

How do i go back to regular Google? - jaf12duke
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Chrome/thread?tid=6cfce150cf9655e0&hl=en

======
RiderOfGiraffes
This is, in some senses, a sign that programming and computer systems are
getting better. You don't _want_ people to have to learn the difference
between a browser and the web and a search engine and an operating system -
you want things to _just work._

For most people once their machine is set up this is the case, and then when
they want something different, they don't know what they're asking. This is a
sign of success, and not a sign that the users are stupid.

Although it must be admitted some of them are.

So here's the question. If you run a service, how much do you insist your
users learn before they can actually use it? Anything? Nothing?

Added in edit:

"What is a Browser" is a similar issue (linked to elsewhere from this thread,
and from previous submissions:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=662105>

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=653962>

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=626482>

As I say - having people not knowing about these things is a measure of
success.

~~~
hugh3
_You don't want people to have to learn the difference between a browser and
the web and a search engine and an operating system - you want things to just
work._

Except that things still aren't at the "just work" stage, and perhaps never
will be.

People who are ignorant of cars or washing machines can nowadays use their
cars and washing machines for _years_ without running into any weird situation
they don't know how to fix. But people who are ignorant of computers seem to
wind up having weird problems they don't understand quite regularly.

I'd say that's not a design issue, that's just to do with the fact that a
computer is a more complex tool, with a much wider range of possible inputs,
than a car is.

------
gkoberger
What is a Browser? (By the Google Chrome team):
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4MwTvtyrUQ>

~~~
clemesha
That's a good vid, one that I've watched several times, but each time I'm left
with the following dilemma.

Should my takeaway be: "Geez, we live in a computer based society, and
everyone is so insanely clueless".

or should it be: "Cool, people are getting along just fine with their daily
tools, not needing to know the 'details' of them".

Which one is it?

~~~
scott_s
How well do you know the inner workings of all of the tools you use on a daily
basis? Obviously you have a mental model of them. But is it accurate enough to
make a similar kind of distinction between a web browser and a search engine?

~~~
moultano
For things like a search engine I think it makes more sense to compare it to
the supply chain that produces other things that we use. The page that shows
up in the web browser that we interact with is more akin to a piece of fruit
we buy in the grocery store. I certainly know how to eat a banana, but I
couldn't begin to tell you how many companies and technologies were involved
in delivering that banana to me.

------
gdulli
I thought this would be about getting rid of Google Instant, which is
ridiculous and distracting. You can turn that off in search settings.

~~~
eiji
Which you can only change when you are logged in.

~~~
gdulli
No, they'll still save settings in a cookie if you're not logged in.

~~~
eiji
cookie == logged in

~~~
dgfjhryrf
a) Incorrect. b) Easily checked. c) Numpty.

------
spanktheuser
I wonder what percentage of the broader audience has difficulties like the one
mentioned in that thread. I'm within a few weeks of launching a Web 2.0
startup focused on the mortgage industry. One of our goals is to make shopping
for mortgages _very_ easy to understand. But I'm not sure how we do that for
someone who is also having problems typing "www.google.com" in an address bar.
Should my goal be to make my product usable for the (I hope) 5%-10% of the
market that has these sorts of difficulties? Or should I write them off, and
focus on making the best product for the people out there who are more
capable? It's an interesting question to ponder.

------
sutro
From the comments: _When I click on Internet, I want the Google page to
appear._

------
code_duck
I saw a company recently announce they would not be supporting IE6 any longer.

The questions in their forums ranged from confused to bizarre. My favorite was
"will I have to back up all of my [member data on their site] or will it still
be here?"

People truly do not understand what is going on here - they have no idea what
is stored/processed a remote server, what is happening locally, what a browser
or another desktop program is, etc. I thought computer illiteracy would become
less of a problem as more people used computers every day, but unfortunately,
it's worked differently than expected. The average level of confusion has
stayed the same and the ranks of the confused have grown.

------
ryanspahn
Anyone know what is being taught regarding technolgy and the Internet in the
us elementary and high school systems? Is Internet 101 a mandatory class that
teaches these basics and some HTML? I sure hope so!

Will these type of clueless users always exist?

------
Qz
From the top response:

 _Google Chrome is a web browser, kind of like your tool to let you connect to
the internet. There are a lot of different web browsers you can use to connect
to the internet_

You're doing it wrong :(.

~~~
rottencupcakes
Can I download a browser that will get rid of that loud annoying noise when I
connect to AOL?

------
bobds
I think someone said in another thread that some users are not really clear on
whether Google is a website, a browser, an OS or something else.

The user that posted this question seems to prove that point.

~~~
wccrawford
That's like being confused whether Pepsi is a soft drink or a company. The
answer is: Yes, it is.

~~~
shaddi
True, but in this case the asker doesn't know what a soft drink or company is
to begin with.

------
sid0
I bet it's mainly because of Google's super-aggressive pushing of Chrome on
all its properties.

