In an effort to better serve the ProfNet Connect community's technology needs, we asked you to tell us which Internet browsers you use by responding to a poll that I posted recently.

The results show that 50 percent of you use Mozilla Firefox, 25 percent use Internet Explorer and 25 percent use Google Chrome. There were also two other options in the poll, "Safari" and "Other" (which would include browsers like Opera), however, none of the respondents said they used those alternatives. The poll allowed respondents to choose more than one browser, to compensate for users (like me) who use different browsers for different purposes. (For example, I use Internet Explorer at work, but I use Chrome on my laptop at home.)

According to data posted on Net Applications, a website that shares usage statistics for Internet technologies, the poll results are not consistent with national market shares. At 50 percent, half of ProfNet Connect users use Firefox. However, as of April, only about 22 percent of the overall market (according to Net Applications) uses Firefox. Similarly, a quarter of ProfNet Connect users have Internet Explorer, against 55 percent of users in the overall market share. In other words, the ProfNet Connect poll for Firefox and Internet Explorer statistics showed inverse results of those posted on Net Applications. Firefox usage is highest on ProfNet Connect, while comparatively low in the overall market, and Internet Explorer is fairly low on ProfNet Connect, but claims more than half of the market nationally.

As for Chrome, Net Applications statistics show about 12 percent of national users have it, but Chrome usage for ProfNet Connect users, at 25 percent, is more than double that. Net Applications also shows that about 7 percent of the market share is Safari, 2 percent is Opera, 1 percent is Opera Mini and 1 percent uses another browser; compared to my poll, which showed that none of the respondents use anything but Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome.

Thank you to all those who took the time to participate in my poll. Your answers will help us serve your technologically needs better!