Cool Google logo

by on January 4, 2006

If you visit Google.com today you’ll see a braille logo. Why’s that? Well, Louis Braille was born January 4, 1809.

I’m sitting here with a few bloggers — they all think that’s cool. Me too! And why do I think something our competitor is doing is cool? Cause it’s cool and I’d like to do better on our products. I have some ideas that I’m passing along.

  • Louis Braille link goes to google page, perhaps by error?
    new logo looks cool!
  • Sorry, the logo will take you to the page. I should have linked that better. Will fix.
  • You've got to be using the "Google Classic" to see the braille. If you're using the personalized Google home, today's logo looks like it's celebrating someone's 7th birthday. (Google's own, perhaps?)
  • solomonrex
    I laughed. I mean, it's braille. You supposed to be able to touch it! I can't feel anything!

    But yes, a cool tribute, and the best they could do.
  • I find it amazing how people can learn to feel it. Braille is on medical boxes in Germany and I can feel nothing different in there ...

    And I think those doodles are a very nice touch and reminder of what happens around us. :)
  • When I started my blog, I was thinking of using Braille for titles as a unique touch, but settled for Morse code so that the titles themselves could serve as kind of horizontal separators. I must remember to write something about Samuel Morse on 27th of April, then ;-)
  • Anona
    "our competitor"

    Google is your competitor? I don't think Google thinks so. I thought MSFT was in the business of selling device drivers disguised as an insecure operating system and a few bloated fat apps, none of which describes what Google does. :-)
  • The Google logo in Braille brings a delicious irony: it renders the Google site confusing for both sighted and blind visitors. The Alt tag says "Happy Birthday Louis Braille" -- the only indication that you are at the real Google site is the tag. Thus sighted visitors who don't read Braille may be confused, and those with vision impairments who use audio screen readers may be as well.

    See http://wigblog.blogspot.com/2006/01/google-make...

    Google made a bold statement, but wrapped in layers of irony.
  • I had this mental image of people leaning up to touch their screens...
  • Anona: well, I think Eric Schmidt doesn't see it that way. At least he didn't when I talked with him recently.
  • Anona
    Well, as I think even you would agree, Google didn't get to where it is today by obsessing about MSFT as the competitor.
  • anon
    Google is your competitor? I don’t think Google thinks so. I thought MSFT was in the business of selling device drivers disguised as an insecure operating system and a few bloated fat apps, none of which describes what Google does.

    Microsofties hope that by positioning their employer as a "competitor" to Google some of that GOOG stock magic will rub off on their turd holdings.

    In reality, the only thing Microsoft can possibly gain from "competing" with Google (by bundling MSN search as the default search page in Vista in order to gain marketshare, of course) is a few more antitrust convictions.
  • The Google logo was very cool. Our president actually blogged about it yesterday (www.afb.org/blog). The braille logo definitely helped educate the public about braille, braille literacy and vision loss--which was really great. I hope it started a conversation about other important issues like making the web more accessible to people who are blind or have low vision.
  • Thats why I love Google. Apart from the search results, it adds a human touch to the site.
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