It's All In The Choice Of A Name
A Chinese firm is suing Google over its Chinese name, saying it is too much like its own name and is harming its business. Google's Chinese subsidiary has transliterated its name to Guge. But Beijing Guge Science and Technology Ltd said people were constantly phoning its office trying to contact search engine Google. Tian Yunshan of Beijing Guge said that people looking for Google in a local telephone directory assistance service were directed to his company because Google is not listed.
12 comments:
Really? Google has a phone number now? And what do you do, speak your search terms into the mouthpiece?
dee-dee-dee.....
I suppose if you get a billion search results, you just have to sit there and listen to all of them?
(I suppose this is no worse than a client of my old company....she threatened to call up ERISA in order to get her money. ERISA is an acronym for a 1974 law governing US pensions....)
Now Google has to reach "The Billion" on earth. It's not easy!! ;).
I am sure they will have more and more tough times in china.
That is ludicrous, google is a goofy made up word for a number with a one and one hundred zeros, it has no meaning or roots besides that.
Why they would change it to guge?
Frigging morons.
According to the ever-reliable Wikipedia, "Gu Ge" means "valley song" or "crop song".
I suppose they can't be "Gu Gle" because the Chinese don't have an "l" sound.
All sounds a bit like something going down a plughole, to me. Which, as Google have bowed to Chinese state censorship, would serve them right I think.
My bad, I mean specifically no final "l" sound.
There is a fun page on writing the name "Gore Vidal" in Chinese at http://www.pitt.edu/~kloman/chinesename.html
Which sounds a bit like Google, no?
Sounds like China has the same kind of intractable leadership America has. It'll be funny if the two leaders ever sit down together.
brian in oxford may be giving Google another thing to add to their repertoire.
I know I wanted to call Nafta one time, but couldn't locate their number.
Hi Brian,
Yep - I'm guessing it's 1800 Google!
Could take a while listening to the search results.
Love the story about ERISA - it would make a great post on your blog.
Keep smiling
David
Hi Ramjee,
Nice to hear from you. If anyone can sort out the problem, I;m sure Google can!
Keep smiling
David
Hi Hammer,
Wish I could answer that question. Probably something to do with language/ phonetics.
Keep smiling
David
Hi hammer (again)
See Chertmeister's second comment below - he's solved the problem with that explanation.
Keep smiling
David
Hi Chertmeister,
Thank for that explanation about the L sound - makes sense to me now.
Keep smiling
David
Hi Catmoves,
It'd be even funnier if they sat down for a summit meeting at the local Guge offices.
Keep smiling
David
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