Users of older versions of web browsers are no longer seeing the latest version of the Google Search homepage, as the web giant seeks to encourage users to update to newer software.
A thread within the Google forums this weekend featured posts from users complaining they were seeing the 2013 homepage design when using older versions of the Safari and Opera web browsers.
With contributors suggesting a bug could be the cause, a Google employee posting to the thread said the change was a deliberate move on the company’s part.
Identifying herself as nealem, the employee said Google wanted to move people to the latest versions of browsers in order to provide better experiences with greater security for users.
She wrote: “Thanks for the reports. I want to assure you this isn’t a bug, it’s working as intended.
“We’re continually making improvements to Search, so we can only provide limited support for some outdated browsers. We encourage everyone to make the free upgrade to modern browsers — they’re more secure and provide a better web experience overall.”
One poster responded to Google’s reasoning by saying it was simply “shorthand for: ‘Hey everybody, we know you’re using a perfectly respectable browser that is up to date and modern and perfectly serviceable, but its not Chrome so we’re just going to try to force you to use Google products. If you could just switch as soon as possible, that would be great…’”
What do you make of Google’s tactics? Share your thoughts below.
Read more: Google Chrome tips and tricks
Via: BBC
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
