Google Hates the Troops!
Jonah Goldberg: “It’s kind of sad. They change their homepage logo for all sorts of holidays and occasions. Just last week they paid tribute to Arthur Conan Doyle’s birthday. But Memorial Day doesn’t seem to rate anything at all.”
I must admit, it’s kind of odd. They have logos for such obscure events as “Persian New Year – March 21, 2006,” “Lunar New Year – January 29, 2006″ and even “Birthday of Percival Lowell – March 13, 2006.” But nothing for Veterans Day or Memorial Day. Not now, not ever. Going back to 1999, one finds such remarkable commeorations as ” Dragon Boat Festival, China- June 15, 2002″ and “On November 15th, Shichi-go-san is celebrated in Japan.”
My guess is this has to do with the whimsical nature of the logos or perhaps some strange political correctness rather than any enmity toward fallen soldiers. Indeed, unlike a commenter at Kevin Drum’s site, I’m not sure failure to mention Memorial Day is a sign of much of anything.
Still, Glenn Reynolds is on to something when he notes, “It’s not a huge deal, but judging from my email it seems to be the last straw for a lot of people. As I warned earlier, Google seems to be engaged in a Dell-like squandering of its goodwill, which strikes me as very unwise given that goodwill is its biggest asset, really.” From a customer goodwill standpoint, companies who commemorate Bastille Day and Ray Charles’ birth might consider a token homage to America’s heroes now and again.
(In Google’s defense, they do have an Independence Day logo for every 4th of July since they started operations.)
Related Posts
- None Found
About James Joyner
Politcal opinion, when exposed in a commercial venue is a dangerous thing to reveal. All those who think google is wrong, should not use their product, and boycott those who do. See how those communists like it.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Oh, for Pete’s sake�
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
You know, Google doodles are genrally whimsical and cute. I don’t think Memorial Day lends itself to whimsical and cute.
I’d rather they left it alone, thanks.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Here go the PC police again! God forbid a company doesn’t take EVERY single opportunity possible to honor the troops.
Sheesh. Get a grip. The whimsical logo explanation is most likely. Political correctness is annoying, no matter which side of the political spectrum it comes from.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Yea, talk about PC. I thought the only saving grace of the Daddy party was the abhorrence of the PC police. Instead, what I find is that they are every bit as bad and quite whiny to boot.
My lord, what a sniveling bunch of hurt children.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Hell Hath No Fury…
Like the spurned wankers warbloggers of the Fighting 101st Keyboarders. Over at the Insta bunker, Glenn pours over the latest reports from his tireless gnomes buried in the farthest reaches of the vast world wide web. Knocking back another two……
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Google honors the memory of fallen soldiers…by ignoring them…
Google’s logo to honor the birthday of Louis Braille… Google’s logo to honor Mozart’s birthday… Google’s logo to honor the……
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
All assumptions aside…
Google is entitled to do whatever they want with their site.
However, it would be smart of them to devise some sort of not-so-cutesy, respectful logo to honor those who died making it possible for them to exist.
Persian New Year? WTF?
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
They don’t “Do” Easter either
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Opening Bell: 5.30.06…
Oil Prices Rise As U.S. Enters Summer (AP) Inappropriate determinations of causation are rife in AP articles on the economy, but these are our absolute favorites. Memorial Day weekend is the start of something called, get this, the ‘Summer Driving……
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
ask.com did something for Memorial Day on their site. Ever since I learned that Google was aiding the brutal Chinese government I have used ask.com. Give it a try. I see no difference between ask and google search wise.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Now our dead soldiers have nothing to live for.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Sounds more like a desperate flailing about for something to be pissed about than a real issue (like the War on Christmas).
And no one even considered the possibility of a technical glitch . . .
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Barry: The same technical glitch seven years in a row?
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Imagine Jonah blowing a gasket if Google had done a doodle showing the L replaced with a headstone.
But hey, when folks are desperate for a good old fashioned outrage nothing is really too trivial.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
National Review Online often changes their own logo to mark major holidays.
They did not for Memorial Day.
Jonah should really talk to the other editors at NRO before he starts pointing fingers elsewhere, I think.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0