Questions
What browser and OS do u use? Why do you use this browser? Did you chose your browser because it handles tabs or bookmarks better? How do you remind websites? How do you use bookmarks? Do you know social bookmarking websites like Google Bookmarks, del.icio.us? How many tabs you have opened at once? Do you save your browser session?
The Interview Results
Female, 22, normal surfer. Uses Safari under MacOSX. Safari, because it was installed. She uses the "TopSites" feature, which displays often used sites in a grid-like way like its equivalent in Google Chrome. She also uses the bookmark bar, in which the bookmarks are categorized in folders. She uses tabs, whom quantity varies from 5 to 10. 10, because she loses track when there are more of them (the titles of the tabs are getting smaller and smaller with increase of the amount of them). She would enjoy the possibility to watch more than one site at the time. Browser history: Once in a week.
Male, 27, Student, Powersurfer Uses Firefox under Windows7. Firefox, because of the update frequency, those many cool add-ons like those to improve the visual representation of (TabKit - shows the tabs vertically in a sidebar). Uses tabs as some kind of temporarily bookmark (currently over 200 tabs). Also uses bookmarks (categorized in folders), but not too often. Used to bookmark bar for often used websites (for online tools like calculators, translators, online radio). He would enjoy the possibility to watch more than one site at the time. Browser history: No.
Male, 28, worker, advanced surfer. Person uses 4 instances of Firefox to keep track of the todays web. He uses one instance for each group or type of sites. for example one for browsergames, one for newssites, one for doing searches (which often results in many open tabs). Uses bookmarks very seldom. He would enjoy the possibility to watch more than one site at the time. Browser history: No.
Male, 30, worker, advances surfer. Uses FF under Windows7. FF because the old internet explorer sucked and then FF was there - the only real alternative. Now he says, he is too lame to move to chrome. Bookmarks: For often used sites - bookmark bar. Not that often used sites - normal bookmarks (~100). If someone sends him a link and he has no time, he throws the link in the bookmark bar. He often forgets to delete them after visiting the site. He uses 5 up to 20 tabs and sometimes, he used more than one instance of FF to group them. Sites which are opened all the browser session over are social networks, google and online radios like last.fm. Browser history: Once in a month.
Male, 26, student. Windows 7, FF because of security reasons and the good addons. Uses no add-on that customizes tabs or bookmarks. The first user who doesn't use the bookmark bar. Uses tabs (~5 at once, saves browser session) and bookmarks. Uses tabs to save sites, he wants to visit later. He would't enjoy the possibility to watch more than one site at the time. Browser-History: Deactivated. Misses "always on top" as a option for firefox.
Conclusion
- People want to view more than one site at once
- The browser history is seldom used in a direct way
- Tabs are widely accepted as a relatively new feature (parallel surfing)
- Maybe its important, what types of websites/bookmarks exist
Typ of sites and how people bookmark them
Sites people open once a session and don't close (facebook). - Often open in tab during the whole session, startet from bookmark bar.
Sites you use as a tool (translation, calculators). - Sometimes open in tab during whole session, startet from bookmark bar.
Sites you use for entertainment (online radio, video, podcast). - Often open in tab during the whole session , startet from bookmark bar.
Sites people like - maybe visited one time per day. - Always in tab or bookmark or bookmarkbar or hometab with often visited sites (chrome, safari, opera).
Pages, people just want to remind.
Websites, people just want to say that these pages are cool - link collecting.
Sites, that may become handy sometimes.