Do you know what a (web) browser is?

I fully expect everyone reading this does. But just like a lot, possibly even the majority of internet users think the 'address bar' is the search box on their favourite search engine homepage and the quickest way to any website is to enter the address there a click on the first result, most people don't know (or care) that the program they use to access the internet is called a browser. (Some may not know that the general general term is 'program'.)

And there are really good arguments that they shouldn't have to know or care. As website designers and builders we have to bear this in mind and not rely too much on assumed knowledge. Videos like this one (via badasstronaut) are a good reminder of who we are really catering to (ignoring the fact that it's a stealth ad for Chrome).

Further, do you know what a login page looks like?

Commenting on my previous post mr_orgue pointed me at this post about the recent RWW/Facebook login mixup.

Basically, a post on Read Write Web about Facebook became the #1 google result for "Facebook Login". This resulted in a lot of people using similar behaviour to that mentioned previously clicking through in an attempt to log in to their facebook accounts. Because commenting at RWW supports OpenID, there was a facebook logo you could click on to autheticate with your facebook details... (OpenID of course connects you to the authenticating site briefly to enter these).

Despite RWW adding a big bold disclaimer at the top of the post people kept doing this. These weren't stupid people, they were just looking to login like they had done every time previously and faced with a different visual assumed it was some sort of redesign and scanned for something recognisable that would help with that task. Like a button with the facebook logo next to a form field.

The post linked above talks at length about about the implications of this.

If you are an interface designer, a brand manager or a security expert, your reaction to this incident should be one of deep humility. Your interface, your brand and your security scheme is much more fragile than you'd ever dared to fear. All of your work has come to naught.

These people represent the vast majority of internet users. It's a rare breed who actually 'Use the Internet' in terms of urls and pages links. Most people 'Log into Facebook' or 'Watch Youtube' or 'Order a Pizza'.

We can't feasibly make all these people 'more like us' (developers), nor should we try. We build websites that they can use, and they shape a future where 'the internet' means about the same as 'the pavement' and requires about as much thought when it's used.