The very first ad on Google home page

[MovieBird]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

I can't even access www.google.com I end up at www.google.co.ma
I'm starting to think I might have a virus problem.

Many websites try to redirect to the geographically appropriate version of their webpage. To get around it, try HTTP Secure:

https://www.google.com

[kevinp]

It's Google's page. They can put whatever they want on it. I don't think it'll be there very long either. I just wish I had the money for a Nexus 7, but I can't justify getting rid of a six-month-old Nook Tablet. I want to see what Amazon will come out with next week. Will it be locked down like the current Fire?

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by MovieBird

Many websites try to redirect to the geographically appropriate version of their webpage. To get around it, try HTTP Secure:

https://www.google.com

I did use the https moniker. That is why I was so surprised. And being in Sweden I don't understand why they put me on an Arabic page.

[jgaiser]

Seldom use google.com URL. Firefox has an about:home builtin that's been my homepage for ages. Now you've made me look, though I doubt I'm all that interested in a new tablet right now.

[dordale]

Kumabjorn--
A while back I had a nasty virus on my computer. What it would do in either internet explorer or firefox (never tried Chrome) is when I tried to go to Google.com, it would redirect my browser elsewhere--usually to a different country/language Google page. In my case, the virus also affected the first few links that google would come up with--redirecting me to some random page. Very annoying! It was on my work computer, so the IT staff here spent quite a while trying to get rid of it. They finally did, but I don't know what they ended up doing--do know they did find something that finally cleaned it up though. Hope this isn't your problem--and sorry I don't remember more about the solution to mine.

[tubemonkey]

When you first open Google, that image pops up and then "snaps back".

"Hey Apple attorneys, did you notice that too?"

[JSWolf]

I've told adblockplus to block the image and it has. No more advert.

[Dave_S]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Thanks Mike.
I got there on IE (32 bit) and yes, I do have the Google Toolbar. When things like this happen I'll probably remove it. I refuse to be controlled by a machine.

I switched to Yahoo for search because Google keeps redirecting me to google.de when I type in google.com. The only way I can get to google.com is to use my VPN. Why bother, when there are other search engines available?

[soulfuldog]

I don't get that ad when I visit google.com?

For those that complain of getting redirected to their local google, there's a link at the bottom right of the google page that will take you to the .com version.

[StoryEnthusiast]

I don't see the ad. When I type google.com, it always redirects to google.co.nz because Google just assumes I'm only interested in things happening where I am located.

[300com]

Originally Posted by Mike L

Very interesting.

I've always believed that the reason for Alta Vista's demise was that their search page was over-crowded with images, headlines, thumbnails, and other distractions, including a fair number of adverts. When Google came along, users instantly took a liking to its clean, uncluttered search page, so much so that it soon knocked Alta Vista from its spot at the top of the search engines.
Mike

Google had better search algorithms than all the other search engines. That's why. It had nothing to do with your theory.

[Mike L]

Originally Posted by 300com

Google had better search algorithms than all the other search engines. That's why. It had nothing to do with your theory.

Maybe. But I doubt the average searcher would have noticed any difference in the search results, which is why I disagree with your theory.

Mike

[Andrew H.]

It's interesting, but I haven't gone to google's home page in years.

[elemenoP]

Originally Posted by Mike L

Very interesting.

I've always believed that the reason for Alta Vista's demise was that their search page was over-crowded with images, headlines, thumbnails, and other distractions, including a fair number of adverts. When Google came along, users instantly took a liking to its clean, uncluttered search page, so much so that it soon knocked Alta Vista from its spot at the top of the search engines.

Mike

I actually heard Marissa Mayer speak about this years ago. She said that when they first did user testing on the Google home page, people sat on front of the page for a long time and didn't click on anything. Finally the testing moderator had to say, "what are you looking at? are you waiting for something?" and the user would say, "I'm waiting for the page to finish loading." The design was so clean relative to everything else out there at the time, users thought it was unfinished.

eP

[Ken Maltby]

I make http://www.google.com/ my home page so when I start IE8 up it is to that
page.

Now the Google tablet Ad is no longer there - but now there is a blue bar a the top
of the page with a tab to "Install Google Chrome"

So the ads continue.

Luck;
Ken