems certain, though, and it’s that no matter what your political persuasion, IE has some tough competition.
9 Responses to “Browsing the browsers”
And for just what purpose are liberals using conservatives? I’d like to know how to get the most use out of my conservatives!
(Sorry, couldn’t resist).
Liberals may be more likely to use non-MSFT products than conservatives because they are not posting from offices that are under the influence.
Just an idea, but not difficult to check if the same person uses, say, IE at 1:30pm and Firefox at 9:30pm.
That’s right, all of us liberals are busy smoking the hippy weed and logging on from our couches using computers bought with our welfare checks…
That should read liberal blog readers are more likely to use non-MSFT products… and the more important distinction is almost certainly between those internet users who read blogs and those who don’t.
I find it interesting that for SiteMeter at least the conservative use of IE is shown in blue. I guess Blue states and blue browsers are not the same thing.
To be honest I don’t believe there is any connection between political leanings and type of browser. Age of person browsing, location from which person is browsing from, and popularity of the blog would be far more relevant factors in my opinion.
Hey I loved NetSCRAPe back in the day and very few people would consider me a liberal. I just don’t have the energy to maintain two browsers and the utilities that synchronized bookmarks between the two never worked to my satisfaction.
Your old blog reminds me of the opening scenes of GODFATHER 3, where the camera pans over the deserted Corleone compound on Lake Tahoe, its opulence boarded and children’s toys rusting in the yards as Michael discusses on voiceover his relocation to NYC. Sad (but not as much as Sofia Coppola’s acting).
Just browsing
Since people are starting to post their browser distributions, sometimes to make a political point, sometimes to refute one, and since I don’t have my SiteMeter results open to the…
Firefox rules.
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I know, I know…I wasn’t supposed to be on hiatus. I was just supposed to post less frequently. But almost…