Sunday 27 September 2009

Google Doodles

When I got out of bed this morning I had no intention of starting a blog.

But then I wondered why Google was suddenly being spelt 'Googlle' and somebody told me it's because it's Google's 11th birthday. In fact it says 'Goog11e'.

I remembered that I'd once been given a link to Google Doodles and, wanting to update myself with the doodles there had been, I searched (one is not allowed to say 'googled', is one?) for it and found instead, this. http://www.google.com/doodle4google/

Now, I'm a retired teacher and I applaud the fact of children being encouraged to get involved with something that is so much part of all our lives nowadays. Some healthy competition. A chance to show off their creativity and talent. Great.

BUT IT'S ONLY OPEN TO CHILDREN IN THE USA.

I searched for some opportunity to give feedback on this fact - not a 'Contact us' link to be found. Of course not, why should there be? In a completely blinkered, tunnel-visioned sort of way, they don't realise - or perhaps they don't want to be reminded - that there are talented children ALL OVER THE WORLD, and that those children would love to get involved too.

Let me make it clear that I have nothing against the USA, nor any other nation for that matter. All countries could improve many things they do - or often, worse, things they don't do. This is not intended to knock America. Really not to knock Google....there are many better reasons for doing that. But Google, we, the world population, are all your customers. We, the world population, are all blessed with a pool of talented and enthusiastic children. Please stop focusing on only one country and ignoring the fact that you share the planet with many, many other nations.