The kindly folks of Goole, U.K., want everyone to know that Goole isn’t Google!
Miffed that people searching for "Goole" on Google are invariably met with a page that says “Showing results for google,” volunteers in the sleepy East Yorkshire port town decided to create their very own search engine.
"Goole is a unique place! Not only is it the UK's furthest inland port, but the name of the town very closely resembles the name of a very popular — and, usually, excellent — search engine," says the Goole isn’t Google web page. "However, with this 'fame' comes a problem ... when searching on the web for anything Goole-related, the results are usually preceded by the question ‘Did you mean Google?’, followed by pages of Google links — resulting in many Goole inhabitants and researchers shouting at their screen, ‘NO!! I meant GOOLE!!!'"
This case of mistaken identity was highlighted by the local MP, Andrew Percy, when he visited Google’s London headquarters in 2012 and invited Google to google Goole. "I did explain to them that as I seem to be the unofficial MP for Google, judging by the letters I get which have been mistyped, it would be really good for the town if such a big name could come and support our local businesses and students," he said at the time. No word yet on whether Google will take him up on the offer.
Related: Going Off the Grid? Google Maps Has Your Back
The new Goole search engine, meanwhile, doesn't seriously purport to compete with its better-known counterpart. But if you enter select queries, like "Goole library," it does promise to provide "links to a wide variety of websites featuring facts and information on our favourite town!"