Tasmania is part of Australia.
Posted on 03/31/2010 9:30:11 PM PDT by myknowledge
Google will close its Australian operations, effectively blacklisting the country in response to the Federal Government's "evil" plan to filter the internet.
ZDNet.com.au has confirmed that the search engine giant will close its doors on Australia for good, effective immediately, marking the end of four years of its operation here and a long-running battle with the government over its plan to filter the internet.
Known for changing its famous logo to commemorate special occasions, Google's Australian site this morning featured a somewhat blunt statement on how the company viewed its place in the local market (see screenshot).
"We've already left China. That was clearly not a bluff and besides I couldn't take the food anyway," said Google CEO Eric Schmidt. "Oh yeah, and our company motto is always... I mean never ... wait, it's 'Don't Be Evil'. So we just can't be part of it."
Schmidt did however concede that it would be harder to leave Australia than China.
"It's a shame because our Sydney office has really nice views of the harbour. And have you seen our kitchen? I suppose Fairfax will want it now. Well, what's left of it anyway."
When asked for comment, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy was silent for a moment before shouting, "They can't blacklist us ... we've already blacklisted them!"
Some Microsoft representatives were on hand outside Conroy's office to offer their thoughts on Google's departure — and to hand out the many "Bing" T-shirts they had brought along.
"Look, we believe in competition, and now that Google is leaving Australia we will be able to compete," a Microsoft spokesperson said.
While it's goodbye to Google for Aussies, the company will retain a local presence, according to Schmidt.
"We expect to continue operations in the region — just not in Australia", said Schmidt. "We'll probably move to another nearby country, like Tasmania or something."
Tasmania is part of Australia.
April Fools
They didn’t have a problem with China doing it.
Google did a lot of evil for a long time there.
Yes, April Fools from Google. April Fools from the Australian government (or should I say gubmint).
4-1
Bing Ping List
Well, kick a kangaroo.
Throw a shrimp on the barbie mate. Google ain’t leaving down under.
Google is a very good all-purpose search engine. Maybe it’s TOO all-purpose. In recent years it has been trying to fine tune its results based on what you’ve searched for earlier. There ought to be ways to narrow down on the genre of website you’re thinking of. The suffix is not of much help because anybody and their uncle can be a .com.
This was about 30 minutes early.
Furry cuddly little dikens arnt they..
I’m so over Googles cutsey April Fools crap.
A true search engine is definable within personal search barriers.
Not in Australia - it’s 4pm April 1st here. And that’s where the joke was laid.
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I want to report a kangaroo abusing a lady.
I heard they even clamped down on bittorrent downloads..true?
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