Timothy McSweeney's Header Image

O P E N   L E T T E R S
T O   P E O P L E   O R   E N T I T I E S
W H O   A R E   U N L I K E L Y
T O   R E S P O N D .


- - - -

[Send your open letters to websubmissions@mcsweeneys.net.]

- - - -

A N   O P E N   L E T T E R
T O   G O O G L E .

July 28, 2003

Dearest Google,

You have done so much for me. I wish I could repay you. I have sought to learn much in the past while, and you have made my endeavors all the more enjoyable. Who else could I have turned to when I wanted to find Nick Hornby's recent article on graphic novels from The New York Times? Who else could answer my many questions about French bread recipes? Who but you could lead me to such titillating images of Ruth Bader Ginsburg topless? No one but you could do this Google. No one.

I ask you, Google, is there anything you cannot do? You have sorted through billions of web pages to bring me the information I desire. I type my name into your dialogue box, and instantly I discover a part of myself that I did not even know. How do you wield such magic, Google? How?

I must ask you again, Google, is there anything you cannot do?

There is. You cannot love.

But still. I love you. Though I may not always show it, you must know it to be true.

How can I show you my love? How? I'm sorry that I didn't download the Google toolbar. My browser's toolbar is already too full. Please understand. You're on my Favorites List. Is that not enough?

You've always been good to me Google. You showed me the folly of my compulsive gambling with your "I'm Feeling Lucky" button. I first learned of Liv Tyler's engagement from Google News. Where could I find a Philosophy of Humor message board other than from Google Groups? Nowhere.

Goodbye Norton toolbar. Goodbye standard buttons. The Google toolbar is all that I need.

I hope this will please you, Google. Truly, I do. Sometimes in class, my mind wanders. I endlessly doodle your name in my notebook: "10 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000." Over and over. Google. "10100." Google.

On those lonely nights before I had a spell checker on my computer, you were my spell checker. I'd enter the words, and if they were wrong, you would politely correct me.

Yours for ever more,

Nav Purewal
Toronto, ON

- - - -

CURRENT OPEN LETTER

 

 

- - - -

MAIN PAGE   |   ARCHIVES

 

Memories of Amanda Davis

 


Red dot denotes content that is new today.

Black dot denotes newish content.

McSWEENEY'S STORE

SUBSCRIBE TO:
McSWEENEY'S
THE BELIEVER
WHOLPHIN

FUTURE McSWEENEY'S BOOKS

THE AMANDA DAVIS HIGHWIRE FICTION AWARD

INVITE A McSWEENEY'S AUTHOR TO SPEAK IN YOUR TOWN OR COLLEGE

McSWEENEY'S MONTHLY MAILING LIST

McSWEENEY'S-RELATED EVENTS AND VARIOUS TOUR DATES

ORDER INQUIRIES AND ADDRESS CHANGES

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
FOR BOOKS
FOR THE QUARTERLY
FOR THE WEBSITE
FOR WHOLPHIN

McSWEENEY'S INTERNSHIPS

CONTACT US

- - - -

LETTERS TO McSWEENEY'S

LISTS

McSWEENEY'S PREDICTS

McSWEENEY'S RECOMMENDS

NEW WHOLPHIN FILM

DAN LIEBERT, VERBAL CARTOONIST

JOKES BY BRIAN BEATTY

REVIEWS OF NEW FOOD

DISPATCHES FROM MOSCOW

SO YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT?

DISPATCHES FROM THE ANACOSTIA

THE WINNER'S CIRCLE WITH ERIC FEEZELL

BEN GREENMAN'S FAKE CELEBRITY MUSICALS

DISPATCHES FROM A HUMANITARIAN JOURNALIST

DEB OLIN UNFERTH'S SICK OF THE REVOLUTION

DISPATCHES FROM IRAQ

SHORT IMAGINED MONOLOGUES

PHILIP GRAHAM SPENDS A YEAR IN LISBON

STAINED TEETH: A COLUMN ABOUT WINE

DISPATCHES FROM THE NAPOLEONIC WARS AT THE MET

KEVIN DOLGIN TELLS YOU ABOUT PLACES YOU SHOULD GO IN EUROPE

SONGS OF ENEMIES AND DESERTS: LIVING WITH THE SUDAN LIBERATION ARMY

LAWRENCE WESCHLER'S EVERYTHING THAT RISES: A BOOK OF CONVERGENCES

THE CONVERGENCES CONTEST

ABOUT WHAT IS THE WHAT

ABOUT BOWL OF CHERRIES

ABOUT COMEDY BY THE NUMBERS

ABOUT JOHN BRANDON'S ARKANSAS

ABOUT MICHAEL CHABON'S MAPS AND LEGENDS

ABOUT UNDERGROUND AMERICA

LETTERS FROM AN EARTH BALL TO, OR CONCERNING, SEAN HANNITY

DISPATCHES FROM ADJUNCT FACULTY AT A LARGE STATE UNIVERSITY

ADVICE FROM A PERSON WITH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY

DISPATCHES FROM THE NBA ENTERTAINMENT LEAGUE

JOHN MOE'S POP-SONG CORRESPONDENCES

B.R. COHEN'S ANNALS OF SCIENCE

INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE INTERESTING OR UNUSUAL JOBS

OPEN LETTERS TO PEOPLE OR ENTITIES WHO ARE UNLIKELY TO RESPOND

DISPATCHES FROM A PUBLIC LIBRARIAN

MICHAEL IAN BLACK IS A VERY FAMOUS CELEBRITY

DISPATCHES FROM ROY KESEY, AN AMERICAN GUY MARRIED TO
A PERUVIAN DIPLOMAT LIVING IN CHINA


STEPHEN ELLIOTT'S POKER REPORT

- - - -

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL