Fortunately, you don't have stay a week without Google, but this blog takes a break for a week.
August 2, 2008
A Week Without Google
What would you miss the most if your ISP blocked all Google services for a week? Among other things, the search engine would no longer work, Gmail's web interface wouldn't load, YouTube videos would be blocked, web pages would load slower because the Analytics tracking code would no longer work, all the Google Maps mashups would be completely useless for you.
Fortunately, you don't have stay a week without Google, but this blog takes a break for a week.
Fortunately, you don't have stay a week without Google, but this blog takes a break for a week.
Well, definitely my life would go on easily. I never liked of the idea of my entire life be based on free services, no matter how great they are. But, anyway... Have a nice vacation.
ReplyDeleteReader. It's an addiction for me.
ReplyDeleteProbably I'll search on Yahoo how to make bombs. Then go to my ISP's building and, you know, set it off.
ReplyDeleteIn the meanwhile, I'll think about how bad is to have all my information relaying on google servers.
PS: if there are some fbi agents out there reading, the bomb thing was a joke.
We've actually had a few moments at the college I work for, Google's DNS entries were temporarily (as in, for 5 minutes to a half hour at a time) screwed in our DNS servers.
ReplyDeleteYou would think that life itself had ceased to be. We would (gently) point out that everything they need to actually do their jobs are generally still available - grade entry, course portal, even research resources were all available sans Google.
Regardless, enjoy your vacation. I hope to find out what that's like some day soon :)
Have a blast! :)
ReplyDeleteI have no script mark google analytics as untrusted.
ReplyDeleteI do that because of my perception it is probably tracking me in ways I dislike.
How does this cause my pages to load more slowly?
Enjoy your vacation. Google reader will let me know when you return!
I've just been camping for a week, so I've been nearly google-less. (I checked my Gmail twice on my phone)
ReplyDeleteNo way I can survive without gmail. I was scared for a moment.
ReplyDeleteDamn, i'd lose it... i always just expect it to be there.. kind of took it for granted really.
ReplyDeleteI kind of depend on iGoogle for connections to most of the web, as well as Gmail for e-mail.
I pretty much never care for Hotmail anymore now, or "Windows Live Mail"... such a horrible name, as with all the "Windows Live" names.
Although in saying that, i don't get any interesting e-mails in Hotmail.
I should really consider other things in case all Google buildings were suddenly hit with comets or something. (or Steve Bomber, uh, sorry, Steve Ballmer)
I was thinking about what I would miss most, and then I realized that, doh! I wouldn't have time to miss anything because I'd be too busy to notice. I'm in the business of helping people grow their businesses online (via internet marketing), and for many, a significant portion of their online revenue comes through Google. We'd be 'all hands on deck' to rebudget all our client accounts, and we'd be shifting dollars to other networks to reduce the impact of the outage on their businesses. Eek. Thanks for the thought. If I can't sleep tonight, I'm going to call you, vacation or no! ;-)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your vacation :)
ReplyDeleteTell us how you have enjoyed your trip if you are okay.
Have a great vacation. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteI use Gmail for all my mail, but I think there is a yahoo mail account out there somewhere that I set up and now never use
ReplyDeleteI don't know what I would do without any Google services! I use Gmail for all my email, Google Reader for all my feeds, and of course web search!
ReplyDeleteLuckily, I've got a list of all my feeds on Toluu, a free service where you share your feeds, find people whose subscriptions overlap with yours, and check out what else they read. It's helped me a lot for finding new feeds to read. It also gives an option to export your list of feeds as an OPML file, so even if Google Reader was down I could get all my feeds from Toluu and read them in NewsGator or something.
Without Gmail, I'm totally screwed and would not be able to function in my social or "work" life.
Other than that, other Google services are more of a convenience than a necessity for me. I use WordPress for my blog, the search bar uses a built in search engine instead of Google custom search because Google hasn't indexed my whole blog, and for most web/images/maps/etc searches, I'm sure I'd survive using a different search engine. I'd feel a little lost, but I think I could do that. Either way I'd go ballistic without Gmail/Reader though.
I use two Internet providers: basic and supplementary. If problems with the first provider, then added. Naturally, this is an additional provider of mobile Internet provider.
