Google Gags - How Many Did You Fall For?

I would like to begin with the disclaimer that I don't respond to email from Nigeria. I don't give out my credit card number to telemarketers no matter how cheap the land in the Mojave desert may be, and I have a pretty good eye for detecting the flaws in photos of 300 pound babies. I am not, generally, easy to fool.

This Spring, however, I was very excited to learn about the Virgile Project a collaboration between Virgin founder Richard Branson and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. The Virgile Project is a 100 year plan to establish a permanent human colony on Mars. Unlikely, you say? But it's Google, the company that plans to provide every book ever published in electronic form. The company that has 3D modeling, word processing, and street level views of the entire world for free. If Yahoo claimed they were going to Mars I would have laughed. But Google - Google can do anything.

The Virgile Project was yet another April Fools Day joke from Google. I'd told all my friends about my upcoming trip. I'd even filled out an application to be considered - for a mission to ... Mars. I really hope that doesn't show up the next time a prospective client Googles me.

In 2008 employees of Google entertained themselves with many other Google hoaxes.

Gmail Custom Time

This Gmail feature was advertised as a beta program early in 2008. The Custom Time feature allowed you to send email to the past. Email sent with Custom Time appeared in the recipient's mailbox in the appropriate chronological order. It could, however, only be used to send email as far back as 2004. This was a safeguard against triggering the Grandfather Paradox. Google didn't want to be responsible for people who sent email to their own grandparents before email was invented.

Google Book Search Scratch and Sniff

In a blog post from Nathan Naze, a Google software engineer, Google announced a special new feature of Google Book Search. Scratch and Sniff technology for web browsers combined special equipment and "tricky JavaScript" to deliver scent via the Internet.

Google Talk Goes Green for Earth Day

Claiming that each character in an instant message uses 0.0000000000000000034 metric tons* of CO2 Google pledged to shorten all text messages in Google Talk to the fewest possible characters of IM speak. "As far as I'm concerned, you can give me the twenty dollars you owe me when I see you later." would become "AFAIC, U can gve me the 20 $ YOM whn I CUL8R." a 50% savings.

Google Language Tools

Translations are offered for Klingon, Elmer Fudd, Hacker, and Pirate.

I've learned my lesson. Next time I have my finger on the "apply" button I should do a little research first - or maybe not.