Posted on 11/11/2005 11:19:02 AM PST by USMC-EOD
Once again, Google has chosen to disrespect our veterans by not offering any sort of acknowledgement of their service on their home page. Google decorates their home page for every holiday known to man, including some off-the-wall ones, like Kwanzaa and the celebration of certain individuals birthdays like Einstein and DaVinci. While I don't mind this, you'd think that they'd celebrate the people who have given them the freedom to make the ungodly amount of money that they have made, and given them the freedom to do what they want. Especially considering Sergey Brinn, one of the co-founders of Google left the Soviet Union to come to this great country to make his billions.
I noticed this last year and emailed their public relations department. I received the following reply:
Thank you for your note. We're glad that you appreciate Google's holiday logos and would like to explain why we didn't post one for Veterans day this year. Please be assured that the decision whether to display a special logo for a holiday does not reflect any judgment on our part about the holiday itself. Google's special logos tend to be lighthearted in nature. If we were to commemorate Veterans Day, we would want to express reverence, rather than mirth. This would be a particularly challenging design. We would not want to, in any way, create a graphic that could be interpreted as disrespectful. In light of the mail we've received about this, we're actively considering designs we could display on this day next year. We welcome any suggestions you may have. My response to them was simple. Merely post the logos for the four major services, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Navy, and be done with it. A simple design, but still shows respect. Another symbol could have been the rifle, muzzle in the ground with the helmet on the butt of the rifle, with the boots in front of it. That is a symbolic gesture, honoring dead soldiers and Marines. But did they take any suggestions? Nope.
Bottom line, I'll be looking for another host for my blog, as Blogger is owned by Google. I'll also be removing the Google tool bar from my browser. If they're going to be ungrateful cowards, they can do it without me.
No, I was wrong. Still, at least google has explained their stance
Google's not PC, as much as it may disturb some folks.
They didn't run a banner for Katrina relief.
They didn't mourn Rosa Parks' passing.
They didn't honor the nation's workers on Labor Day.
They don't cater to the nation's veterans.
They just have the fastest search engine and some of the neatest free Web programs imaginable.
That's good enough for me.
logician2u
USAF, 1966-1970
There was no Columbus Day graphic, either. Guess they wouldn't want to be disrespectful to those mirthless Italians.
If that really does "piss you off", then I strongly suggest that you seek help.
Seriously.
The poppy is nice. Not directly on Veteran's Day, but something that vererans have used as a symbol before. I can live with that.
On a related matter, I heard the news girl on the radio (610, Miami) mentioning today that Wal Mart is going politically correct for Christmas this year (they are not particularly acknowledging it for fear of offending non Christians). Anyway, what the hell I guess, Christmas is not a big deal for retailers anyway, so why should they cater to those few people who celebrate it and might be shopping this time of year?
But I haven't a clue whether that's really true about Wal Mart, or whether the news people have just read the threads here on FR.
Yes, I do believe that the Google brass are lefties. That seems to be the new paradigm, that the very wealthy are leftists.
Thanks for the info. DogPile it is. I have been increasingly disgusted with both Google and Yahoo. Anybody ever checked what their News searches turn up? Unrelenting leftist trashing of the administration and our military.
Everybody vote with your feet, errr, mouse. I have replaced Google with Dogpile, and will never use them again. We need to think of similar things to do to Yahoo.
For those who don't know, it's a reference to the fields of poppies in Flanders, and thus indirectly a reference to Armistice Day ... the end of the Great War.
They can't put a single ribbon or something like that?? This is BS
St. Patrick's Day is neither internationally celebrated nor recognized. Kind of goes against your theory, doesn't it?
Canada Google.
Sound reasonable. I think the GOOG reply was ok.
Dogpile is not as versatile as Google for phrases, unfortunately.
"You're probably "blowing this up" way out of proportion."
Most principles usually appear small. This is definately a slight against our military.
Heartwarming piece of Americana. It looks classy.
Yeah, I know. No search engine replaces google. But I am so furious at them (more about the News than the logos) that I'll be willing to take the hit most of the time. Of course, I'm sure my little piddly IP address not hitting them is going to hurt them big time, ha ha.
At least .ca and .co.uk have it. There's no US specific mirror, so I suppose that's why most people will miss it.
Where on the page? I've used it several times today and didn't see it.
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