According to a recent survey conducted by myvouchercodes.co.uk Google is the most viewed logo by Britons during an average day, with most viewing the logo an astonishing 50 times a day, on average.
That is a staggering amount of times, but no real surprise when the rest of the survey is taken into account. Nearly half of all Britons have Google as their homepage, or was the first page that they visited each day. More than half also admitted using Google as a spell checker, and 25% said that they had installed a Google toolbar.
Internet? No, I Google
Those with less tech savvy relations, or even friends, however, may be slightly less surprised. For some internet users, Google is the internet, and not just for search. Many do not even use the address bar, instead using the search box to enter the name of the website they wish to visit (e.g. Facebook, the third most viewed logo with 11%), and then either pressing the Enter key or the ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ button. Unconvinced?
In February this year ReadWriteWeb published an article on how Facebook wants to become users one true login, and duly made it to the top of Google’s search for ‘Facebook Login’. Thousands upon thousands of Facebook users were unable to log into their Facebook accounts, as they had no real concept of getting there, other than through Google. Comments were left on the ReadWriteWeb website such as:
Ok If I have to I will comment,I love facebook so right now just want to log in if thats ok with you..lol Keep up the good work…
ok cool now can I get to facebook
The new facebook sucks> NOW LET ME IN.
when can we log in?
I WANT THE OLD FAFEBOOK BACK THIS SH*T IS WACK!!!!!
just want to get on facebook
please give me back the old facebook login this is crazy……………..
EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY NOT JUST LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!1111
Those comments aren’t a sample selection, they are eight of the first ten comments (the other two were of actual readers of the article), and there are thousands more. Clearly it became such a problem that ReadWriteWeb had to add a disclaimer right in the middle of their article in big bold text, pointing out that they were not Facebook, but still the comments and complaints continued.
Of course the tech enthusiasts, can (and did if you read some of the later comments) laugh and mock these users for not understanding the difference between a search box and an address bar, or even between a search engine and a browser, however these people form a large portion of internet users and who do not know anything other than Google.
One Search Engine To Rule Them All
Rather worryingly this means that Google isn’t just the major search engine, which according to StatCounter.com accounts for 90% of the world’s searches, it is literally seen as the internet itself for many web surfers, in the same way that the ‘e’ icon of Internet Explorer was for so many Windows users in the late nineties, when it wasn’t seen so much as a browser, but as the ‘internet button’.
It also makes it quite frightening that one company has such a huge influence on not just the internet, but also so many people, whereby a simple Google ranking change can leave so many people, adrift and lost. Particularly when this company is also making deals with Verizon to create a two-tier internet.
As one observer noted:
“It would give companies like Verizon, Comcast and AT&T the right to decide which content will move fast and which should be slowed down,” said Joel Kelsey of public policy group Free Press.
Also meaning that as well as serving adverts for searches and deciding which website appear higher, Google could also decide which websites get priority access, and which do not.
For many people, particularly those involved in the early days of the internet, having a few large corporations decide what and how everyone should see content or information, goes against the very principles of the internet. But is it, as Google and Verizon claim, the only way to ensure an open internet?
You make Google out to be a bad thing, there motto is Don’t be Evil, most their services are free, sometimes they have to make a bit of cash on the side.
We don’t think Google are a bad company, however one company dominating usually turns out to be a bad thing in technology as it can stifle innovation and reduce choice. This is certainly what happened with the internet and browsers in the late 90s, and also with Windows in the 90s.
Competition is a great driver of innovation.
That is pretty funny about Facebook, can it really be true? It is worrying than Google has such a hold, and that they are also doing deals with the telecom’s companies.
Also hasn’t a law just been passed in Britain making a two-tier internet legal? That’s bad for you guys.
Google are just the best search engine. Try as you might, you end up using it because it gets the best results, even Microsoft know this apparently and are using Google’s results too!
Forgot to say, don’t worry about Google, Facebook is going to be the internet soon!
Whoa, things just got a whole lot easier.
I remember reading about that at the time, pretty funny if a little worrying. I have to admit however that Google is my homepage, and my favourite search engine, so for me 50 times is perhaps a little low!
Not yet but it is in the pipeline.
I can see you might be an expert at your field! I am launching a site soon, and your details are going to be really interesting for me.. Thanks for all your assist and wishing you all of the success.