Remember the recent study that showed Internet users with lower than average IQs are more likely to use Internet Explorer than other browsers? Well, I hate to disappoint you, but it’s a very elaborate hoax.
The study, conducted by ‘a Canadian psychometric testing company’ called AptiQuant, claimed that users of IE have a lower IQ than users of Chrome, Firefox and Safari, while users of Camino and Opera have the highest.
Many pages on AptiQuant’s website are remarkably similar to those of a business website belongs to Central Test, a legit French psychometric consultant company. For example, AptiQuant’s website contained staff images that were copied from Central Test’s website, though the names were changed.
The attention to detail on AptiQuant’s website made the hoax even more convincing. You can even find earlier studies (also copy/pasted from Central Test’s studies), FAQ and everything else you would normally find on a website of such a company.
Central Test then made a statement claiming they don’t have any connection to AptiQuant, which pretty much cements the entire story as a hoax.
As it turned out, the guy behind the entire hoax was a Vancouver-based programmer/developer/entrepreneur named Tarandeep Gill. On AptiQuant’s home page, Gill stated that the main purpose behind this hoax was “to create awareness about the incompatibilities of IE6, and not to insult or hurt anyone.” He also apologized to Central Test for copying their material, and promised to remove it as soon as possible.
But honestly, I still can’t quite believe that the whole story is a hoax. I mean, the findings are so plausible, right?
