Google's Gone Dark

[Much Ado]

So Google, who have huge servers all over the world (and the Googleplex which is now roughly the size of the moon), are telling us about conserving energy?

 

[MacNut]

So Google, who have huge servers all over the world (and the Googleplex which is now roughly the size of the moon), are telling us about conserving energy?

Exactly, how much does is cost to keep server farms running. Maybe the whole internet should get unplugged for an hour.

 

[Prof.]

Exactly, how much does is cost to keep server farms running. Maybe the whole internet should get unplugged for an hour.

That would tear a hole in the time/space continuum.

 

[MacNut]

How much more energy is being used by us talking about this. We are making the servers run. I wonder what the internet has done in the past 15 years to add to power consumption.

 

[iBookG4 FTW]

I'd like living near the sea for a bit, but eventually I'd want to be back where I live now. Nice valley with lots of trees. We still have more than a foot of snow.

Hmm, lets see, it hasn't snowed here since...ever?

It wouldnt be so bad if Google were to shut down for an hour. People with Gmail may not be able to check their mail for an hour. Big deal. Yahoo is still a good search engine if you need that...

 

[Prof.]

How much more energy is being used by us talking about this. We are making the servers run. I wonder what the internet has done in the past 15 years to add to power consumption.

Maybe MR should be turned off for a hour.

 

[Killyp]

Maybe MR should be turned off for a hour.

That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard.

 

[true777]

Well, how much more obvious can it be that Google is just trying to look good here while still flying their private jet around the world?

 

[pachyderm]

i give them for points for awareness. i'd be interested in knowing if any other big american companies did anything.

 

[iBookG4 FTW]

I think it's funny that they have made the page black in an effort to remind people to conserve energy, when according to their study it uses MORE energy to display black on LCDs.

Source:
To the contrary, on flat-panel monitors (already estimated to be 75% of the market), displaying black may actually increase energy usage. Detailed results from a new study confirm this.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/is-black-new-green.html

Why did they do it? Because it's been known for a long time that CRT's use less energy displaying black, and even though I'd assume at least half the population has LCD's, that's still a lot of people who use CRT's.

 

[pachyderm]

and we're black and white for april fool's day or to save energy..?