Google, TechCrunch: When April Fool's is no joke
Ridiculous, however, is becoming more and more oxymoronic.
For example, if a search engine declares a grandiose mission to organize the world’s information, would “The Moon” not be a logical next step?
And, when a blogger declares a “controversy is interesting” page-view driven editorial mission, would a complete philosophical about face not be par for the course?
Google may intimate its April 1 announcements are merely “April Fool’s,” but they belie Google’s infinite objectives.Michael Arrington may wink his TechCrunch Fuckedcompany.com acquisition announcement, but it smacks of his cunning.
Last April Fool’s, Google announced "Google Romance (beta)”:
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 1, 2006 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced the launch of Google Romance™, a new product that offers users both a psychographic matchmaking service and all-expenses-paid dates for couples who agree to experience contextually relevant advertising throughout the course of their evening. "Our mission, as you might have heard, is to organize the world's information," said Jonathan Rosenberg, Google's senior vice president, product management. "And let's face it: in what area of life is the world's information more disorganized than romance? We thought we could use our search technology to help you find that special someone, then send you on a date and use contextual ads to help you, ya know - close the deal."Pin All Your Romantic Hopes on Google: When you think about it, love is just another search problem. And we’ve thought about it. A lot. Google Romance is our solution.
Google Romance is a place where you can post all types of romantic information and, using our Soulmate Search, get back search results that could, in theory, include the love of your life. Then we'll send you both on a Contextual Date, which we'll pay for while delivering to you relevant ads that we and our advertising partners think will help produce the dating results you're looking for.With Google Romance, you can: Upload your profile – tell the world who you are, or, more to the point, who you’d like to think you are, or, even more to the point, who you want others to think you are. Search for love in all (or at least a statistically significant majority of) the right places with Soulmate Search, our eerily effective psychographic matchmaking software.
Endure, via our Contextual Dating option, thematically appropriate multimedia advertising throughout the entirety of your free date.
WHERE’S THE GOOGLE JOKE?
Last July, I underscored: Google online dating service: Google Romance for real?, discussing how Google is amassing a database of “People Profiles” via Base and surfacing them in “dating” queries at Google.com, in direct competition with Match.com, eHarmony…
Now, Google Base has a dedicated Personals Service!
WHERE’S THE TECHCRUNCH JOKE?
Earlier this month, I cited concerns that “Arrington has already shown that he does not consider TechCrunch to be ‘unbiased’ nor does he seem to be worried too much about editorial objectivity,” underscoring that Arrington himself knows that the TechCrunch effect on start-ups is an ephemeral one, with no apparent meaningful impact on the long-term prospects for new ventures.
Now, TechCrunch is investing big time to develop a new business model.Last November, Arrington was cited by the Wall Street Journal saying he realizes the current Web boom, and his fame, may not last. "History tells us that's what happens," he acknowledged.