The Continued Propagation of the Fake Microsoft Internet Explorer User Study
It doesn’t surprise me that many people continue to propagate the fake IE user study that claims that IE users have lower IQs than Chrome, Safari, and FireFox users. What surprises me is how many academics did it.
Even well respected academics did not read the original study web site or the explanation about the study given to the press. Had they read them, they should have been able to tell immediately that — what turned out to be a fake — study was conducted in, at best, a highly questionable manner.
I’m dropping this post on the Internet in the hope that a real scientist with time and inclination investigates the propagation of the meme in the academic and professional communities.
UPDATE: someone asked me why I am posting this today. This fake study is REFERENCED in a conference submission that I’m reviewing.
