Technology helps find
another link between man and animals in the evolution saga - browsers.
Once upon a time, animals - of the herbivorous kind - were
happy grazing the land and eating health food. But once man got into the act, grass
and herbs became scarce in the plains. The grazers soon had to set their sights
higher – literally - and began scouting for taller plants so that they could nibble
at their leaves. This practice of checking out various sites for food came to
be known as browsing and the animals that indulged in browsing were
collectively called browsers. Ancient records suggest that have been classified
into five types, based on their behaviour:
1. Atavists:
These animals browse only in places where their ancestors had browsed and do not
seek greener pastures. Even if there were newer options, they wouldn't try it.
Why? Because they’re creatures of habit.
2. Zeitgeists:
Like free spirits, they roam around with gay abandon, but stay in herds and
stick to their family. The springbok is a classic example that comes to mind.
3. Universalists:
They don't stress on territorial domination like other browsers, but believe
that life's a journey that’s for free and that anyone can browse where they do.
4. Accommodationists:
They'll share, they’ll compromise, they’ll adjust - and there will never be any
complaints. And they can afford to do so because their feeling of security is
simply unmatched.
5. Cabalists:
They're the secretive type. They'll be furtive and give away no indication that
they're browsing – yup, the ‘eat, shoot and leave’ types.
Technology, which has always borrowed so heavily from nature
- read artificial neural networks from the nervous system, auto-pilot
navigation technology from pigeons, and velcro from burrs in plant seeds,
amongst a zillion others - couldn't resist taking a leaf out of this one. And
that was how web browsers came to be. Soon, people began to be identified based
on the browser they used.
1. Atavists: They
use Internet Explorer - and only Internet Explorer. Why? Because they began their
journey into the worldwide web using IE and have been with it for generations
now, updating themselves with every version that has been released. Chances
are, they’re using their office laptop and are not allowed to download anything
without admin permission. But more importantly, they'll never try, possibly because
they have always been that way.
2. Zeitgeists: They’re
ardent followers of Google Chrome. Like free spirits, they flit in and out of
all Google products, making sure that they always stick to the Google family.
If the springbok is a classic representation of the browser (animal), the
country it comes from is dominant in the logo of Chrome, with its rainbow
colours. To zeitgeists, Google itself is a plus, so Google Plus simply
multiplies their joy.
3. Universalists:
They’re true Firefox loyalists and totally believe in the open source
philosophy. That's what makes them universalists – the only code that they hold
on to is that every source code must be let go of.
4. Accommodationists:
They're staunch Safari fans. And just as the browser is designed both for the
Mac and Windows OS, they'll accommodate any opposing point of view. Adobe Flash
may not work, but they're ok with that. Some websites may not be configured to their
browser - they'll take that in their stride as well. The bottomline is, they
know that the kind of security their browser gives them is simply unmatched.
5. Cabalists: They're
the Opera type, but without the theatrics. And yes, they're the secretive type
too. Opera allows them to trawl the depths of the web and download any kind of
content, but keeps them safe and unseen. (Now you know where the phrase
'stealth browsing' came from!)
So which kind are you?
