It's Open - Social Media Strategy Consultancy

What browser do you use? Internet Explorer? Firefox? Chrome? Safari?

Turns out, your choice of web browser is more than just personal preference. In fact, a new study suggests that the browser you use reflects your IQ.

According to the study “Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Browser Usage” by AptiQuant, Internet Explorer 6 users have an average IQ score of 80; Firefox and Chrome users have an average IQ score of around 110, while Opera and Camino users have an average IQ score more than 120. In fairness, those who use a newer version of Internet Explorer tend to have a slightly higher IQ than those who stick to the old version.

As a conclusion, the study sums up that “individuals on the lower side of the IQ scale tend to resist a change/upgrade of their browsers.” So those with a higher IQ are more likely to try out a new version, different browsers and little tweaks to get the most out of their surfing.

Website designers across the world will be cheering about this study, considering how much of a nightmare Internet Explorer can be to code for.

Clearly, this is one of those studies where correlation does not imply causation – although if we’re wrong, maybe it’s time to install Opera to get our IQ up.

What browser do you use? Do you agree with this study?

The recent super-injunction issue on Twitter has given rise to a debate that often rears its head when there’s a problem online: should the internet be policed?

With such easy access to anonymity on sites like Twitter, people are now allowed to say what they like without the worry of prosecution (in theory). So when a Twitter user published a list of the super-injunctions recently awarded to celebrities and high-profile members of the public, the courts were left with a difficult dilemma: are social media sites covered by injunctions? Or does freedom of speech win out?

To add to the confusion, some of the tweets about super-injunctions were later revealed as false. When ‘news’ breaks on Twitter, it’s often considered to be fact by the masses, who assume the original source checked the validity. This can lead to a devastating impact on the reputations of innocent people. Could an authoritative presence on sites like Twitter avoid that?

The Lord Chief Justice recently commented on the ‘misuse of modern technology’

“I’m not giving up on the possibility that people who peddle lies about others through using technology may one day be brought under control, maybe through damages, very substantial damages, maybe even injunctions to stop them peddling lies.”

In reality, the question isn’t whether the internet should be policed, but whether it can be. The internet in general is too big now to police. However, thanks to IP addresses, social media sites are still open to that kind of authoritative involvement.

In defence of many of the social media sites, they do offer reporting services for offensive accounts, which can then be shut down. But is that enough?

What do you think? Should (or could) the internet be policed?

As if huge growth (the fastest growing company in history, in fact) and market domination wasn’t enough, Groupon is now looking to launch a brand new app that allows you to find local deals close to you. Sound familiar to the current system? There’s one big difference – the deals are not one-time only. Instead, restaurants, venues and services can choose when they want to offer the deal.

Effectively, this can mean an individual can wander into town, click on the app and see which local restaurants offers the best deal. The app, named Groupon Now, gives you the option of deciding whether you’re hungry or bored, and will then give you your options. Handy for last minute decisions and the cash-light, and beneficial for both parties.

For businesses, this is a great way of filling in those times when business is slow. Offering the deal on a quiet Tuesday rather than a busy Saturday makes more sense than letting the customer choose. It’s similar in that way to basic services now, like the Tastecard that lets you get 50% off or BOGOF at restaurants during the week. This also gets around the issue that a lot of smaller businesses have when a Groupon becomes a hit but they can’t facilitate all the purchases.

The service should put it head and shoulders above the competition, like Living Social and Groupola, who currently lack the technology.

Source: Mashable

This week we held an event to launch our new research report, written by Dr. Andrew Currah, examining the impact of digital media on the future of corporate reputation.

The report’s executive summary was written by Stuart Bruseth, Vice President, Shell Global Media Relations, and the first member of the Social Media Leadership Forum.

As its key finding the report recommends a ‘satellite’ model of digital communications in which a specialist network of advocates orbits and reports back to the central communications team.

Recognising the collaborative possibilities of digital media, the report argues that it is more scalable and cost-effective for companies to empower their employees to contribute to digital communications activity.

The following slide-show presents a summary of all the key findings of the report:

Below you can read the report in its entirety, either here on the site, or by downloading a copy from Scribd.

We hope you find this an informative and helpful read as you plan your company’s next steps towards a strategy for managing reputation in an increasingly hybrid digital landscape.