...I wonder if we'll see other reductions in "functionality" on Apple devices.

Well, on Safari, the background image did not show (normal Google page). I changed the User Agent string to "Firefox 3.5.3 (Windows)" and yazam the background-image appeared! But a second or two later and Safari crashed! So I guess the reduced functionality was due to browser support issues in this case - but need it have been?

Goodbye Google! I'm going to a new search engine with a basic layout that never changes! Cuil, here I come!

(1 minute later)

I'm so sorry Google, I'll never leave you again...

I've not seen the new white Google background yet. My homepage is now set to Bing. :-)

If searches become a pain I might change it back, though I don't do many and I've been trying Bing for them recently as Google increasingly ignores my search terms.

You've got to homepage something for when you open your browser. Some page that is quick to load and not too annoying is good, and having a search facility on there is useful too.

According to an update on the blog, this change which was only planned for 24 hours has now reverted.

We had planned to run an explanation of the showcase alongside it-in the form of a link on our homepage. Due to a bug, the explanatory link did not appear for most users. As a result, many people thought we had permanently changed our homepage, so we decided to stop today's series early. We appreciate your feedback and patience as we experiment and iterate.

[googleblog.blogspot.com...]

This is the end :p

> Due to a bug, the explanatory link
> did not appear for most users.

That is almost richer than the fact they Cloned a Bing feature to start with!

They index 4 billion pages, but can't get a link on their homepage? And then not fix it for 18 hours?

Due to a bug, the explanatory link did not appear for most users

Yeah right.... like we're going to believe that old line... I roll that out occassionally when I've simply forgotten to do something - but there's only 2 of us implemmenting and checking and what..... 500 at G....

Pull the other one

Wow, a hundred responses. This proves that people prefer the simple clean look, with good functionality; not the sensory whiplash we get from most over-designed websites today.

>This proves that people prefer the simple clean look,

No it doesn't. It means people hate it when things they trust, start to change. We love stability. Nothing more - nothing less.

I'm guessing they saw a mass exodus of users?

Hope so ;) Bing could do with the traffic and eyeballs

I haven't looked around the web for further response but I'm thinking it'll have been mostly negative.

Wasted bandwidth, slower loading page, 'borrowed idea'. It did make the home page look 'nice' though.

I guess I'm the only one that likes it. I set the background to a nice soothing blue color and it looks fine. I agree the pictures look like crap.

>I guess I'm the only one that likes it.

No - I love it on bing. I go to the Bing home page just to see the pictures.. But Bings creation is classy, educational, and well done start to finish. Google's was an afterthought with muddy images no one wanted to see. Bing's looks 2010 and Google's looks 2000.

Bings looked 2010 and Googles looked 2000.

I was going to say the same thing, but I was thinking more 1990's.

The thing is IMO Google got completely outclassed in the design world, and anything they do will be Bing or Yahoo!
If they go with 'more info' they're copying Yahoo!, and by trying to do something 'photo like' they're mimicking Bing...

They got just plain beat when it comes to 'class and style' WRT presentation.

"Remove Google Background" was the No. 2 trending search on Google's trends page Thursday morning.

I was going to say the same thing, but I was thinking more 1990's.

Not quite, 1990's, they didn't add any clipart or design it with Frontpage 98 :)

"We appreciate your feedback and patience as we experiment..."

Yep, and I appreciated their patience (and expected and got no feedback) while I experimented with other SEs.

Looks like they're following the Burger King's lead to me. Steal an idea if it's a good one who cares if it's obvious

"Bug." Ha. Yeah, that's it. It was a bug. Not a bad decision, no no, a bug. Yup, that what it was. A bug. Bad bug. Just a touch buggy. Nothing to see here. Move along.

From [news.cnet.com...]
Design guru Marissa Mayer confirmed that Google was ending the experiment early due to what she called a "bug," which erased a link underneath the search bar on google.com that explained why Google's famously spartan home page had taken on a colorful look. Apparently many searchers on Google.com Thursday morning missed the company's blog post Wednesday night, and were confused and annoyed at the change, turning "remove google background" into the seventh-most-popular search on Google Thursday.

a "bug," which erased a link underneath the search bar on google.com

That's one of the funniest quotes I've read...
The bug erased the link, huh?

Let me guess, it was there but when she left the page for a few minutes to get coffee a nasty little bug came by and erased it. LMAO.

ADDED: I think this might explain why so many people's traffic is all over the place though... Link erasing bugs have worked their way into the Google System, which makes it very difficult for people to click and find our sites. This really explains quite a bit.

##### # #####

Tech: Marissa, where's the link to set the home page to white?

Marissa: I really don't know, it was there a few minutes ago, but then I went to get coffee and it's gone... I can't find on my desk anywhere, so I think a bug erased it. Do you guys have another one?

Tech: Sorry Marissa, but we're out of those links right now...

Go Google, I'm sorry but this was clearly (to me) a warning shot in response to the "anti-google" rhetoric companies like Bing have been flinging around the net (loads of it in this very thread too) to try and sway popularity.

All Bing has is pretty images over a still crappy index and frame stuffing image search. They'd do well to focus on THEIR product and stop saying it's better than Google's version, as would many in this thread.

It's about time Google actually does something like this instead of ignoring all the rhetoric, A++, (the images were used with permission on Google, but not on Bing apparently, too funny)

Ok, so maybe google was just adding a feature and raising awareness but still - bing's gotta stop throwing crap at google because it gets their hands dirty.

Whats funny is how bugs haven't erased the Google search field, or better yet the incessant displaying of ads....:)

The difference with Bing is, they have selected the pictures in a way that they do not disturb the usability of the website. When I look at different pictures, the white text beneath the search box always happens to be at a place in the picture where it is dark blue, or another contrasting color. The Google design looked like those bad 90s layouts where people would throw yellow text on purple background so it made your eyes hurt when you had to read it.

I'm sorry but this was clearly (to me) a warning shot

don't you mean a shot in the foot?

bing has a crappy index? you sure you arn't using cuil?

can you please show me where bing is throwing mud at google?

Yeah, sgt, never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
I can see where you're coming from, however. Yeah, we're not used to seeing stupid coming from Google so clearly and obviously.

Ok, so maybe google was just adding a feature and raising awareness but still - bing's gotta stop throwing crap at google because it gets their hands dirty.

Give me a break. What department at the Gorp Plex do you work for and when will the Gorg become self aware?

Google > Bing

It's simple math regardless of what statistic you use.

I don't buy into one single line of the "Google sucks" or "Bing is better" in this thread and firmly believe Bing deserves to have their mojo copied (done better) after they ran a 100 million ad campaign that included PAYING sites/companies not to use Google. When you stoop to that level you get what you deserve.

I might reconsider my tough anti-bing stance if they'd stop shoving my site into an iframe on image search and stop giving credit to other sites for my hotlinked images. Too much to ask?

ON topic: I like the Google image homepage feature AND the fact it's optional. I also know Google isn't attacking Bing, in fact the only comparison has been by people here and in those other threads. Saying "I LOVE GOOGLE" sure does get people jumping on you lately though doesn't it?

[techcrunch.com...] > This Thread's subject (in terms of importance)

These were only my opinions, I am entitled to them, there's many like them but these are mine. Hopefully they aren't deleted given the fact that this entire thread is full of similar but opposite opinions.

[edited by: Sgt_Kickaxe at 11:31 pm (utc) on Jun 10, 2010]

Google - "Meh, if you can't beat em, join em"

A couple of weeks ago, I get forced to listed to the PacMan sound FX autoplay... Now this cr@p?!...

Google is the new Bing... now then, what rhymes with Bing?.......

MING!