That is seriously weak. The phones would be ringing off the hook if Google stopped service instead for 24 hours. As it is, everyone will simply think it's another cute Google doodle.
Do you really expect a service as integral to the Internet as Google to shutdown entirely? Would they want to give people an excuse to try Bing or another search engine? What about their shareholders?
This is about as far as they can go, and tellingly this is the first time that I can remember them using their homepage for such a call to action.
Expecting them to go dark for 24 hours is just naïve.
Do you really expect a service as integral to the Internet as Google to shutdown entirely? Would they want to give people an excuse to try Bing or another search engine? What about their shareholders?
Their shareholders will have much more to worry about if SOPA passes. Plus, Google being completely down in protest for a day would be a huge PR win; it would make those that stayed up and running look ridiculous. Wikipedia's approach is the strongest and most likely to actually sway people into action while Google's will be largely ignored by the public.
I disagree, I think this was a very appropriate move for Google. Consider that Google has shareholders to answer to (they can't just take a community vote, like Wikipedia).
I'm actually thoroughly thrilled with what they did, when I visited the main search page the blacked out Google logo was actually psychologically shocking for me, enough to make me click it to find out why (that black box acts like a visual sink attracting me).
Think of the crazy amount of people that hit that main search page. This plus Wikipedia's complete blackout will seriously make some movement.
I disagree. Google's phones would be ringing off the hook if they discontinued service for a day and that wouldn't benefit anyone. We shouldn't punish the entire Internet for the day, only do enough to raise awareness. This is the most obstructed I've ever seen their logo and the first time I've seen them link to something other than just a search term on the "doodle." I believe they have done their part.
This is more than just a doodle. And it's a day long event at a ton of websites. People will notice the doodle. They'll notice that wikipedia is down. They'll notice Wordpress' page. They'll notice the front page of Huffington Post. In the context of everything that's happening today, people will perk up.
