Are Internet Explorer users really dumb?

A study that found that users of Microsoft's Internet Explorer have lower IQs than those who used other browsers has been revealed as a hoax.

 

The hoax sucked in scores of mainstream and technology media outlets including Mashable, CNET, AFP, PC World, The Daily Mail, smh.com.au and the BBC.

 

AptiQuant, the company purportedly behind the study, was not real. Its website was a forgery of that of a legitimate psychometric testing company called Central Test, reports News.com.au.

 

Central Test issued a statement distancing itself from the bogus company and the Internet Explorer study.

 

“Central Test noticed the fraudulent use of its identity by AptiQuant, a Canadian company and deny any direct or indirect link with the above mentioned company,” it said.

 

“Central Test, as a qualified online psychometric test publisher, also declines to be the source or the author of the study published on the 'Intelligence Quotient and Browser Usage'.

 

“Central Test is investigating the issue and we reserve any rights to pursue legal action against AptiQuant, or whoever is behind this.”

 

The man behind the hoax this morning outed himself as San Francisco computer programmer Tarandeep Gill.

 

Gill said the elaborate stunt was designed to draw attention to the shortcomings of Internet Explorer 6.

 

“This was not a cheap publicity stunt, but an honest effort to create awareness about the incompatibilities of IE versions 6.0 to 8.0,” he said.

 

“In the end, I would once again like to apologise to IE users who felt insulted, and to Central Test for copying their stuff without permission,” he added.