Google adds backgound

[Moonliner]

Google has added a background image to it's site, hopefully just for the day.

My review: Meh.

I'm switching to emergency backup plan zeta-beta-gamma (http://www.blackle.com/) until this blows over.


Update: Guess what's #2 with a bullet on the Google Trends (http://www.google.com/trends) hot searches? "Remove google background"

[Betty]

I use igoogle but I noticed the other day on a users computer that there was an option for a background setting and you could pick different backgrounds.

I'd never heard of blackle before - meh. I guess I'm not cool enough.

I don't see a problem with google's new background except that they've always been a simple website that seemed to pride itself on NOT doing those things. But since I won't see it with igoogle, it doesn't matter to me.

[innerSpaceman]

Yeah, I don't like it. It startled me this morning. Maybe I'm just averse to change, but I like the clean look ... and I think it's kind of associated with Google in the way that the swish is associated with Nike and the wave with Coke.

Also associated with Google are one-day change-ups for amusement, and I hope that's what it is ... but the option to change the background makes me think not.


Thumbs down.

[Betty]

Also associated with Google are one-day change-ups for amusement, and I hope that's what it is ... but the option to change the background makes me think not.



You're right - they do like 1 day change ups. Maybe this is a way to promote the fact that you CAN change it now.

Although I think google sometimes does stuff like this to see how it flies and then calls it a fun 1 day thing if there's a stink about it.

[Alex]

I'm not seeing any background image on the Google home page, as near as I can tell I'm seeing the basic home page (Google logo, search box, two buttons).

[Alex]

Never mind, getting it in Firefox (was trying in IE since I don't use iGoogle on that).

That is horrible. When I click "Change background image (could barely see the text over the background image" though it just takes me to the Google log in screen and after I sign in loops me back to the home page where I can recreate the loop.

Oh well, never see the basic home page anyway so I'll cope.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Looks like Bing to me. (I tried Bing for a while.) Dumb move. iSm is right, the clean look is iconic for Google.

[BarTopDancer]

It can be removed. From Google Help (http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer=180720&hl=en)

You can remove your background image at any time by clicking Remove background image in the bottom left corner of the homepage.

Except I don't see the remove link.

[Moonliner]

Except I don't see the remove link.

Exactly.


Still, I'm guessing that like PacMac it's just here for the day....

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Even if it can be removed, if that's what you see when you go to their site, it's going to change their image drastically.

I do hope it's just for the day.

[mousepod]

It's working for me. I'm not bothered by it - I can change the backgrounds easily. I'm also not particularly impressed.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I first saw blackle over the shoulder of a coworker. Knowing him, I assumed for a while that it was some soft of dumb racial thing, like it translated all the links into ebonics or something.

[scaeagles]

It actually led to me changing my home page at the office. I telecommute regularly, and the VPN is pretty slow when it comes to images, so every time I need to bring up the internet for something it was taking about 10 time longer to render the page.

Uh, no.

[Alex]

Well crap. I had clicked over to Classic to see the image and then went back to iGoogle. Now whenever I go to Google it is defaulting me to classic view for some reason and I have to manually switch. Now I really hate the background image.

[innerSpaceman]

I'm gonna try this:

If you headed to Google.com today and found the Bing-like background image enabled by default, don't freak out—it's relatively easy to rid yourself of.

The background image is apparently a 24-hour introduction of the feature, with backgrounds rotating on a random basis. If Google.com's a regular part of your day, and you find the background distracting, do what commenter Cathoo recommends: hit the "Change Background Image" link in the lower-left, head to the "Editor's Picks" section, then scroll to the bottom to find the familiar, entirely white "theme." Or just wait until Google's background experiment reverts to its mostly-blank default.

oh ... except now I have a handy Remove option instead of Change option. Nice.

[Moonliner]

oh ... except now I have a handy Remove option instead of Change option. Nice.

Umm... Don't. If you do you'll be right back where you started.


Also, I'd bet that the "Editors pick" is still a large image file and not the sevlte homepage we know and love.

[Not Afraid]

I have Firefox default to open to a blank page. I google in the tool bar, so I never see the Google home page. I had to Google Google yesterday to see it.

[innerSpaceman]

Umm... Don't. If you do you'll be right back where you started.

Nope. Removed the image. Exited, went back, still good old blank slate white Google. Cool. or is that Coolgle?

[Alex]

It's disconcerting the rapidity with which I'm seeing changes to the Google home page.

