Google Keeps Fretting Over Googling

[dutter]

Google wants to keep their brand from going the way of such genericides as aspirin and escalator and has published a handy primer on using their name correctly. Use Google - yes. Google for something - uh, no.

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[dburdon]

David,

interesting. Google are acting almost Canute-like in their attempt to turn back the tide of English language usage. If the general public want to use their brand name as a verb, they should just accept it and live with the consequences.

IMO I don't think they should worry. In the long run English reponds to Zipf's law. That is, people will find the easiest and generally shortest way to express themselves in order to be understood. The more common the expression the greater the need for verbal economy. That's why "yes" and "no" are short words. "Search" and "Searching" are much easier to say than "Google" and "Googling".

[netndx]

the heavy handedness of their approach makes me want to use it more.