Update: Internet Explorer IQ story was bogus

So, after all the stories, all the submissions, and all the hype, perhaps the whole thing was a hoax after all.

Also interestingly, it looks like the BBC have changed the text on the referenced page. Originally it reported the story, but now it claims it's a hoax. Can anyone get the original text? I've not been able to get it from the Google cache.

Here are some of the submissions of the story:

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2818847 : aptiquant.com http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2822935 : conceivablytech.com

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2822162 : mashable.com

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2823776 : cnn.com

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2823808 : msn.com

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2823947 : pcworld.com

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2823949 : theatlanticwire.com

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2827618 : theregister.co.uk : killed

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2832782 : telegraph.co.uk : killed

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2832818 : pcmag.com

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2832948 : telegraph.co.uk : killed

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2833997 : (unknown) : killed

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2837736 : bbc.co.uk : killed

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2838228 : npr.org

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2838474 : bbc.co.uk

However IE and IQ are connected, I can't get how this kind of articles are of interest to the Hacker News community.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mean any offense, it's only that I see this kind of "news" quite unworthy.

- "Cool guys wear Nike" - "Powerful men drive Mercedes" - "Independent women buy Prada"

etc..

"free online IQ testing" as the source didn't give it away?

Even if it wasn't a hoax, it's still fairly meaningless. It doesn't seem unlikely that more intelligent users would be more likely to look for other options rather than using the OS-provided default. For the sake of illustration lets simplify: Users with an IQ over 100 look for alternatives, below 100 and they do not. Even if 80% of the higher IQ users ultimately choose Internet Explorer (which would indicate that it is very high quality), there would be a very significant difference of average IQ between IE users and users of other browsers.

I also find it very distressing that the BBC, CNN, and a whole slew of other outlets all reported this without carrying out the kind of basic checks I do when presented with new information, and I'm not a reporter!

While I agree that people should look for alternatives, I do not necessarily agree with your analysis. I do research in Physics at the University of Sydney, and the proliferation of Internet Explorer is quite high within the research staff, and I can assure you that the IQ's there are not low...