ReplyDeleteWithout Gmail and Google Search - like without right and left hand :-)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy free time !
Ooops!!! I am quiet addicted to this blog.
ReplyDeleteWell, I would probably set up TOR or start using a proxy system to bypass my ISP, and then cancel my account of an ISP which was sane. Probably a business account with guaranteed up-time as I actually use my Gmail for my business email.
ReplyDeletewhere you going?
ReplyDeletecome back soon!
Hey Zim,
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about the FBI, worry about your ISP!! Oh, and First Amendment.....F#%K YOU COMCAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!
switch ISPs to a net neutral one, then begin helping Zim with his research
ReplyDeleteyep it would be hard
ReplyDeleteIs all the spam in my GMail account I'm about to lose being collected so I can read it when you are back from vacation? I really hope so...
ReplyDeleteJust imagine: About 1000 missing spam mails ;-)
Although I love Google it is disturbing that so much that is good and enjoyable on the internet is owned or based on Google products. Just like Microsoft, if Google has a problem then lots of people have lots of problems.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice break but don't stay away too long. I love your blog: Google is an adiction to me.
ReplyDeletei didnt see anyone mentioning blogger!!!!
ReplyDeletehow would WE read this wonderful blog?
have a nice vacations!
Well, I think prob my homepage that I log into everyday being iGoogle, saving me all those extra finger strokes by linking me through to all the Google services I use daily. I though working in IT in Ireland I used Google a lot although I find there is a different version I am away. Blogger most days, Picasa weekly for my photo hobbie, Gmail everyday of course, still some Analytics once in a while, Bookmarks fairly regularly, Maps weekly and YouTube now and again. Well I am a self-admitted Googladdict so it would be quite drastic, although I'm sure I'd survive :)
ReplyDeleteI watch Youtube, or Google video every now and then, Google talk to talk to my friends, google toolbar for Firefox 3, blogger to host my website, Google groups to upload some files I want to share with the public, and bookmarks a few times. Also, I use Google App Gallery.
ReplyDeleteI don't see how I'd be hosting on the internet without Google, since all my files for hosting are on Google groups, and blogs are hosted via blogger, and some applications, one web, one download is hosted via Google Apps, even though I have the option of going to Yahoo.
PS. I used to use Google Web Accelerator for Windows 2000(sp4), but doesn't work now that I upgraded to Firefox 3.
I forgot to mention in the previous comment that I also used gmail every 2 days.
ReplyDeleteI would die without gmail
ReplyDeleteI rotate my searches around a large variety of search engines, and don't really use any other service other than Google Maps. And Live Maps and Mapquest satisfy both those needs just as well, sometimes even better.
ReplyDeleteI could easily go a month without Google.
Hello.. nice blog .. i think you should write an article about google new service : see the link :
ReplyDeletehttp://youhack.net/google-is-preparing-a-translation-service-using-humans/
>> web pages would load slower
ReplyDelete>> because the Analytics tracking
>> code would no longer work
Huh??? Since I am blocking *.google-analytics.* surfing makes FUN. Add 2-5 seconds for site loading when the site is using Google Analytics
I actually had this (nearly) happen at work... for the entire summer. It seemed so silly when all of the Google apps I used were for productivity...
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say, it was tough.
-no Google search engine -> there are many others...
ReplyDelete-no Gmail -> maybe difficult to change mail provider but gmail is not the only mail provider in the world !!
-no youTube -> dailymotion
-no google maps -> there are many more maps sites. and GPS dose nt use Google.
-webpage slower ??? of course not !
Google services are very good and used in many website but they re not alone !
We can live without Google but it is better if google works ^^
um... yeah there is always yahoo and, thunderbird POPMail for gmail.
ReplyDeletebut some folks would panic..
BrianNeitschSr, you can't use your popMail client for gmail if your ISP have blocked gmail pop servers on POP socket .
ReplyDeletewhat? without Google and Gmail my life has no fun and no entertainment.
ReplyDeleteI like to watch Youtube videos every now and then, Google talk to talk to my friends.I can't survive without gmail and Google. I was scared for a moment.