AptiQuant Browser/IQ Study Was Likely a Hoax

A steady stream of people have submitted notes this morning saying that the story we (and the entire internet, and even NPR's Marketplace) mentioned recently talking about browser platform correlating with IQ looks like a hoax. Of course, if you read the Slashdot discussion, you probably would have known this already, but now everyone knows. The company responsible for the survey, AptiQuant, looks to not be real.

Comments

So...

[Anonymous Coward]

I swear, Homer Simpson is right, you can find a study to prove anything. He conducted a study to prove that.

So what.

[kurt555gs]

They results still look true to me, even if it was a hoax. Think about it. Many of you know IE users.

It speaks volumes that we all believed it

[sandytaru]

The "results" seemed to fit all our pre-established notions of IE users in general - they don't know any better, because they are stupider than the rest of us. Now I would like to see someone do a legit study using this methodology and see what the actual results are. My confirmation bias says they'll actually be pretty close to the fake results.

Re:It speaks volumes that we all believed it

[geekoid]

Your post reads exactly like what dumb people think about their own intelligence. Seriously.

"*USERS* in general are stupid. "
WTF? Oh, I see mister " I'm one of the smartest IT people in my circles" doesn't know what the word stupid means. Well done, moron.

Ssssh!

[Zocalo]

Don't spoil it now! I'm fully expecting a significant drop in IE6 users in the next round of the various stats put out each month because of this. Anything that gets users off that nightmare and onto something newer, even just a more recent version of IE, is a good thing in my book!