You are here Did you know Google's corporate mascot is a T-rex named "Stan" -- the "moralosaurus"
Submitted by Scott Cleland on Mon, 2007-11-26 13:57
In "Google's tar pit," an article in the Atlantic about how Google's market dominance is attracting antitrust scrutiny in Washington -- much like Microsoft did before it -- provides us a new "image" or "word picture" of Google.
The article starts with this wonderfully telling scene-setter: "
- "The lawn outside Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, is dominated by the imposing visage of “Stan”—tail thrashing, jaws agape, a full replica of the largest Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever discovered. Stan mysteriously appeared on the lawn one morning several years ago, and is presumed by Google employees to have been a gift from the company’s quirky founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin."
So what does Google's choice of a T-rex as its corporate mascot tell us about Google?
First, non-Google paleontologists have gotten it all wrong about the T-rex.
- Despite its sabre-sized teeth and "thunder lizard" moniker, the T-rex has really been badly mis-understood through the ages.
- In Google's retelling, the T-rex was really much more like... a golden retriever puppy... cute, good-hearted, and playful -- you would have just wanted to cuddle a T-rex.
- Who could resist a game of "fetch" or "tug-of-war" with "Stan" the T-rex?
- When asked about whether "Stan" was ever a predator, Google spokesperson, Brandi Sparkles, said there is no proof, none, that the T-rex was the most vicious predator and killing machine to ever walk the earth.
- Ms. Sparkles challenged reporters to find one witness, one picture or one video as proof. "There is none, and we should know, because we have a copy of all the world's information." said Ms. Sparkles.
Second, the T-rex, was the first of a previously unknown dinosaur species, the "moralosaurus" that did no evil.
- Google paleontologists at GoogleDirt, have discovered that the media-shy moralosaurus lived by a strict moral code:
- No living beings were to be eaten until all of their belongings were copied; and
- It never discriminated, the moralosaurus would simply eat or step on whatever was in its path.
Third, GoogleDirt also tells us why the moralosaurus ultimately became extinct.
- Other dinosaurs became so impressed with the moralosaurus' complete and total superiority, that the moralosaurus' head grew so big that its body could no longer hold it up.
- Tragic, but true.
Bottom line: Google's choice of "Stan" the Tyrannnosaurus rex as its corporate mascot tells us no one has anything to fear from Google.
- What's not to love about a T-Rex?
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