What are Google thinking?
Mikey 8 comments Poll
Google, famed for their minimalism, have taken it a bit too far in my opinion. The new 'fade-in' homepage has reached us in Australia now after already being present on some international home pages.
Here's how it works. You visit google.com.au and sit there wondering why the page hasn't loaded yet. Some genius at Google thought it would be a good idea to hide all those useful links, like access to gmail, maps, videos etc until you pass your mouse over the page.
I get to the google homepage by hitting the home button in the browser, and thought it was odd the page didn't appear to have loaded fully. I pressed reload a few times and the same thing happened. Only when I moved the mouse towards the status bar did everything suddenly appear.
OK, so it's not the end of the world and we will all adjust now that we know, but the question has to be asked: what's the freaking point of this? It's a step backwards for usability, and it adds absolutely no useful or new functionality.
Dear Google. As much as I adore all the free services you provide, please for the love all all things humane employ a usability expert. A lot of your apps are severely lacking in this department, and this new homepage gimmick shows you care more about bling that usability.
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Mark
Friday 4th December 2009 | 09:16 AMPeople still use the google homepage? It's redundant to me when all modern browsers have an ever present search box and bookmarks bar, although I sometimes check out the latest doodle... But if you want homepage clutter try iGoogle or chrome's new tab page.
Trent Greguhn
Friday 4th December 2009 | 09:19 AMThe only thing this "fade-in" caused me to do was question my internet connection.
After a few run-ins with this new feature the only thing it left me with was a raised eyebrow and a few shakes of my head.
Trent Greguhn
Friday 4th December 2009 | 09:24 AM@Mark
The toolbar search box is just as redundant as the Google home page if your home page is Google, as they both come up simultaneously after opening your browser. But there are several things you can access from the Google home page that you wouldn't immediately be able to access from the search box in the tool bar.
Or that would be the case without this pointless fade-in addition.
Greg Molyneux
Friday 4th December 2009 | 11:17 PMHey Mikey, I'm certainly glad this has not made it over to the U.S. implementation (yet). I visited the Australian site upon reading this article and was shocked and appalled. This design (fail) makes absolutely no sense and breaks the mold of Google's traditionally superior judgment in. It is so nonsensical in fact that it almost seems to be a bit of a joke - except it probably isn't.
I will keep an eye out for when this creeps into the U.S., but I am going to pray that it doesn't.
Papa
Saturday 5th December 2009 | 09:52 AM...in response to this comment by Greg Molyneux. I am in California, and the fade in is in effect (so to speak).
I don't use Gmail, and I use chrome almost exclusively so I just type whatever I need into the address bar. Kind of weird though, not sure what the motivation behind this could be.
Garry
Thursday 10th December 2009 | 08:16 PMI would prefer google and its services. Though they lag at places but they are the only ones providing solutions on such varied platforms
Well Mike, at first, I thought: "Whats the big deal?" Then I saw that there seemed to be some sort of talk about this fade in not happening in the U.S.....BUT...then I noticed that the page didn't seem to load completely. Then one day as I was browsing on the bus, I was headed up to the refresh button, the rest of the page rapidly "faded" in, along with an advertisement for Google Chrome.
So, I had been about to say WTF, BFD, but now I am inclined to agree. One of the things I have always liked about computers is that I often don't have to wait. So, with most waiting down to the millisecond scale, whats up with this addition of milliseconds to my G4 browsing?
I like the fade in effect, but I just don't need it right here. I think I'd like it better like it in my in-box.
Lastly, I don't know why, but I seem to use google for my searches. I have tried others, but in spite of the fact that google seems to locate allot of commercial sites, instead of the ones I really want, I guess I just feel comfortable with it. Besides, it's got such a cool name. I mean after all doesn't everybody want to use the google for searching on their internets?
BTW, I use allot of fire fox, and often just type what I seek in the address bar.
F-
Marvin the Martian
Friday 4th December 2009 | 08:49 AMtotally agree
what a stupid wast of development time