Blacks now have their own web browser. Demeaning?

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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,465808,00.html

If I were black, I'd be offended at that statement. I can understand the coolness of having software tailored to you and your interests, but a black web browser? I could understand layering onto your existing browser your own themes, and that's a cool idea, but this seems to stereotype the black community as a whole by implying that blacks have trouble using IE or Mozilla -- which is a just-plain-ridiculous notion.

What do you think?

Unless it is simply an advertising angle it suggests that significant numbers of black people find that the "normal" browsers do not sufficiently represent black people's presence, issues, or interests.

It is why there are magazines and TV channels for gay people, lesbians, etc; because they do not see themselves represented very often, or very accurately, in the mainstream media.

It suggests that there may be a conscious or unconscious racist bias to the main browsers, that most whites aren't aware of. It certainly hadn't occurred to me before, but now I think about it I realise that there might be.

I don't know much about how browsers work but if frequency of search affects the visibility/prioritisation of pages then if more white people have internet access than black people it could create a racial bias in their services.

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Last edited by ouinon on 12 Dec 2008, 11:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

I agree that it is offensive to tell black people they need their own browser. I know it's optional, but isn't it a form of segregation to imply whites and blacks should use their own browsers?

It would help clarify things if more was known about the 40A Group who are setting it up. If it is a group of black people in favour of black visibility/pride/awareness, for example. ... ...

Having read their company profile, ( linked to in the article ), it seems that they are three african-american guys who think it will be good for black visibility and community.
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Last edited by ouinon on 12 Dec 2008, 12:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I agree, that could be considered incredibly offensive, but I can't help but think "How is this any different than BET?"

And yes, I'm aware as to how offensive some black folks consider BET to be, notably the fellow that's behind The Boondocks.

I'm so using this browser

W0rdUp Brothaf_cka!

Im gonna download it ASAP.

If I was a human being (and I am) I would be offended by pretty much everything minitrue says (and I am).



Didn't The Boondocks have it origins in a college cartoon strip? ie, multiple people?

I have to agree with Ragtime, we are not talking about a search engine here, we are talking about a browser; you type in the address of the page you want and it comes up. Why would black people do it any differently than white people.

So when are going to get an Aspie browser, or aren't there enough of us to matter?

I wonder because the USA now has a black well half black president that isn't republican that this is some sort of pathetic attempt to somehow attack him somehow by attacting black people.

Ratime stop reading foxnews.

the search engine that would make a good home page for blackbird: www.blackle.com

For those who thought the civil rights movement succeeded... they never did... it's a shame, really...

Maybe it culls out the white and asian girl pr0n?

Fetishists will love this.

Indeed, it did, but it was all by the same guy, Aaron McGruder, from the college strip to newspaper strip to TV series.

Ooh, let's play Apartheid again.

Black neurotypical white neurotypical. Strange why do neurotypical have to make so many divisions. NTs are more or less the same. If you want difference try having Asperger syndrome.