I don’t have statistics for you, but what I do have is a few personal experiences. In some cases these are viewed as viable sources (eye witnesses) so you have to trust me on this one.

While I don’t have a PHD in the web, I do have a lifetime of knowledge on it. And that is a fact, at least to me. I don’t remember a time before computers, and I don’t really remember a time before usable internet. I hopped on the train early too, I mean, I can take claim to being the first generation of hopelessly annoying script kiddies. I started making websites back when no one was really complaining about IE, and if they were it was because they were Netscape users (not that I wasn’t).

The point of this is, that I’ve used the web for a while… and during that “while”, I’ve surfed. Yup. I did it, not the outdoor kind either. I’ve surfed the inter-webs since… well since we got it.

Since… Hmm… maybe “since” is the wrong word. Maybe I’m looking for “til”. Yeah, I think that makes more sense.

I’ve surfed the web til Google Chrome came along.

Since then I’ve stopped. Until then I could wander through the web forever. I would float from tangent to tangent. Since then I can’t.

It’s scary in so many ways and here is how Chrome did it.

Browsers are like your windows to the web…

… and because people are ever so resistant to change … each browser has a monopoly over web viewing for each viewer.

For example:

IE users don’t see many of the amazing things that developers have made because IE sucks

FIREFOX users don’t see all the content that can only be displayed in stupid IE (same goes for every other browser)

CHROME users DON’T SEE THE WEB

BAM! Bold that. Underline that. Draw a star beside it if you want to pass the exam. I’ll even repeat it. Google Chrome users don’t see the web. For the people who don’t understand I’ll reword it.

If you use Chrome, you probably are looking at 70% less web than your pre-Chrome days.

Think about it. No really, think. It’s the new tab page. The greatest feature for new users. Oh man! What a time saver! BAM BAM BAM, seen all my favourites… now let’s see the rest.

Well what happens? Eventually you get stuck on those 8 (used to be nine sites) and you only use the others when specifically needed. Think, really… think. Or maybe you noticed it already. It’s scary right?

Here were the sites I used to check (pre-chrome):

Gmail, Facebook, Digg.com, this blog (ego i know haha), Twitter, Youtube, Wikipedia, Smashing Magazine, amazon, flickr, as well as many many other social networking sites or tutorial sites.

Go ahead ask me… What about post chrome?

Here were the sites I now check (post-chrome):

Facebook, Gmail, 3 of my personal sites, my University site, Google analytics, and twitter.

… and ontop of that… two of those sites are both google sites.

Although great, fast, and simple. Chrome has re-created bordom.

I find myself more than often being bored in front of the most powerful information system known. This never happened on Firefox. This never happened on IE.

Even though I know I’m not surfing around anymore, I don’t know how to start again. I only go to youtube when linked, or Wikipedia when curious about a specific subject. I honestly don’t know how to surf.

Maybe it’s a mix of Twitter’s link sharing, and Chrome’s secret ability to trick your brain into thinking the web is only 8 websites.

What do you think? What was better?

Was the web better before or after Chrome for you guys?

Post your reply in the comments!

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1. Google Wave