Topeka (Sorta) Changes Its Name To Google, In Blatant Suck Up For Fiber

Too Much Free Time

from the we're-still-in-kansas,-toto dept

Tue, Mar 2nd 2010 8:44am — Mike Masnick

With Google's announcement that it plans to roll out super fast fiber to the home services in a few small locations, there are plenty of cities and towns hoping to be among the lucky few. But who knew it was a contest? Apparently the folks in Topeka, Kansas think that sucking up to the big G is the path to fiber optic nirvana. They've proclaimed that, for the month of March, Topeka shall be referred to as Google, Kansas. It's not a legal name change -- which (not surprisingly) would be a lot more complex, and likely wouldn't pass -- but just a proclamation that the city should be called Google for the month.

Of course, cities renaming themselves after tech companies isn't all that new. Over a decade ago, some town in Oregon renamed itself Half.com in a PR stunt by the startup (which was later bought by eBay). And, a few years ago, a small town in Texas renamed itself Dish, Texas after EchoStar's Dish Network, in exchange for every house in the town getting a free DVR and free satellite TV for 10 years. But this is the first time I've heard of a city pre-emptively (sorta) renaming itself to curry favor with a company.

But, if it works... I'm more than willing to rename my house Chez Google, if it means 1 gigabit per second fiber. Hell, I'm pretty sure I could convince all of the neighbors on my street to rename our street Google Ave. Just let us know...

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Filed Under: broadband, fiber, kansas, topeka
Companies: google

18 Comments

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:Lobo Santo (profile), 2 Mar 2010 @ 8:46am

Heh
Right there with ya bro, got everybody I can convince at ASU telling Google why it should be Tempe, AZ that gets fiber.
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johnjac (profile), 2 Mar 2010 @ 8:51am

Google Tatto
The 1st mayor to get a google tatto wins.
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Chuck Norris' Enemy (deceased) (profile), 2 Mar 2010 @ 8:51am

It is a contest
Mike, it is a contest. If you go to the nomination site they suggest video submissions, like Survivor.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2010 @ 8:53am

Why stop there when you could have a child known as google Masnick?!
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Brandon, 2 Mar 2010 @ 9:07am

Maybe I should suggest that here. The Indianapolis suburb I live in is trying to get Google to install that network here. They've sent out fliers and mailings telling people to go to some Google website and fill out a survey to help nominate and promote the town to Google.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2010 @ 9:40am

I live 1hr away from Halfway Oregon..... I thought the name change was kinda funny.
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DV Henkel-Wallace (profile), 2 Mar 2010 @ 9:43am

Longstanding precedent
Check out Truth or Consequences New Mexico. Or rather, just check it out online; I've been there and there's not much to write home about (apologies to all you Techdirt readers from T&C).
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Danny, 2 Mar 2010 @ 9:45am

Rename the sports teams
All the schools should rename their team names to the Googles. It would be weird for the mascot (especially if they got the mascot to change his/her look every day like the way google changes its logo everyday) but it would be funny.
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- Danny (profile), 2 Mar 2010 @ 9:48am
  
  Re: Rename the sports teams
  Perhaps all posters should change their name to Danny. :-)
  
  Rather than claim copyright or trademark on my name, I welcome the competition!
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  - Danny, 2 Mar 2010 @ 9:55am
    
    Re: Re: Rename the sports teams
    Perhaps all posters should change their name to Danny. :-)
    
    Maybe if I were a mega corporation like Google it would be worth it for towns to suck up to me. But alas....
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Google G. Google.com, 2 Mar 2010 @ 9:46am

1 Gigabit Ethernet
I would change my first or last name to google to get that.
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TriZz, 2 Mar 2010 @ 9:55am

It's like the fat kid waving his arms and screaming "pick me! pick me!" before every dodgeball game. He always gets picked last...
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Beta, 2 Mar 2010 @ 10:04am

How is this different from nothing?
And what's the penalty for refusing to go along with this joke? I imagine the telephone operators, postmasters, notaries public and 911 coordinators aren't paying much attention to it. I doubt that birth, death or marriage certificates will show it, or train schedules, or, well... anything except the legislative minutes and a few pieces of editorial fluff. And these legislators get paid how much per hour?
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RobTheBold, 2 Mar 2010 @ 10:20am

Center of Google Earth
The center of Google Earth is only a few miles East of Topeka -- I mean Google -- Kansas.
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Whisk33, 2 Mar 2010 @ 10:22am

Don't you think something else would be better...
maybe your development could be "Google Street Vista"
Is what I did there...
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Greevar (profile), 2 Mar 2010 @ 12:05pm

Well now. Isn't this interesting? Somebody mentions offering 1 Gbit internet and every municipality is clamoring to get the honor. This just goes to show how much people really want something more than 1.5 Mbit internet service. Take note telecoms.

"A 100 meg is just a dream," Qwest Communications International Inc Chief Executive Edward Mueller told Reuters. "We couldn't afford it."

Then Japan and Korea must have magic internet fairies.

"First, we don't think the customer wants that. Secondly, if (Google has) invented some technology, we'd love to partner with them," Mueller added.

Translation: "We don't think people want it for the price we'll charge..."

Source
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William Robins, 2 Mar 2010 @ 9:14pm

Topeka/Google/Rev Fred
I've even heard that Fred Phelps is going to rename his compound Google against Gays in order to get fiber. Of course he has it all mixed up, thinking the fiber is for regularity.
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Dementia (profile), 3 Mar 2010 @ 5:51am

I would love to have access to even 1.5 megabit service. I wonder if there interested in putting it out here so even the cows can surf the web?
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