(source: www.stevewild.co.uk)
The article titled ‘Google kills background images on homepage’ from CNET News.com (Krazit 2010) was about a supposedly 24 hours experiment to enhance Google’s background by applying pictures to the homepage on google.com and apparently they pulled back the idea after only 14 hours due to the massive complaints as well as discovered that ‘remove Google background’ is the seventh and then the second hottest search phrase as of June 10, 2010, according to goggle trends (Carney 2010). The week before, Google wanted to try something new thus announcing that user will be given an option of setting their personal background image behind the homepage. The problem occurs when the night of launching, to highlight the feature, a forced image appeared for all users signed into the Google account. Ever since then, complaints started rising (Krazit 2010).
I think that Google has done a good job in trying to spice up their dull page, to be more adventurous to try out new things. Though, what Google probably should have done is by starting an online survey asking their users what they think about the idea of colorful homepage as well as to observe what are their user’s expectations and habits. Penman stated that a document’s functionality depends highly on the viewer’s expectation, habits and context of use (Penman 1998).
I felt that Google had just assumed that their users will like some background images because the creator is bored with the white wall and Bing seem to be doing very well with the images as background. So, Google says why not? Remember that just because I am sweet tooth, that does not mean you are as well, thus every viewer is different, some structure or element may work well in one place but it may not necessarily work well in another (Penman 1998). Apparently, many Google users miss the famous white background and some stated that the background images are distracting (Samantha 2010). Besides that, the issue with the images as well is that it slows down the process of loading the page and Google fans previously loves Google due to its lighting fast page loads. (Shear 2010).
This is what scares me on the internet, when your users hates what you have produce with good intentions, the word spreads fast and a solutions needs to satisfy their needs. Therefore, Google have brought back the white walls (Krazit 2010).
Krazit, T 2010, Google kills background images on homepage, zdnetasia, viewed on 13 June 2010, from <http://www.zdnetasia.com/google-kills-background-images-on-home-page-62200669.htm>.
Penman, R 1998, Document structures and readers’ habits, communication news, communication Research Institude of Australia, vol 11, no.2, pg 1-11Samantha 2010, People want to remove Google background!, allvoices, viewed on the 13 June 2010, from <http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/6040097-people-want-to-remove-google-background>.
Shear, M 2010, Remove Google background: critics pled, Christian Science monitor, viewed on 14 June 2010, from <http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2010/0610/Remove-Google-background-critics-plead>.
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