Google me tender
I rank “Google” right up there with the seven wonders of the world.
It blows my mind that I can type ''asteroid" into this nifty search engine and it will take me to 6.29 million web sites in 0.06 seconds.
Or I can type in my own name "Ed Grisamore" in quotation marks and it finds me lurking in 1,140 different places all over the cyberspace map, including a few places I didn’t know I have been or truly never was.
“Google” is now part of our everyday language. Ten years ago, if you had told somebody to “just Google me” you probably would have been slapped with a sexual harassment suit. "Yes, your honor, he was making goo-google eyes at me."
What did “google” even mean when it came on the scene a decade ago?
I pondered this question, in all places, the hardware store. I had gone to look for a replacement for my sprinkler on a recent Saturday afternoon. I met a guy in the aisle who recognized me and began telling me a few interesting stories about himself.
He didn’t have time to tell all of them, and I really didn’t have time to listen to all of them, anyway. So, as I was leaving he told me if I needed more information to “just google me.’’
I would have, but I’m not sure he ever told me his name. He didn't give me his business card. I'm pretty bad with names, too.
When I examine my life, I find I googling some days more than others. I google with my coffee in the morning. I sometimes google late at night when I’m bored. Rainy days are good google days.
But what is even more amazing to me than just plain Google is Google Earth. If you’ve never experienced that, better buckle your seat belts. I can type in my address and it will zoom in to a satellite image of my neighborhood.
I'm looking at the top of my roof right now. ... And, if you will excuse me, I just noticed I haven't taken the trash can down to the road.
Thanks, Google. You have changed my life.
posted by Ed Grisamore at 5:11 AM
4 Comments:
"Google" actually came on the scene as a "real" word some time ago. If i remember right, it was in the 1960's when a teacher asked her class what they would name a number that was a one followed by 100 zeros. They came up with "google". At least, that is the urban legend as I remember it from the 60's.
I Googled google and found some pretty interesting information. Check out this link for the origin of the word google (originally googol) and a little background of the company: http://www.answers.com/topic/google
Enjoy!
If you google Google, you get 711,000,000 returns.
Also, here's a neat Google Earth trick. Click on 'Get directions' type in your city and ask for directions to London, UK. Somewhere in the directions it will tell you to 'Swim across the Atlantic Ocean, 3,462 miles'!
What?
I always thought google was the past tense of goggle.
I google. You goggle. He, she or it googles.
John G. Kelley, Jr.
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