Now here's the thing, last year there a minor controversy over whether Google should permanently change its background to black in order to save energy. The theory is that it takes less energy to display a black background than a white one. But while that might have been somewhat true a few years ago when most computer users had cathode ray tube monitors, it actually takes more energy to display a black background on some modern LCD displays. So umm, essentially Google's black web page today could be contributing to an increase in energy use.
Hopefully if the move prompts a few folks to think about energy conservation, there'll be a net gain. But umm, seriously, Google, why go out of your way to debunk the myth of a energy-saving black Google last year just to promote it yourself today?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-29-2008 @ 3:04PM
archpope said...
I think it looks better this way. They should keep it black to promote goth day or somesuch.
Reply
3-29-2008 @ 4:13PM
whiskey said...
Most of the world does not have fancy LCD monitors!
Reply
3-29-2008 @ 4:39PM
Steven said...
Earth Hour has to be the worst idea to come out of the camp of tree huggers. I think I'm going to turn ON everything I have tonight from 8-10pm.
Reply
3-29-2008 @ 5:36PM
Rumble said...
You sound like a nice guy.
3-29-2008 @ 5:36PM
Steven said...
Just being honest.
3-29-2008 @ 10:26PM
julian said...
i get it if you dont want to change your habits but why would you try to counteract others actions
3-29-2008 @ 10:44PM
Rich said...
Its a dumb idea because it uses more energy when everything gets turned back on then it would to simply leave them on.
The sentiment is nice but in practice its a bad idea.
3-30-2008 @ 8:07AM
Bufsabre said...
thats exactly what i did, i live in buffalo and we get out power from the falls, i have some of the cleanest electricity in the world
and @rich
not true at all, theyve done studies cause thats not even close to being true, most devices only take about 2-3 seconds to extra power to get to operating condition. well this is true unless you use alot of hair curlers and waflle irons and other things with heat coils but i mean honestly those dont even take *THAT* long
3-30-2008 @ 2:14PM
Rocketboy said...
Buff: I live in WNY as well, and I hate to break it to you, but most of our power comes from the coal plants in the area. Most of the electricity from the Robert Moses plant goes downstate. Because you should know by now, NY is the great parasite on NYS.
3-29-2008 @ 10:26PM
RED_404 said...
If you like that checkout http://hell.com/xit.html
Its my default home page :)
Reply
3-30-2008 @ 10:03AM
Anton said...
While Google scolds the rest of the world about turning off the lights, we should turn our attention to this month’s Harper’s, which has an interesting look at Google’s plans to exploit cheap electricity in Oregon. Thanks to a boatload of government subsidies, Google located its new server farm on the Columbia River — where it will use enough electricity to light Tacoma, Washington.
But that’s not the best part. According to Harper’s, Google and its competitors have now started building data centers in places like Lithuania, Dublin, Siberia, and Shanghai. What do all these locations have in common? Except for Lithuania, where 78% of the power will be nuclear, all of them rely on carbon-spewing energy production with lower prices and fewer controls on emissions. So much for Earth Hour, eh?
http://harpers.org/media/slideshow/annot/2008-03/index.html
Reply
3-30-2008 @ 12:25PM
Ethan said...
come on Download Squad, it is the thought that counts. Don't get caught up in the details and look at the big picture. That is how you should go through your entire life.
Reply
3-30-2008 @ 2:16PM
Rocketboy said...
It's not the thought that counts. Is if one's actions actually mean anything.
3-30-2008 @ 3:15PM
Ben said...
It's amazing how people are suckered into these plans as if they do any good... seems its also the same people who believe global warming is still occurring and co2 is actually a dangerous emission. Read the news people! Al Gore is wrong! (not to mention the fact that his carbon footprint is bigger than some small towns due to his hummer, private jets, private tour buses, etc).
Reply
3-31-2008 @ 2:35PM
VTFootball said...
I was setting up a friends network this past weekend and I went to google when I setup the network and saw this page. I was sitting there thinking I wonder if the graphics card went bad, but I guess not.
Reply
4-07-2008 @ 5:26PM
Sanjay John G. said...
A site which has offered search in various background colors, including black, is www.searchincolor.com
I love the green on white and the blue on white...or reverse, very nice.
Sanjay
Reply