How much do you know about the internet?

[auntie]

The Internet is everywhere, from cellphones to desktops. We use social media sites to communicate and spend lots of time shopping online. But do any of us understand how the Internet really works?



A new study by the Pew Center for Internet and American Life suggests the answer is no. Pew created a quiz to test people's knowledge of the Internet. More than 1,000 people took the 17-question test, which included questions on Web terms, famous tech figures, history of technological advances, and structures of the Internet. Most users were able to identify tech giants, but when it came to harder questions, people had a difficult time.



"[R]elatively few internet users are familiar with certain concepts that underpin the internet and other modern technological advances," Aaron Smith, senior researcher for the Pew Research Center's Internet Project, wrote. "Only one third (34 percent) know that Moore’s Law relates to how many transistors can be put on a microchip, and just 23 [percent] are aware that 'the Internet' and 'the World Wide Web' do not, in fact, refer to the same thing."



Recommended: How 17 famous tech companies got their names

The study is part of a series commemorating the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web. On March 12, 1989, Tim Berners-Lee wrote a paper about an "information management" system, which became the basis of the Web. He eventually released the code for the system on Dec. 25, 1990.





How 17 famous tech companies got their names



PHOTOS OF THE DAY Photos of the day 11/24

When shown a photo of a tech giant, 83 percent of people were able to identify that it was Bill Gates, but only 9 percent of respondents were able to say Mosaic was the first popular graphical Web browser.



It also seems that Internet users have kept up on recent news events. Of those who took the test, 61 percent were able to identify what the term "Net Neutrality" means (Hint: it's equal treatment of digital content).



"On the other hand, fewer than half (44 percent) are aware that when a company posts a privacy statement, it does not necessarily mean that they are actually keeping the information they collect on users confidential," Mr. Smith said.



Pew also looked at how well people did based on age and education level. The study found that younger people have more knowledge about the Internet.



"Compared with older Americans, younger internet users are especially likely to know that Facebook originated at Harvard University and that hashtags are commonly used on Twitter, to correctly identify pictures representing phrases like 'captcha' and 'advanced search,' and to understand the definition of a 'wiki,' " Smith said.



The study also found that college graduates did better on the survey. Those who have graduated college were far more likely to know that Twitter has a 140-character limit, and that URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator.



"Still, there are some elements of the technology world on which even this highly educated group rates poorly," Smith wrote. "For instance, just one in five correctly answered that the internet and World Wide Web are not the same thing, and only 12 [percent] know that Mosaic was the first widely available graphical web browser."

Quiz can be taken here:


www.pewinternet.org/quiz/web-iq-quiz/

[2curlydogs]

12 of 12. #geekforLYFE

[josieposy]

11/12! Hot damn I'm on a roll today!

[pixy0stix]

11/12 - I missed whatsherface.

[elleblue]

12/12 but really should be 11/12 because I just guessed about Moore's Law, I didn't actually know. 

[heyjude]

9

Whomp whomp.

[expatpumpkin]

8/12 and I'm okay with that.

[2curlydogs]

Answering Moore's Law or the first graphical web browser wrong, yeah, ok.

But I am kinda horrified that over 50% of think that if a company posts a privacy policy that it ensures that the company keeps their information confidential.

And, yet, not surprised.

[heyjude]

Nov 25, 2014 17:43:59 GMT -5 2curlydogs said:

Answering Moore's Law or the first graphical web browser wrong, yeah, ok.

Those are the two I got wrong plus which is bigger kilo or megabyte.

#stuuupid

[heyjude]

@grandmagoogles

[Velar Fricative]

8/12. I lose!

[jln]

9.

[pt716]

7/12. I really am technologically challenged.

[heyjude]

Nov 25, 2014 17:48:56 GMT -5 heyjude said:

@grandmagoogles

grandmagooglesstuff?

[msgeeksout]

11/12. I missed the Mosaic one somehow. Totally forgot about that browser since I never actually used it.

[saz]

12/12 but only because I read the article first. I definitely would have gotten a few wrong if I had not read it!

[cville]

I got 9. I could not be more surprised. I was sure it would be 2.

[StrawberryBlondie]

10/12. I'm really surprised. I thought it would be much lower.

I got the twitter one wrong. For some reason I was thinking it was 160 characters.

[demandypants]

10/12 and the two I missed were FB related so meh.

[emisi]

It's a series of tubes. Of course.

10/12. I missed the first browser and Sheryl Sandberg.

[ringstrue]

Mosaic was before my time, and I think the iphone release year is a bit nit picky .

I always refer to WWW and the internet as the same thing, so oops!!

[nomad100]

9/12.

I can't believe I missed the Mosaic one since it was mentioned in the article I read before I took the quiz. Doh!

[woodiedog]

10 for 12, but I was around when the internet was born.