Poll Shows Americans Are Web Dummies But At Least Know Who Bill Gates Is
Just as tires and wheels aren't the same thing, the World Wide Web (WWW) and Internet are also separate, albeit just as intertwined. If you already knew that, pat your self on the back or grab a cookie -- you're in the minority, according to a Web IQ quiz conducted by Pew Research in which just 23 percent of respondents correctly selected (or guessed) "False" when asked if the Internet and WWW are the same.
In stark contrast, 83 percent of respondents were able to correctly identify Bill Gates as the technology leader portrayed in a photo. It's the question with the least amount of wrong answers, followed closely by identifying Twitter as the place where hashtags are widely used.
Pew surveyed 1,066 Internet users with 17 questions on a range of issues related to technology, including the meaning and usage of common online terms, recognition of famous tech figures, the history of some major technological advances, and the underlying structure of the Internet and other technologies.
In terms of wrong responses, the toughest question on the quiz is one that asks which was the first popular graphical web browser -- only 9 percent correctly identified Mosaic, the other options being Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, and Opera.
Interestingly, a question about Moore's Law ranked No. 4 in terms of toughness, with two-thirds of respondents getting the answer wrong. That's actually somewhat impressive that it didn't rank No. 3 or No. 2 (we won't begrudge Mosaic for being the most difficult).
Overall, the survey shows there's a lot about the Internet and technology that most people have yet to learn.
In stark contrast, 83 percent of respondents were able to correctly identify Bill Gates as the technology leader portrayed in a photo. It's the question with the least amount of wrong answers, followed closely by identifying Twitter as the place where hashtags are widely used.
Pew surveyed 1,066 Internet users with 17 questions on a range of issues related to technology, including the meaning and usage of common online terms, recognition of famous tech figures, the history of some major technological advances, and the underlying structure of the Internet and other technologies.
In terms of wrong responses, the toughest question on the quiz is one that asks which was the first popular graphical web browser -- only 9 percent correctly identified Mosaic, the other options being Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, and Opera.
Interestingly, a question about Moore's Law ranked No. 4 in terms of toughness, with two-thirds of respondents getting the answer wrong. That's actually somewhat impressive that it didn't rank No. 3 or No. 2 (we won't begrudge Mosaic for being the most difficult).
Overall, the survey shows there's a lot about the Internet and technology that most people have yet to learn.
