I remember linking to Google Uncle Sam on my original libraryland website in 2003. This was also the year I took "Gov Pubs," in school, so the website came in handy at times.
Well, it seems that Google has decided to "rebrand" Google Uncle Sam as Google US Government Search. This new devolpment is discussed here (and I'm sure other places as well), but what I'm not seeing is, um, "why?" According to Resource Shelf, the the Uncle Sam search and the US Government search are the same. Had the "Uncle Sam" become too "cutesie" given today's political climate? Or was it just not specific enough a descriptor for the average searcher? I'd be interested in your thoughts on this, and/or let me know if you find an article that talks in more detail about the switch.
Oh, by the way, if you are not familiar with the WayBack Machine, check it out - it was just the thing I needed for this post.
1 comment:
I used Uncle Sam when helping a student yesterday! I noticed the "US Government Search" heading, but didn't think much of it because the old URL worked. Uncle Sam is a much better brand, in my opinion. Who's going to remember the clunky new one besides librarian-types?
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