Google Blackout?
|
Written By Anthony Iaffaldano | October 4, 2007 | Share This
|
|
A friend e-mailed a link to a very peculiar site this morning - a stark, black page, filled with a giant white number that appears to be counting off seconds. Theres nothing else on the site no links or meta info in the code.
In fact, the site is entirely nondescript other than the counter clock, a familiar favicon and a title tag that reads, simply, “Google Blackout”:
Curious.
Somewhat intrigued (OK, more bored than anything as long as were being honest here), I poked around a little. A quick view of the source code didnt provide much info.
Ditto the WHOIS data, where I hit the Private Registrant wall thanks to Dreamhost:
Domain Name: googleblackout.com
Registrant Contact:
googleblackout.com Private Registrant
googleblackout.com@proxy.dreamhost.com
DreamHost Web Hosting
417 Associated Rd #324
Brea, CA 92821
US
+1.2139471032
Based on the number of seconds left (roughly 7,640,000 at the time of this writing) the countdown should end right at 1/1/08.
I poked around the search blogosphere, and didnt find any other mention of the Google Blackout site, which led me to start speculating.
There are any number of things it could be:
-
- Some sort of unannounced Google PR stunt (perhaps leading up to the launch of the Google Phone, which is expected by some to be released in Q1 08?)
- The workings of an overzealous energy zealot?
- An utterly geeky new A.R.G.? Google has been known to dabble in the gaming stuff before, with the Davinci Code & Bourne Ultimatum.
- A new search competitor thats looking to generate some Google-killer buzz for itself while in stealth mode?
Or how about:
- A really big waste of time for a search geek with a computer?
Just for kicks, I turned off Javascript to see what that would do to the countdown clock. After a refresh, I was surprised to see a new series of numbers and symbols like GPS coordinates.
37* 25′ 38″, -122* 5′ 57″
A quick search at http://boulter.com/gps/ turned up the answer - these are the GPS coordinates for Googles Mountain View office.
What’s more, the source code now includes a link in the header to a Technorati search for Google Monopoly
Doesn’t sound like the kind of thing the folks at Google would plant in a promo page.
So what do you all think it is? Anyone have any idea what those non-Java characters could mean?
Topics: Google, Uncategorized |
While you’re at it, ask them why their logo from yesterday featured the Phantasm ball.
Don’t you see - new black google phone is out (google-black-out). Maybe we’ll also see silver version in the future…
[…] Searchviews has found that the numbers refers to the number of seconds remaining to January 1st 2008. […]
[…] Searchviews has found that the numbers refers to the number of seconds remaining to January 1st 2008. […]
Yes January 1st 2008– but the day google shuts down.
I´m pretty sure, Google is planning to release a black version of their homepage.
Evidence:
http://www.google.at/images/google_blackout.gif
Shows a black Google Logo
U’ve got to be kidding me… its a retarded countdown… nothing more. Though i set up a laptop with a F5 key to refresh the main page of google. And see what happends @ 00:00. (me=geek)
[…] Searchviews has found that the numbers refers to the number of seconds remaining to January 1st 2008. […]
Google Blackout
This is why its blacked out now but i dont think its the same for the last time it was blacked out