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Quantifying the web browser ecosystem
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Quantifying the web browser ecosystem

Sela Ferdman, Einat Minkov, Ron Bekkerman and David Gefen
PloS one, v 12(6), pp e0179281-e0179281
2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179281
PMID: 28644833
url
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179281View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY V4.0,  Open

Abstract

Internet Models, Theoretical Web Browser
Contrary to the assumption that web browsers are designed to support the user, an examination of a 900,000 distinct PCs shows that web browsers comprise a complex ecosystem with millions of addons collaborating and competing with each other. It is possible for addons to "sneak in" through third party installations or to get "kicked out" by their competitors without user involvement. This study examines that ecosystem quantitatively by constructing a large-scale graph with nodes corresponding to users, addons, and words (terms) that describe addon functionality. Analyzing addon interactions at user level using the Personalized PageRank (PPR) random walk measure shows that the graph demonstrates ecological resilience. Adapting the PPR model to analyzing the browser ecosystem at the level of addon manufacturer, the study shows that some addon companies are in symbiosis and others clash with each other as shown by analyzing the behavior of 18 prominent addon manufacturers. Results may herald insight on how other evolving internet ecosystems may behave, and suggest a methodology for measuring this behavior. Specifically, applying such a methodology could transform the addon market.

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4 citations in Web of Science
5 citations in Scopus

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Computer Science, Information Systems
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