
Google Adds A Background Image To Its Homepage - icey
http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/09/google-adds-a-background-image-to-its-homepage-by-default-at-least-for-24-hours/
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noonespecial
I just encountered this. It was giant pastel pigs. I said out loud, "Awe damn,
there's bing in my google."

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marketer
At least the bing text is designed to contrast the background image. The
Google homepage looks _awful_ , and there doesn't seem to be a way to turn it
off.

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montooner
The text is grey in the white background! What the hell!

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davidmurphy
Let's keep the discussion centralized in one post. Another post has more
comments as of yet, so let's use it instead: here:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1419135>

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axod
This is depressing on so many levels. If Google continue down this path, we'll
need a new search engine startup that does what Google did 10 years ago.

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apgwoz
<http://duckduckgo.com>

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axod
For me, personally, I want a slimmed down duckduckgo. I just want results.
That is all. Listed in a table.

I don't want zero click info, don't want oddly formatted extra stuff. Don't
want an infinite scroll bar wizard.

Just want results. In a list. Formatted _exactly_ the same every time.

When I do a search on duckduckgo, I get _SIX_ results on the first page. Which
isn't good use of screen real-estate (IMHO). I want to see 20 or so results.

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ilcesco
Even if this 'bingoogle' thing is lasting one day only, not having the chance
to turn it off is quite annoying, actually.

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bmelton
If you 'Change' the background image, there's one with just a white
background, which effectively takes it back to what you're used to. It isn't
exactly 'turning it off' per se, but it's probably what you want, regardless.

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vault_
First thought: having it fade in like that is rather distracting and annoying.

Second thought: so I'll be able to turn this off tomorrow right?

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johnswamps
Yes, it will be returned to normal tomorrow

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ComputerGuru
Can I complain that I posted about this almost 2 weeks ago?

[http://neosmart.net/blog/2010/google-adds-support-for-
custom...](http://neosmart.net/blog/2010/google-adds-support-for-customizing-
homepage-background/)

Even submitted it to HN, but I guess since it's TechCrunch it makes the cut :)

(link: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1384608>)

~~~
apmee
To be fair, the difference is that it's now displaying images by default, and
this will simply have caught a lot more people's attention

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ZeroGravitas
It's interesting to contrast the response between geeks and grandmothers when
Google adds Pac-Man (with sound) to the hompage, and a nice picture of some
pigs.

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megamark16
So I set Duck Duck Go as my primary search engine a long time ago but I have
this bad habit of just typing "go" into my url field and Chrome autofills
"google.com" for me and I hit enter. This will break me of that habit, I can
just as easily type "du" and go right to <http://duckduckgo.com>. Thanks
Google, I needed that.

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ganley
Thankfully, I hardly ever see the Google homepage. I initiate all of my
searches from Chrome/Chromium's address bar.

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JoachimSchipper
Wait, Google has a homepage?

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evancaine
For anyone in the UK, going to google.com gives you 'original' google without
the background. A redirect sends you back to the UK version but if you set
your homepage to google.com/ncr it should stick

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silversmith
Thanks, but no thanks.

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bartl
It doesn't do it by default, it's plain white as usual.

You have to be logged in into Google to have a "different background", thus,
any background at all.

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mbrubeck
I'm seeing it while logged out (and using private browsing, so I don't even
have any cookies from previous sessions). Only for 24 hours, apparently:
<http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/art-of-homepage.html>

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skinnymuch
Being the anti-Google guy I am...I have to wonder what kind of reception this
would've received if the roles of Bing and Google were reversed.

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waterlesscloud
The public gallery has a pic credited to Peter Norvig.

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sherl0ck
I don't like it :(

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nreece
If you don't want a background image then simply access Google via
<http://www.google.com>

~~~
joe_the_user
I just typed that into my browser and up came that ugly horror...

I'm mostly using firefox search these day but boy, this thing is awful...

