African-American Web-browser-I don't know what to think

[Crown_Prince_of_Irony]

@Crown_Prince_of_Irony

Well, to be fair, it seems this is all built into the browser, using Google’s API - Google’s site itself stays as Googlish as ever, it’s just the browser-side “Black Search” function that’s displaying something different from the default Google.

Of course, this begs the question of whether the technology can anticipate the needs of its target demographic - my first guess is not by a long shot, but again, I say let the market decide.

Clarification - apparently it’s a hosted search engine using a custom Google redirect search, not a browser-side API. Since it’s not branded as Google, the point seems academic, but I thought it worth mentioning.

I’m not saying this is a great product - for all I know it could be poorly coded, and according to some news reports, it looks like it’s not been entirely well-recieved by the target audience. I’m just saying I’m not opposed to the concept, as it just seems to me to be another example of agile development in action. Again, let the market decide, as long as it harms no one.

[Crown_Prince_of_Irony]

@Marley23

Did you ever notice how Black Google searches like This, but White Google searches like THiS?

Okay, that’s just funny.

[Omega_Glory]

@Guinastasia

I don’t think anyone is trying to avoid looking racist-more like being confused. Like, “Wha?”

Yea, I have no idea what that was aimed at.

Did you ever notice how Black Google searches like This, but White Google searches like THiS?

Good one.

[Mahna_Mahna]

@Crown_Prince_of_Irony

I’m not saying this is a great product - for all I know it could be poorly coded, and according to some news reports, it looks like it’s not been entirely well-recieved by the target audience.

You mean all black people don’t all browse alike? How astonishing.

[Crown_Prince_of_Irony]

@Mahna_Mahna

You mean all black people don’t all browse alike? How astonishing.

And not at all surprising - I wouldn’t think they do all browse alike. Again, the product seems to be targeting a very narrow demographic. I guess more than anything, I’m impressed that the product got off the ground at all - again, it illustrates that the current technology makes some really interesting things possible in the area of micro-demographics-oriented development.

I will concede that I am a huge geek about such things though, and understand that not everyone may share my enthusiasm.

[even_sven]

I can’t imagine this is entirely serious.

But this does bring up some interesting issues. Different cultures use the Internet in different ways. I’m not sure what my Chinese students are doing online, but it is something different than what I used to do as a student in America. And living abroad, most websites display me stuff meant for Chinese people- which usually isn’t what my American ass is looking for. Usually this just means I click the “English” link somewhere on the page, but sometimes it can be more complicated. Anyway, we don’t usually think about how culture and Internet use work together. And I think it is something that is worth thinking about.

[Zabali_Clawbane]

@Guinastasia

When I first read about it, I had the Beatles (you know, “Blackbird”) going through mine.

I heard Martyn Bennet’s Blackbird, myself. Not sure why that song has taken precedence over The Beatles, except that for me, it reaches further than a lot of the Beatles works. (And I love The Beatles too!)