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Comment by apsurd | Hacker News Reader

Uh no.

Not everyone on the planet is die hard web two point oh bleeding edge geeeeeeeniusssses like us.

There is no context. I don't know what I am supposed to do. Why is there no submit button? I'm supposed to magically realize that enter = submit? Not everyone knows what google is. It is quite absurdly annoying to assume our "above average" knowledge of the internet is a common trait.

Please someone add a link list of all the funny, outrageous, sad, and outright weird stories about how real people actually use the internet.

Google is a service that people in the "real world" use. Please keep that in mind.

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Yes.

In the real world, 8% surveyed (by Google) in Times Square knew what a browser was.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4MwTvtyrUQ&feature=playe...

Now try explaining difference between URL bar and Search bar in Safari, Firefox, etc... Give up yet?

I wonder if that survey relates to why Google decided the OS should be the browser, so people might actually use Chrome. ;-)

Best mantra for web design isn't "Web 2.0", it's "Don't Make Me Think."

That, and it accomplishes what Microsoft did with IE in the olden days.

>> Now try explaining difference between URL bar and Search bar in Safari, Firefox, etc.

Exactly.

My mom, who is in her early sixties and is considered to be very proficient in how to use the Internet among her peer group, can't seem to get that there's a difference between the Google search box and the address bar - she just searches for "cnn.com", clicks on the first result, and gets there. And when you think about it, this is a fine process for her - she doesn't understand/care about the way the internet actually works, but she has a routine (punching it all into google) that always gets her near where she's trying to be.

She also can't get her head around that hitting Enter submits a form - she'll type it in, and then click on the search button. 100% of the time.

I've heard that roughly 30% of Google search are searches for domains, just like this cnn.com example.

heck I do that sometimes when I just get lazy and hit the wrong bar or I'm not exactly sure of the domain.

Besides who here actually goes to google to search for something? The people who this would be aimed at use things like the chrome url bar, firefox searchbar, or firefox search keywords. Much more efficient.

The focus of this and other comments here seems to be to critique how this UI works for the majority of Google users. IMHO there's room for several alternatives interfaces for any popular service.

> 8% surveyed (by Google) in Times Square knew what a browser was

So 92% need the UI that works for them. There should also be a UI for the 8% minority that Google is, who know to hit enter for submit.

We've come to value multiple interfaces adapted to the client device. Isn't it time to have interfaces adapted to the skill-set of the user as well?

So do you know of a script that detects the skill set of the user then displays them an appropriate design?

The biggest problem with this design however is that it does not add anything to the experience other than aesthetics. In fact, it obscures many options and reduces usability. So how is this a power user's interface? Appearance is nice, but usability and understandability are much more important with design.

Perhaps the users who are in that 8% are bookmarking this page right now to use for their searches. You don't need to go to google.com to start up a search.

If you look up in the top right of your browser, you'll see no search button. No matter what browser you use, you'd see a search box with no button. Billions of people see this interface everyday.

Even if the user doesn't know what a browser is, they know to press enter in that box.

I agree that this isn't a good redo, but your comments are off target.

usually they click on one of the suggestions from the auto suggested searches. that's what i've seen people do.

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