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Punked by Google – Google Fiber a Hoax

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So a few weeks ago we blogged about the Pittsburgh goes Google project. Well it turns out that the Google Fiber Network that sounded too good to be true is really too good to be true.

The folks at Google took a page out of the Ashton Kutcher‘s playbook with Google Fiber project.   Turns out the whole thing was just a joke and Google executives were stunned to see the lengths that local mayors and residents would go to to attract Google’s attention.  To win over the hearts of Google – last week Pittsburgher’s spelled out the word “Google” on Forbes Ave.  Check out the photo of this elaborate gesture from the Post-Gazette here.

The Mayor of Sarasota recently jumped into a shark tank at Mote Marine Aquarium to drawn attention to Sarasota’s bid for Google fiber.  (If you ever visit the Sarasota area – which happens to be near where the Pirates are for spring training – I would suggest you make a stop at Mote Aquarium to see the manatees).

Google executives have decided that things were getting out of hand – especially when they heard the Mayor of Pittsburgh was thinking of changing his name to Mayor Googlestahl and decided to reveal the truth about the project.  You can see the press release from the Google Fiber Team here.

Some additional blog posts about Google Fiber:

About Lindsay

Lindsay has been writing about Pittsburgh since 2005. She likes pretzels from the Pretzel Shop on Carson St., used book stores, her rollerblades and she hopes to learn to skateboard someday soon.

Comments

  1. Loren says

    I think this announcement is a hoax and the project will be back on tomorrow. There's no way a company as big as Google would pull off a hoax that elaborate and long and let people work as hard as they have to win it just to say, "nope, can't do it!"

  2. jl says

    I think this document itself is a hoax. Why would they create this as a google doc and not post it as a blog post like they do with everything else?

  4. Mathildajane says

    Uh, their announcement that the project is a hoax is an April Fool's Day joke!!!

  7. Biff says

    Ok, you should just be shot….of course they didn't change their name to Topeka!! Ever hear of April Fool's Day?

  8. Loren says

    I think this announcement is a hoax and the project will be back on tomorrow. There’s no way a company as big as Google would pull off a hoax that elaborate and long and let people work as hard as they have to win it just to say, “nope, can’t do it!”

  9. jl says

    I think this document itself is a hoax. Why would they create this as a google doc and not post it as a blog post like they do with everything else?

  11. Anonymous says

    Uh, their announcement that the project is a hoax is an April Fool’s Day joke!!!

    • Biff says

      Ok, you should just be shot….of course they didn’t change their name to Topeka!! Ever hear of April Fool’s Day?

  16. mark says

    yea… i'm sure it has to be a real deal (google fiber)… if not, i'd hate to see the backlash against google for such a stupid joke…make people look stupid and i am sure they'd all probably go right over to bing (even though i'd hate it)

  17. mark says

    yea… i'm sure it has to be a real deal (google fiber)… if not, i'd hate to see the backlash against google for such a stupid joke…nnmake people look stupid and i am sure they'd all probably go right over to bing (even though i'd hate it)

  18. mark says

    yea… i’m sure it has to be a real deal (google fiber)… if not, i’d hate to see the backlash against google for such a stupid joke…

    make people look stupid and i am sure they’d all probably go right over to bing (even though i’d hate it)

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