The Confusion About and the Use of URLs in China and the US

• In Event: Search, Use, and Compliance in Online Environments

Abstract

Allegedly, domain names constitute an important component in barriers to productive access to the Internet. However, there is little we know about the significance of the URLs for the users, especially in the growing prominence of search and other tools such as bookmarks, links, auto-complete, etc. The purpose of this study is to look into the ways in which users, particularly the “digital natives,” in the US and in China interact with the URLs in their daily online activities. Our findings suggest that both groups are largely unaware and confused about how URLs work and what they are used for. Moreover, URLs play a relatively marginal role in the way these users navigate the Web and assess online information.

Author

• Dmitry Epstein, U of Illinois - Chicago