It's like they've given direct server access to a coder and he's just changing and testing things.

(Currently I'm getting no background image at all with a "Change" link in the lower corner; two minutes ago the same but with a "curious about today's home page link under the search buttons".)

And the "Change" link still doesn't work. It pops up a box with no content which after 10 seconds redirects me to the Google log in page and if I log in it just takes me back to the home page.

I'm just going back to iGoogle and pretending none of this ever happened.

[Moonliner]

Nope. Removed the image. Exited, went back, still good old blank slate white Google. Cool. or is that Coolgle?

Ahh, not really. They have now removed the image for everyone.

[innerSpaceman]

Hmmm. Usually there's some sort of scroll-over explanation when it's Fvck-With-Everyone-Day or some other event that they commemorate with a change to the logo.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Cool. or is that Coolgle?

You're making me crave a noodle casserole.

[Gemini Cricket]

I guess it's not there any more. My Google homepage is ok... no background... Firefox...

[JWBear]

They must of come to their senses... Or they found the 15 year old who was playing on dad's work computer and sent him home.

[BarTopDancer]

Google gets its white back (http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Google-Gets-Its-White-Back-70179.html?wlc=1276200892)

[Ghoulish Delight]

And they succeeded in exactly what they hoped. Everyone is now aware that the option is there. Those that liked it can turn it back on, those that don't can stick with the default. Tada.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

And they succeeded in exactly what they hoped. Everyone is now aware that the option is there. Those that liked it can turn it back on, those that don't can stick with the default. Tada.If that was their goal it still seems moronic to me. It looks like New Coke to me. (Not as huge a deal of course, but an analogous situation.)

Some say that New Coke was on purpose too...

[Alex]

I'd buy it if it were possible to roll out New Coke for $83 have it out there for only one day and then immediately put things back the way they were.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I'd buy it if it were possible to roll out New Coke for $83 have it out there for only one day and then immediately put things back the way they were.I heard a theory that it had to do with a switch from sugar to cheaper corn syrup. When they brought back "Classic" Coca-Cola the change was made and none were the wiser. It may have cost a bajillion dollars start to finish but it saved them a ton of money in the long run, supposedly.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I wondered what was up with that. I'm glad they switched it back.

[BarTopDancer]

Now I miss Crystal Pepsi.

Ya, I said it. I miss Crystal Pepsi.

[Kevy Baby]

I miss Light Magic






Except for the lack of cohesive story, the inane repetitive dancing, frequently failing floats, the stupid movies, and the lack of an actual "parade" that was just a huge show that only played in two locations.



But otherwise I miss it.

[JWBear]

Ah yes...Light Magic. I was at the AP Dress Rehearsal Preview Party. I remember the two seconds of stunned silence between the end of the performance and the start of the booing.

[Gemini Cricket]

Wow! There was actual booing? Yikes.

[Moonliner]

I heard a theory that it had to do with a switch from sugar to cheaper corn syrup. When they brought back "Classic" Coca-Cola the change was made and none were the wiser. It may have cost a bajillion dollars start to finish but it saved them a ton of money in the long run, supposedly.

Before launching new coke they held an endless series of taste tests to find out which one people liked better. In general people preferred the taste of new coke.

The only problem was, they never thought to ask how people would feel about dropping original coke altogether while people just assumed this would be an additional type of coke. The stuff hit the fan when Coke announced plans to end sales of original coke altogether. It was a marketing muck up of historic proportions plain and simple.

[Alex]

What I liked is that even after the **** hit the fan and they brought back original Coke (now with HFCS) New Coke still generally won in blind taste tests.

So the moral of the story is still that people don't know what they actually want and our collective sentimentality was misguided.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

So the moral of the story is still that people don't know what they actually want and our collective sentimentality was misguided.Isn't that ALWAYS the moral of the story?

[Alex]

No, sometimes the moral of the story is "You should have had sex with him/her while you had the chance, there's no guarantee it'll come up again."

And once in a blue moon it is "And that's why you taste the gravy before serving it."

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Ok, I checked Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/newcoke.asp).

For some reason I can't select text at Snopes, but what it says is that 6 months prior to the launch of New Coke, they had already slipped all the cane sugar out of Coca-Cola. Suspicious that it was just before, though.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

No, sometimes the moral of the story is "You should have had sex with him/her while you had the chance, there's no guarantee it'll come up again."

And once in a blue moon it is "And that's why you taste the gravy before serving it."Ok, you got me with the gravy one.