Yesterday I wrote about Doodle Source and their goals of showing and archiving all Google Doodles. I linked to Google.com/logos where Google supposedly archives their own Doodles.
When I tried visiting that link I got a basic “404 – page not found” error page. I figured this section of Google was simply down for maintenance.
Then Pablo from Doodle Source left a comment explaining me that the Google Doodle page wasn’t down, it just isn’t accessible to anyone outside of the USA.
I couldn’t believe it at first but I checked with a Proxy service and Pablo is right.
Apparently those Doodles are too sensitive for the rest of the world to check out. So Google hides them. Instead of just showing them or redirecting to a local Google site they show a basic 404 page. Why? What is the point?
I must admit that it isn’t such a big deal (it is ‘just’ a doodle) but I couldn’t help thinking about it. Google spends a lot of time and energy on reaching the world. Why hide this particular part? And why hide it so well?
UPDATED: this conspiracy goes deeper than I thought. I tested it for 24 hours, on several machines and using several proxies and always had the same results. Then I published and suddenly the page seems accessible from (almost) everywhere. Either I jumped the gun or Google bugged our offices. I’m not paranoid, it is just that everyone’s out to get me!
I am in the UK, and those links are working just fine for me here…
I’m in Romania / Bucharest and the link works for me. Maybe I’m part of the conspiracy also and didn’t know about it till now ? :D
It is working from Spain.
No problem here in Belgium either…
It works fine in Russia.
The URL works perfectly from Sweden AND the Netherlands.
Maybe just a DNS error or so?
Works for me. Netherlands, via Concepts glasfiber.
Good idea whith coffe :) Thanks :)
Bringing some over?
UK – also working fine. More coffee needed guys? ;-)
No problem in S-Petersburg Russia …
Works fine in The Netherlands, UPC
No problem here in Greece Doodles are visible
Works fine for me! [The page has been working for as long as I can remember]. BTW I’m in the Netherlands.
Doesn’t work in China! As many other websites… :P
hey! stop scratching your head! Put that phone down and close the door… NOW… we are wathing you!
The Tesla and Comic Con Google logo’s are really cool!
The Ilya Repin’s Birthday and Qi Xi logo’s are like tiny works of Art. Very impressive.
I also liked all the UFO ones.
The logo’s seem to get better over time.
BTW the link works :D
Hey guys, im the owner of Doodle Source.
I’ve been working with Doodles for a couple of months and believe me http://google.com/logos was never available for people outside USA, I live in Spain so i only could visit it with proxy until today, either not a good timing or a Google employee reads TheNextWeb? :P
Also, i don’t know if this is changed too but people outside USA can’t see google.com doodles.
my 2 cents.
Pablo!
I’ve been able to connect to google.com/logos on saturday, yesterday… and today. From Spain.
And also http://www.google.com/logos/logos.xml (which used to include some more logos sometimes and know it doesn’t anymore) has been reachable.
Nice web btw!
working fine for me.
London
Its working fine in India as well !!
99 cents is not free
Pablo,
I believe you have been proven that it works outside of the USA. I live in the US so it’s always worked for me but i really don’t see how it is such sensitive information. they are DOODLES. I see what is so bad about the rest of this wonderful world seeing them. If it was sensitive don’t you think that the rest of the World wouldn’t even know about it?
Just my 2 cents with yours.
You must be part of the conspiracy then!