Black Google = Blackle.

This got me thinking. A black version of google that claims to save energy.


Could the whole internet follow suit? Will the sight of bright, colourful computer screens soon look as dated as those ones in Sci-Fi films with the blocky green-out-of-black typeface?

I read somewhere (I think it was in 'The World is Flat' - a fantastic book about the impact of the internet on world trade and economics) that computers account for 2% of energy that the world uses - and this is increasing. Therefore any attempts to lessen this impact are good by me.

I love the simplicity of the idea. It's easy to imagine trying to solve same problem by spending loads of money on a campaign aimed at getting people to turn their monitors off, or install energy saving software. Whereas 'Blackle' requires no effort from the individual, and has produced a viral effect that has raised worldwide awareness of how much energy computers use. And it can't have cost more than a few quid to make, either.

Oh, and if you're a first-time visitor to Snoozing Under The Desk, its always been black. Honest.

UPDATE: Google's boffins have responded on their blog. They cite research that proves clean, white pages with splashes of primary colours are the most energy efficient! Well, sort of. Regardless of what's true, Blackle has started a debate, and that's always good, isn't it?