Google logo blacked out on all search results (in US) • Hacker News Board

Re: Google logo blacked out on all search results (in US)

#11

Post by lonnyk » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 5:25 AM UTC

marquis wrote: post #10

dvdhsu wrote: post #7

Here's a screenshot. Sorry for forgetting you foreign folks. http://i.imgur.com/JBf8B.jpg

Is that all they did? A skewed blacked out logo? I hardly saw it. I was hoping for something a little more dramatic rather than something I would pass off as a glitch on the internet.

FWIW the homepage looks like this: http://imgur.com/bHRRa

Re: Google logo blacked out on all search results (in US)

#12

Post by tokenadult » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 5:26 AM UTC

My iGoogle home page is always buggy (sometimes it shows the gadgets I have chosen, but many times it does not, probably because I also use Ghostery). This evening it is showing the blacked-out Google logo sometimes when I reload it, but usually showing the normal iGoogle logo along with my chosen theme's background image.

AFTER EDIT: Like a lot of Chrome users, I normally do my Google searches directly from my URL bar. Sure enough, every results page shows the black-out over the Google logo. This too will get plenty of attention in the United States. But clicking the logo only shows me (in this case) my usual Google pull-downs to specialized Google locations like my Google+ page, Images (which doesn't have its logo blacked out), and so forth. The "Search" choice from the pull-down leads to a main Google search page with a very obvious black-out, which reveals mouse-over text saying "Tell Congress: Please don't censor the Web!"

Re: Google logo blacked out on all search results (in US)

#13

Post by gry » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 5:27 AM UTC

marquis wrote: post #10

dvdhsu wrote: post #7

Here's a screenshot. Sorry for forgetting you foreign folks. http://i.imgur.com/JBf8B.jpg

Is that all they did? A skewed blacked out logo? I hardly saw it. I was hoping for something a little more dramatic rather than something I would pass off as a glitch on the internet.

The home page is jarring.

http://imgur.com/aLjTP

Re: Google logo blacked out on all search results (in US)

#14

Post by Vivtek » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 5:30 AM UTC

marquis wrote: post #10

dvdhsu wrote: post #7

Here's a screenshot. Sorry for forgetting you foreign folks. http://i.imgur.com/JBf8B.jpg

Is that all they did? A skewed blacked out logo? I hardly saw it. I was hoping for something a little more dramatic rather than something I would pass off as a glitch on the internet.

I think that's enough to get the attention of the public. Lots of people - like my kids - notice the special Google logos.

Re: Google logo blacked out on all search results (in US)

#15

Post by adamrmcd » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 5:30 AM UTC

matdwyer wrote: post #5

FlightOfGrey wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A Google representative said "So tomorrow we will be joining many other tech companies to highlight this issue on our U.S. home page." (from the article) So only the US google home page will be affected.

Yes - when we go to Google.com, it redirects us automatically to google.ca. That being said, we can click "go to google.com" and it usually shows the US version.

It looks like the server that provides the image uses an GeoIP lookup, and only if you're in the US will it display the blackened logo.

I'm in Canada, but only when I proxy through my US server do I see the sopa/google logo.

Re: Google logo blacked out on all search results (in US)

#16

Post by mvgoogler » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 5:33 AM UTC

marquis wrote: post #10

dvdhsu wrote: post #7

Here's a screenshot. Sorry for forgetting you foreign folks. http://i.imgur.com/JBf8B.jpg

Is that all they did? A skewed blacked out logo? I hardly saw it. I was hoping for something a little more dramatic rather than something I would pass off as a glitch on the internet.

If you click on the blacked out logo it takes you to a page with information about SOPA/PIPA.

Re: Google logo blacked out on all search results (in US)

#17

Post by ScottMFisher » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 5:36 AM UTC

paulitex wrote: post #4

Could someone please post a screenshot for those of us outside the US?

http://www.google.com/logos/2012/sopa12_hp.png

Re: Google logo blacked out on all search results (in US)

#18

Post by adamrmcd » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 5:36 AM UTC

paulitex wrote: post #4

Could someone please post a screenshot for those of us outside the US?

A screenshot of the full google.com page for US users:

https://plus.google.com/116116954741672937645/posts/3cR4xcVi...

Re: Google logo blacked out on all search results (in US)

#19

Post by snprbob86 » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 5:38 AM UTC

gry wrote: post #13

marquis wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that all they did? A skewed blacked out logo? I hardly saw it. I was hoping for something a little more dramatic rather than something I would pass off as a glitch on the internet.

The home page is jarring. http://imgur.com/aLjTP

I love the little hint of a letter sticking out. It reminds you what used to be there, but is now censored. Meanwhile, it also establishes a subtle metaphor: censorship just covers the problem up, rather than fixing it.

Re: Google logo blacked out on all search results (in US)

#20

Post by metra » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 5:43 AM UTC

With Google changing their logo every couple of days, this statement carries much less impact than any other site's protest. I wish they changed something more than just the logo. I wouldn't be surprised if many users don't even notice.