Webcomic About Google's New Browser
Google has its own web browser now, called Chrome. Read their comic book about it. It's a prime example of presentation comics, which I described a few weeks ago. Think to yourself what it would have been like if Google had presented you with a page of pure text instead. Throughout reading it, I was thinking they obviously had been reading Scott McCloud's works. I got to the last page and it turns out Scott McCloud adapted it to a comic. My admiration for the Chrome comic knows no bounds.
Comments
rachelann1977 on Sep. 2, 2008 11:06 PM
The browser is pretty cool too. :-D After about 30 seconds, Chuck had me wanting to download it, and it is truly awesome, even to someone who won't use it to its fullest potential.
asfi on Sep. 3, 2008 1:56 AM
Yeah, very nicely done, and the factoids presented argue well for Chrome.
I have a raised eyebrow for all the references to automobiles and the internal combustion engine, though. In particular, naming something "V8" in the post-SUV era seems so....twentieth-century of them. What used to be a symbol of raw power is now a metaphor for crippling fuel efficiency. Wake up, Google!
le-bebna-kamni on Sep. 3, 2008 3:56 PM
Oh, my gosh! This is so cool! *geek out*
And the comic is interesting too... ;P
Seriously, I was impressed by how easy the comic was to read, and it presented a lot of technical information in an easy-to-consume package. While the average person might not understand everything they're saying, the illustrations seemed very helpful even if the concepts might not be familiar.
Anonymous on Sep. 4, 2008 5:07 PM
I was impressed by the comic book, too.
-- Sarah Elkins
uplinktruck on Sep. 6, 2008 2:06 AM
I like the format. It is entertaining and very clear. It is very well done and I now have an understanding of Chrome. (I will have be seeking my own copy as soon as I am done with this comment.)
It troubles me as well.
To think we are getting to the point that we need to explain things with pictures is a sad statement on the intellect of the population.
Anonymous on Sep. 6, 2008 2:32 AM
I understand why you're troubled, but I see other factors that make it better. We're constantly saturated with information, with Google and everyone else vying for our attention. Our attention is valuable and this kind of material treats that with respect. So they would not waste it by making us put in extra effort.
Writing words alone takes less time than adding illustration, so that form is something that respects the time of the writer at the expense of the reader. The plain fact is, we don't learn less through comics, we learn more and better in less time, at the expense of Google doing more work in the form of illustrations.
Why is that good in this case?
Because Google is trying to convince you of something. You are being persuaded. Why let them do that? You are giving something to them: your attention. So you deserve a comic.
matt-arnold on Sep. 6, 2008 2:32 AM
That was me.
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