Blackbird Browser: Clever or Never?

Personally, I don’t think Separate But Equal works anywhere, whether it’s instantiated by the minority or the majority. When it’s law, it’s wicked. When it’s by choice in a free market, it’s just dumb.

I’m gonna create a web browser, and I’m gonna call it Whitemouse. It’s a browser for white people. Offended? Yes? Now to hell with Blackbird.

I was extremely careful in writing the question as not to politicize it in any way—that seems like a really good way to get the thread taken down. Instead, I’m asking if this is a useful tool to increase adoption of new technologies by African American communities.

a veeeery slippery slope.

richardhenry put it best. It all just seems a little over the top. People now a days get all sappy and upset when something is unfair or unequal so everyone is scrambling to make it fair. It does not make a bit of difference to me how this browser works. There are plenty of others that work just fine. And what’s with the name? If you desire to bridge the gap for African-Americans than provide them with a decent Internet connection, not a seperate browser.

From their website, one of the listed features is:

”For example, Black Search moves important information from African American sites higher in your search results.”

Isn’t that how ignorance begins? I’m sorry, but this is not the way to go.

As richardhenry said, just imagine the outcry over the “SnowWhite” browser, which has a “White Search”, that’ll place important information about the “White American Community” higher in its search results.

But tao, it’s hard to blame the African American community for trusting news more from outlets with their interests in mind, when plenty of institutions have exploited the community, manipulated them for political gain, or lied to them to their detriment.

And all of these references to “a browser for white people” and “white search” are the same broken arguments that racists implement with the old, “when is WHITE history month???” hissy fit. I’m really not trying to be combative, but I specifically asked two questions in this thread, and then re-emphasized them, only to find more modbait here.

@tondef, in a free-market with plenty of choice, people can decide to offer/use whatever tools they want. In that respect, it’s fine with me… whatever it does.

But I personally find it regrettable that anyone would feel they have the need to intentionally bias themselves solely on skin color.

@tonedef

Yeah, I get your point and I can follow the logic. My angle was a different one though. It is really time to get over the past, and truly become “one people”.

I believe that a product that banks solely on “color-identity”, does not really serve that need.

The African-American community has suffered about every cruelty, injustice and discrimination one can think up. I can certainly understand the desire of the community to have products available that offer them easy access to outlets and providers they feel are more “trustworthy”.

The problem here is just a tad bit too much “identity” in the product itself. Just the name in itself. The whole design and marketing approach caters to those in the community that want to feel different from another part of the population. Wouldn’t a Firefox toolbar or bookmark selection do the same job?

Also, I don’t think the “White Search” argument is broken at all, for the simple fact that it would take about 15 minutes after announcement before the first KKK slurs and accusations would fly, and that is my problem with the concept.

AOL has several different ‘home page’ choices, including Black Voices, and Latino. It’s all along the same lines. I’d think that internet savvy users, of any color, would already know how to ‘massage’ the net to their own desires. For those that aren’t internet savvy, I doubt they’ll even find out about Blackbird. Seems like it wouldn’t have much use, then.

While mildly interesting that this actually got past the research and development phase. Its seems as if the news ticker that is targeted to black people would leave out certain events that I would want to see. All news is relevant to me. Not just what some people think I want to read about. Racism isn’t even an issue, its bad marketing. Did Mozilla make a browser just for dwarfs or albinos or leftys? I’m not buying into that dumb stuff. No I’m nto buying Old Spice because LL Cool J said so, No I’m not buying a boost mobile phone because Young Jeezy and Jermaine Dupri are rapping about it. Advertisements target the weak; young, old, black or white.

Google is my homepage.