Why I Love Google So Much

Yes, it's true. For over five years now, I've had "I love everything Google" on my resume. So when a potential employer emailed me and asked why I love Google so much, I had to do a write-up. It's by no means perfect or complete, but it was enough for him to ask if I'd already written that before he even asked me. Of course, it was also enough for him to ask me why I don't just work for Google. Anyway, I thought I'd share:

Why I Like Google
by Michelle Glauser

I like Google because it was started by nerds who understood that usability and fun/art/interesting stuff/[insert something here] can go together, such as in the case of Google Doodles. I love the way that Google will take on diverse (dare I say "lofty"?) projects that seem worthy, whether monetarily promising or not. Google is admirable for its way of not even making the effort to brush off criticism; criticism doesn't stick because of Google's confidence in its products and its dedication to improvement, such as the way Google responded to an inundation of emails about Google Video being discontinued by saying they "should have done better" and creating a button to transfer videos to YouTube.

I think Google is the postmodern company--the company defies traditional boundaries for technology as well as for company culture. Some people hear about what Google employees enjoy and wonder how Google can ever get anything done with its employees jumping in ball pits and playing on giant chess boards, but Google understands that people will be attracted to Google's uniqueness, happy employees will stay longer, and creativity can blossom.

I love Gmail's seemingly paradoxical way of having a plethora of settings and yet a clean, simple design. I heart the settings that make their way out of Labs. I love the simplicity of Google Search, Google Analytics, Google Image Search, Google Books, Google Translate, Google Maps, Google News, Google Calendar, Google Reader, Google Chat, Google Docs, and Google Voice--all of these tools make my life easier. Google's dedication to realizing ever-better dreams hits a good note with me. Many times when I've thought, "Google should make something that would [fill in the blank here]," it hasn't been long before I've seen my uncommunicated idea come to pass. Impressive that Google can read minds, no?

I love that Google is unafraid to do silly things such as to come up with a setting so that before sending a message at night, you have to solve some simple math equations in order to prove that you're in a right state of mind. And what other technology company's name has become a verb in so many languages? I think that if other companies, individuals, and dare I say even governments would incorporate Google's products and attitudes into daily life, they would be making a step in the right direction.

I could go on and on (I'm sure you've seen that on my blog already), but I hope I've given you at least a glimpse of why I love Google so much.