What's a Browser? Selling Technology in a Non-technical World

I've always been intrigued by how people use technology.

I frequently visit clients and watch when they want to show me things on their computer. Whether browsing, searching, writing an e-mail, etc., I've seen people approach things completely differently than I do - often in ways I never thought of.

For example, when given a url I want to visit, I type it in the address bar of my browser. I've seen many people type it in the query field of their chosen search engine. For me, if I already know where I want to go, why perform the redundant step of searching for it? For others, this just seems natural.

This is not a matter of right or wrong. While many in the younger generations learned some standardized methods of how to use a computer in school, many people thirty-five years and older were introduced to the web by being plunked in front of a computer and just figuring it out or by being taught by another person who "just figured it out".

Terminology and methodologies vary widely and is really brought home by this Google video asking the question, "What's a Browser?"

I've been involved with Internet technology since the early 90's. For me what's more basic than "What's a browser?" But this is not everyone's experience.

As a developer and as one who sells a product strongly rooted in technology, I constantly remind myself that my product is not the technology per se, but rather the results brought about by whatever the technology-du-jour is I happen to be deploying.

My customers don't care about asp vs. php vs. Drupal vs. Joomla vs. gif vs. jpg vs. whatever. It's about people, not technology. And what people care about is:

• does it work?
• does it present itself in a way that's easy to understand and use?
• does it communicate and engage?
• does it positively affect my life, my society or my bottom line?

And if it doesn't, why do it?