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I'd like to find some thoughts and opinions related to this question. First of all, I noticed that there are two forms used in Web browsers' menus: MS Internet Explorer uses "Find on page" meanwhile Chrome uses "Find in page".

What is the difference between these forms and why can they both be used?

Normally, I'd say "find in the page" meaning "find in this text".

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  • You're speaking of webpages?
    – Kumāra Bhikkhu
    Commented Oct 19, 2018 at 7:31
  • Yes, this question is about web pages in web browsers.
    – matreshkin
    Commented Nov 15, 2018 at 15:32

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What constitutes "on" vs. what constitutes "in" is contextual and regional. Bostonians wait "on line", while Chicagoans wait "in line". George Carlin had a whole bit about "getting on the plane". "Fuck you, I am getting in the plane! Let the daredevils get on."

My intuition is that most native speakers would say "on" the page rather than "in", because a page is more like a platform than a container (whereas they would always "in the book").

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  • Could you explain the "platform" meaning of a page.In my view a web page represents some content and there is nothing "on" it. This meaning is not so obvious to me, please give a clue)
    – matreshkin
    Commented Feb 22, 2016 at 19:54
  • @matreshkin -- I meant that literally: a "platform" in the sense that you can put something on it.
    – Michael Lorton
    Commented Feb 23, 2016 at 8:03
  • I see, but that's why I cannot understand this meaning - how we can "put" something on the "top of" a web page. It seems rather illogical.
    – matreshkin
    Commented Feb 23, 2016 at 16:04
  • Finally, the answer is the most popular, I suppose - "because people say so" :) Thank you for your explanation.
    – matreshkin
    Commented Feb 23, 2016 at 16:07
  • @matreshkin -- well, language is always consensus. Perhaps it would be easier to think of a chalkboard rather than a platform: you write "on" it.
    – Michael Lorton
    Commented Feb 23, 2016 at 17:28

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