Google 1407

Philipp Lenssen and I had a bit of fun imagining what an early, early draft of the Google home page might have looked like.

15 thoughts on “Google 1407

  1. This is great.
    I am writing a book about websites. Can I have your permission to use this amazing 1407 google in the book. I will of course give full credits to you.
    If you agree I would like you to email me directly with the image and allow me to reply so that it would act as our agreement about the usage and credits.
    Thanks.

  2. Offcourse this is fun stuff :) but I am looking for real screenshots of Google through the years for my thesis research.
    Many thanks for anyone who could help me further,
    Nico

  3. It’s been a long time since I took History of the English Language, so thanks for the clarification, Doc. So the typed y emulates a manuscript thorn? That sounds right.

  4. Cuprohastes is partly correct, but instead of an ð (eth) the letter should be a þ (thorn).
    When hand-written, a thorn looks a lot like a lower case y – which is where the y in “Ye Olde” comes from. It’s also why the letter y was usually made with a dot over it in medieval manuscripts.

  5. Cuprohastes, I congratulate you on figuring out how to type an eth, which isn’t on my keyboard. You’re right, of course, but I hope nobody took this seriously. What I typed as “ye” really means “the,” and the y is an old way of typographically representing the eth. We do have better options now, as you have shown.
    Seekxl, you are welcome to use the image.

  6. Dear Sir, Madam, or other as appropriate,
    I noted with some distress that you used “Ye Post” and “Ye Webb” in your clever, but small mock-up of That Which Shall Be Used For Searches.
    Since it’s a pet peeve, I thought I’d take the time out from my busy schedule to chew your ankles lightly but firmly over this matter: It’s not ye, it’s ðe!
    Use an Eth, Dammit! ð for the win! ðe Olde Webb II.0 needs more ð!
    Youres insincerely,
    Cuprohastes.

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