Blackbird: The BET of Web 2.0

08Dec08

First of all, I just want to make sure everyone knows this isn’t a joke. If you don’t believe me, head on over to blackbirdhome.com and BE AMAZED.  A group of people actually took the time and spent the money during a RECESSION to develop a web browser that is catered directly towards black people.  I’m not really sure why… I mean, I can see why they made a browser for women (to make it ‘girly’, whatever), but for black people?  Let’s explore why “browsing black” is better.  The site directly states, “Blackbird provides African Americans with easy access to advanced features and services, greater visibility and access to hard-to-find African-American online content and a platform for sharing their entire internet experience on the web.”  So…if you aren’t black, you don’t deserve advanced features and services?  Yep, sorry whitey, no soup for you.  I’m also wondering if this greater visibility thing is a polite way of saying black people don’t know how to use the internet and can’t find what they need using regular browsers.  Either that, or maybe they are suggesting that companies are keeping “black content” further down in searches on purpose in order to hinder our learning.  The “man” has been hiding those websites that tell the whole truth about slavery from you, didn’t you know?

If you look at the outline of features on the site, you see in the Bookmarks graphic that BET is the second one listed.  Like we need better access to BET.  Unfortunately, KFC and the National Watermelon Promotion Board aren’t listed as bookmarks.  I guess someone missed an opportunity there.  Also, I wonder what would happen if you download Blackbird and you’re not black?  Before it installs, does it ask you?  If you’re white, does it infect your computer with a virus like the Tuskegee Experiment (gotcha back, suckas!)?  I kind of want to send them an email and ask these questions.  Can you imagine the amount of hate mail they’re getting right now?!  MAN, I’d love to be their PR team.

Seriously, folks, this is just plain ridiculous.  This initiative will be added to the “Things I Don’t Understand About People” list.  Really?

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Tags: Blackbird, idiocy