Google Me

3 Simple Reasons I'm Thankful For Google
By Pandora Poikilos

"Honestly, I don't think Google needs any form of advertisement. It's a tribute and more importantly a reminder of a message that so many people choose to forget, "GIVE PEACE A CHANCE". I love it. And its very inspiring."

I made this remark yesterday after watching the John Lennon Google Doodle. For the first time, I became a member of You Tube (so I could watch it again) and for the first time since starting this blog, I got told off in language I would not care to repeat.

Maybe it was predominantly a Public Relations exercise for Google to once again remind the world how powerful it actually is or a very subtle, good natured poke at China but I thought it was perfection in motion. Significantly placed to commemorate John Lennon's 70th birthday (with enough time for people to play, replay and tell the rest of the planet), and even more conveniently placed on the announcement day of Liu Xiaobo's controversial Nobel Peace Prize, accompanied with the lyrics - You may say that I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one, I hope someday you'll join us, And the world will be as one and finished with the caption "Join us in celebrating John Lennon's 70th birthday! Give peace a chance." - it became so much more than just a doodle, it also reminded me on what a world without Google would actually be like.

Connectivity
In this town called Social Media that we choose to live in, internet connection has become the roofs over our heads with Skype functioning as telephones, Facebook as the largest shopping mall in town and Google functioning as electricity. Nobody says, "Give me a sec, I'll Yahoo! it or I'll MSN it", they say, "I'll Google it". Even if you've tried two or three faulty websites, you don't blame your internet connection as long as you can see the words G-O-O-G-L-E on your screen. Like it or not, Google is a common connector among so many of us. Yes, I'd like it more if I had better control of my memories than placing it in no man's land with terms and conditions I sometimes need to read at least two times just to understand, but here are the people with answers to making it easier to connect. For emails, you have Gmail. For diaries (and in some cases of showing off writing talent), you have Blogger. For watching and listening, you have You Tube. For viewing the world and armchair traveling, you have Google Earth. For photo albums, you have Picasa. You can share 40 pictures across 7 continents at the price of your internet connection, so while I'd love to have pictures stored in a hard cover album, I cannot help but appreciate the convenient connectivity that Google provides on a daily basis .

Convenience
For me this factor is very simple to stand by. Everyday is a reminder of how Google is a blessing when it comes to convenience. Seven years ago, I would never have known that having excessive Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) is an existing condition if it hadn't been for Google. I wouldn't have been able to read up on lumbar punctures and share this information with family and friends who needed to know or people who had the same problem as myself, sometimes needing more reassurance than actually giving it. I didn't have to travel to 10 doctors in all corners of the world, I was able to find them and read up on the progress of finding other means of draining excessive CSF fluid. Down the road to September 2010, I wouldn't have been able to ask other people what a VP Shunt felt like or to tell other people, brain surgery is something you can get through. As an online writer who is always seeking more writing jobs, I don't need to commute up and down to libraries and buy as many different newspapers as I can, Google gives me this and even when the information can't be obtained on Google for free, I'm pointed as to where to look.

Inspirational
I think the best sharings the world has seen, from the Beatles to Harry Potter to Twilight phenomenon to Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey, have actually come from those who never believed it when told they cannot do something. Google founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page are no exception to this. When Google started way back in 1996 as a research project for their PhD studies, I can only assume the backlash that must have come their way and I'm immensely glad they didn't listen. For instance, in 1999, when they tried to sell the concept of Google to Excite for USD1 million, CEO George Bell rejected the offer and wouldn't even buy it for less. Their perseverance paid off in 2004, when Google's share sales gave the company a market capital of approximately USD23 billion having Brin and Page requesting that their base salary be cut to USD1 as their main compensation continues to come from owning Google shares.*

Yes, Google may have loads of issues to deal with, from invasion of privacy to the lack of privacy measures to harbouring at least one irresponsible user out of every two users but until they do something far worse than being two people implementing a great idea, a task so many of us choose to sit on while waiting for the 'perfect' moment or someone else comes up with something far better, its two thumbs up to Google with a big thank you, from me. They've spoilt me in some ways and taught me to have better locks on my virtual doors in others but a world without Google, would be a very difficult world indeed.

*Referenced from Google Inc