Thompson & McCarty, P.C. CPA

A client's web browser was set up such that it did not have a navigation bar available in Internet Explorer (IE), the web browser. The navigation bar is the bar where you type the address of the web site you wish to visit. Many people just use search engines and seldom type an actual web address, known as a URL.

I am shocked that anyone thinks this is a good idea. Don't misunderstand me, I love using Google to search for various and broad subject matter. But, to set my browser up so the only way I can surf the web is to type a keyword at Google's website [when I know the address] is a tremendous waste of time. For example, if I want to go to Google's site I type in google.com and almost instantly I'm there. This is a bad example because the tool that took away the navigation bar (I'm certain it is a setting that can be changed) was Google Tool Bar. To give you a good example my web site is tmicpa.com. The way this client's browser was set up we had to search through Google then scroll through the results to get to my website... instead of just typing in tmicpa.com.

It took several minutes to get where we wanted to go even though I typed the address of the site that we wanted to use. To top off my frustration with this set up, the client argued with me that my way of surfing was not better than hers, ARGH! This was an employee of my client and my sole purpose for being there is to help my client.

I was so shocked when I saw this and the absolute stubbornness of the user, led by the nose to use her browser in an illogical and slower manner, that I called my friend that is in the technology business to discuss it.

He exclaimed that he had seen this phenomenon before and explained that many internet service providers were setting browsers this way in order to avoid support issues. They could care less about your productivity; they just don't want you calling them. What's worse is that this is being done on a large scale and many users, he estimated thirty per cent, don't even know that it is possible to type in the web site's address and just go there.

Folks, this is corporate ignorance and it is propagated by those that wish to control and profit from your computing experience. They do not have your best interest at heart, I assure you! Productivity is the loser and I don't know anyone that spends hard earned cash on computers so they can reduce productivity. I know for a fact that when I invest my money on technology I expect it increase productivity.

Here is my guaranteed method to speed up your web browsing experience. First and foremost, download and use Firefox. It's found at mozilla.com, and click on “Download Firefox.” You'll have to double click on the file once you download it and install it. You will benefit from the experience of cleaner web browsing (it's faster). I also suggest finding a good web based email service. I use Gmail, another suggestion from my friend in technology from years back. However, he has recently suggested I try out his own commercial service which has no ads. I'll tell you more about that at a later date. I like web based email because I work from several desks and many computers. I can check my email from any computer with an Internet connection with Gmail. And, the goal here is to do your work and handle your communications faster and easier. Web based email and a clean browser (with an address bar) help you achieve that end.