Old habit is difficult to change

[kgun]

1. Background
These two threads:

1. Which browser::: Shopping online?
2. Google Chrome

show that it is sometimes very difficult to change habits. I have experienced it myself. It took years before I started to use FireFox and Opera and it may take some additional years before I start to use the Google Chrome browser. And when we upgrade to a new version of a browser or software generally how often do we take the time to study the new features? How often do we find and bookmark new sites that is better than the old ones? I start this thread with the most important topic for me as a surfer and webmaster.

2. Security
Do you update yourself on the latest security trends? Do you have some good security related sites in a central favorites folder, on your own custom tool bar or other central places? How often do you visit these sites? Do you use security related RSS feeds?

3. Browser
Do you take the time to compare different browsers ? How deep are your comparison? Or do you cling to your old favorite browser that is used in the same old way? In other words do you study the new functionality when you upgrade your favorite browser? Are there new functionality that it takes minutes to read that will increase your browsing experience dramatically?

4. Search engines versus portals.
Personally I am not very impressed by the evolution of search engines. Very often I find the same irrelevant hits. Some portals are slow and badly organized. But some are excellent. I wonder, will focused quality niche portals more and more replace search engines or does it as usual depend on your need? See next example.

5. Holiday search. An example.
I have looked on native and meta search engines, a lot of international portals etc. but end up with the old Norwegian portal Billige flybilletter, restplasser, sydenturer, hotell, reise, charter, leiebil, leiebil hos restplass.no. It has very flexible search filters and are relatively fast. Other sites have a guarantee that they have the lowest price for a given quality. It is simply not the case unless you take the time to contact the company that may give you the best price. And there are thousands of hotels pages out there, but I don't find a site that beat my favorite Discount Hotels - Last Minute Hotel Deals - Online Booking - Gtahotels

6. Web development.
Finally, as web masters how do we adapt to the new standards, tools and platforms?

7. Final questions

1. How often do you change habits fundamentally?
2. How do you update yourself?
3. Do you know the 80 / 20 principle and is it relevant to your efficiency?

[kgun]

Originally Posted by kirsky

Old habits die hard but it depends on our dedication to change those habits.

1. Well said
2. Is that an American / English slogan?

[cw1865]

Actually the word you are looking for is 'proverb'

101 American English Proverbs

I'm not sure if they're all quintessentially American, I'm sure they've heard of at least some of these in England and its quite possible some of them were coined there....

[Clarrie]

All part of the "special relationship" - we share ancient proverbs

Old habits die hard - marketing people call it "market inertia" now - the subconscious desire of consumers to stick with the familiar, what we know, even when there are better things out there.

It's one of the reasons why IE still hold the lion's share of the market - my wife uses IE, always has, and I guess always will. Despite me trying to wean her off it, she always reverts back to IE within a few days...

[kgun]

Thank you all for your comments. And when we talk about the sun she shines:

• Google's Go: A New Programming Language
• New Go integrates with Chrome and Chrome OS. Native, high-speed add-ons and web apps here we come!

It may have the potential to revolutionize web programming and developement, so look up.