Found: The Mythical Google 404 Page!!1

from the check-this-out dept

Tue, Jul 5th 2011 3:32pm — Mike Masnick

We'd already mentioned the fact that Google abruptly turned off its realtime search, after its agreement with Twitter expired. But apparently the whole thing was so abrupt that it even caught Google by surprise. After all, the company still lists Realtime Search in its product listing page (right at the top of "specialized search" no less):

But, even more amusing is that if you click on it, you don't get a redirect. You don't get an explanation. You flat out get a 404 not found page, something I don't recall ever seeing at Google before:

Now, there are a few different interesting things about this. While you can actually find a Google 404 page just by typing nonsense after the slash (though, oddly, some nonsense returns you to the main Google home page, and some leads you to the 404), this is the first time I've run into it while just clicking a regular link on Google. It's a bit amusing that the title is: "Error 404 (Not Found)!!1." I'm not sure if that's a joke or a typo.

But what struck me as even more strange is just the fact that a site like Google would have a blank 404 page like this at all. You would think that the search giant would, at the very least, suggest alternative results or try to point you to something useful. Hell, it doesn't even have a link back to the home page, let alone a redirect.

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Filed Under: 404
Companies: google

34 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jul 2011 @ 3:39pm

Um, Mike? The Google logo is a link back to http://www.google.com/
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:Lobo Santo (profile), 5 Jul 2011 @ 4:00pm

We Geeks
We Geeks appreciate a good, lite-weight direct 404 page rather than some BS redirect.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jul 2011 @ 4:25pm

Re:
What's the Google logo?
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out_of_the_blue, 5 Jul 2011 @ 4:30pm

Wow, Mike, you keep us on the cutting edge.
In other news, the light really does go out when you close the refrigerator door.
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Clay, 5 Jul 2011 @ 4:53pm

Google 404
I find the page rather elegant in it's simplicity. I laughed the first time I saw it. It simply stated

404. That's an error.
The requested URL was not found on this server.
That's all we know.

LOL! I love it. Specially "That's all we know."
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jul 2011 @ 5:07pm

Re: Re:
The colorful 'Google' directly above the actual 404 message.

Granted, Google would have been on firmer footing if they had provided a more obvious link, but there is a link.
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Mike Masnick (profile), 5 Jul 2011 @ 5:37pm

Re:
Um, Mike? The Google logo is a link back to http://www.google.com/

Yeah, but that's not at all clear to the user. From a usability perspective, normally you'd expect a site like Google to direct people to go somewhere.
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Mike Masnick (profile), 5 Jul 2011 @ 5:38pm

Re: Wow, Mike, you keep us on the cutting edge.
In other news, the light really does go out when you close the refrigerator door.

Sorry, was just having a bit of fun. Didn't realize that wasn't allowed. Next time, I'll ask you first what's appropriate for my own site.
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Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 5 Jul 2011 @ 5:59pm

Re: Wow, Mike, you keep us on the cutting edge.
In other news, out_of_the_blue takes issue with a post on Techdirt.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jul 2011 @ 6:19pm

Re: Re: Wow, Mike, you keep us on the cutting edge.
Darn right you will! You're not connecting with us by doing that! Everything on the intertubes is serious business.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jul 2011 @ 6:28pm

Re: Wow, Mike, you keep us on the cutting edge.
hahaha.... You got my vote for comment of the week.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jul 2011 @ 6:37pm

op fail
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Jay (profile), 5 Jul 2011 @ 6:51pm

Re: Re: Wow, Mike, you keep us on the cutting edge.
Coming up next week, out_of_the_blue changes name to sky_is_falling.
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testcore (profile), 5 Jul 2011 @ 7:43pm

Re:
Summerfag.
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kevin, 5 Jul 2011 @ 8:28pm

Not Mythical
Ive had that for over 2 years
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Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 5 Jul 2011 @ 10:25pm

Wow, A Linux Desktop User. :)
KDE, even?
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jul 2011 @ 11:41pm

google.com/anything
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zub, 6 Jul 2011 @ 1:26am

Re: Google 404
Exactly. Way better then some redirecting hell...
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Jul 2011 @ 1:29am

Re: Wow, Mike, you keep us on the cutting edge.
Are you sure it's not the penguin?
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Kenan, 6 Jul 2011 @ 4:30am

404
If you want to see the 404 page, simply go to it.
http://www.google.com/404
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strider, 6 Jul 2011 @ 5:45am

no it's not a typo !!!!11one!!1eleven
You might want to have a look here for further information :
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-1-phenomenon
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JB, 6 Jul 2011 @ 8:01am

Re: Re:
Mike, it's been a standard for quite some time to have a site's logo be a hyperlink map with their homepage as the target. I understand that, by virtue of my education and aptitude for learning, my view of the average person is skewed above the 100-IQ mark. However, I still can't imagine the majority--even a large minority--of users would not see the cursor change when hovering over the logo especially since it is brightly colored and draws the attention of the human eye.

Don't get me wrong, I admire your writings and look forward to more of your opinion(ated) articles.
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Jordan (profile), 6 Jul 2011 @ 9:46am

What's the URL for google's homepage? Not seeing it on this page. Better "Bing" it. :)
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Jul 2011 @ 9:56am

Re: Re: Wow, Mike, you keep us on the cutting edge.
I usually really enjoy your insightful articles, but you seem to be getting overly defensive about this. This post clearly isn't as serious as most of the content on the site. Can't you respond to a little negative feedback without coming on so strong?
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Jul 2011 @ 10:26am

it makes you wonder what would happen if google just took itself completely offline for a whole day.
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GATE 2013, 27 Jun 2012 @ 9:07am

Error 404
Google.com/hosting also gives this Error 404 (Not Found) see..
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Modern Technology, 18 Apr 2014 @ 5:17pm

finally
I thought i was going insane with the !!1, was thinking i got hacked or something, seems its a nice way from google to set off the mood
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Jemaludin, 8 Jan 2016 @ 9:30am

Googole 404
Opera workes
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Jemaludin, 8 Jan 2016 @ 9:30am

Googole 404
Opera workes
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Maimuna Zannar, 21 Mar 2018 @ 5:41am

Google 404 Thats an error.
I am having problems here and not knowing why or what I have done to get this error.Is ther any thing I should do to recify this matter. Thanks.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Aug 2018 @ 9:49am

Pawn Stars Has Officially Ended After This Happened - YouTube
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mike narro, 14 Feb 2019 @ 7:14am

Google's is evil.
really sick of these pricks! i'm going back to apple, at least they say thanks after fucking you!
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Thomas Woody, 27 Feb 2019 @ 12:41pm

Re: Google's is evil.
Bro, chill lmao.
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Bryan gatt, 25 Apr 2019 @ 4:53pm

Teammate
I want to be a student please
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