Google's Copernicus Center

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Posted by ryuzaki0 on Thursday April 1, 2004 @08:31AM from the international-outsourcing-is-for-pansies dept.

Brad Barnich was one of countless readers to note that Google has begun accepting job applications for its new Copernicus data center. I imagine this will eat a sizable portion of their IPO profits, however with this new center not opening until 2007, they at least can take their time!

38 of 147 comments (clear)

Email Autoresponder by digitalvengeance · 2004-04-01 08:31 · Score: 5, Informative

Emailing the email address given on the last page generates this auto-reply:

Thank you for contacting Google about our Copernicus Research Center.

We've received an overwhelming response to this opportunity and are not currently accepting additional resumes. We will, however, keep your information on file should we have an opening in the future. At the current staffing levels, we anticipate that we may need additional applicants on or around April Fool's Day in 2104. Until then, we appreciate your interest in Google and your taking the time to write us.

Sincerely,

The Googlunar Recruiting Team

Now, would Google have been able to be this kewl if they had gone public?

Josh.

--
How many roads must a man walk down? 42.
1. Re:Email Autoresponder by Em+Emalb · 2004-04-01 08:34 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  the funny thing is they took the time to spell out it was an april fools joke.
  
  I'm sure someone out there is like "sweet! My resume is gonna be on file for two years with google!"
  
  Ever hear of the spaghetti tree incident in (I think) Sweden? Now that's a AF joke.
  
  --
  Sent from your iPad.
2. Re:Email Autoresponder by tds67 · 2004-04-01 08:42 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Sorry for being recursive, but I did a Google search for this and found nothing.
3. Re:Email Autoresponder by wheany · 2004-04-01 08:57 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  The spaghetti tree story was on BBC, link
4. Re:Email Autoresponder by Saeger · 2004-04-01 09:06 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Now, would Google have been able to be this kewl if they had gone public?
  Of course not.
  Everybody knows that on the day of IPO, a company is required to trade in their human souls for "professional" corporate-drone modules.
  A sense of humor is a liability; it's much safer to offend no one by pandering to the lowest common denominator, and shareholders love the corporate monotone almost as much as they love short-sighted profits.
  --
  
  --
  Power to the Peaceful
2007? Seems so far away, still... by The+I+Shing · 2004-04-01 08:32 · Score: 3, Funny

2007?

By that time, we'll have entered President Kerry's third term in office, with Saddam's trial nearly over, and...

Oops, never mind, I'm not really from the future, don't really know what's going to happen... put that gun down...

--
You are in error. No-one is screaming. Thank you for your cooperation.
1. Re:2007? Seems so far away, still... by focitrixilous+P · 2004-04-01 08:38 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Watch out for butterflies while you are here, otherwise it's FOUR MORE YEARS!
  
  --
  SAILING MISHAP
Outsourcing by nickroethemeier · 2004-04-01 08:32 · Score: 5, Funny

Well, at least its not india...
1. Re:Outsourcing by boomgopher · 2004-04-01 08:35 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Did you see the link?
  
  http://www.google.com/jobs/sw-bangalore.html
  
  --
  Your hybrid is not saving the environment. Its purpose is to make you feel good about buying something.
Speaking of Google... by rougewisp · 2004-04-01 08:32 · Score: 5, Informative

GMail has been updated and has a few tidbits of new information.
wow by monkease · 2004-04-01 08:32 · Score: 3, Interesting

google sure is taking this april fool's thing quite seriously...

next story, "google accepts microsoft take-over bid"?
Mod parent up by cmburns69 · 2004-04-01 08:33 · Score: 5, Funny

Finally, a first post that's relevant.. What is this, april fools day?

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Online Starcraft RPG? At
Dietary fiber is like asynchronous IO-- Non-blocking!
lame by Anonymous Coward · 2004-04-01 08:34 · Score: 2, Funny

googles april fool jokes are just plain lame these days.
they must be outsourcing them to india.
Enough is enough... by Andreas(R) · 2004-04-01 08:34 · Score: 2, Interesting

Come on, please give us at least _one_ interesting story that is not an obvious April-fools day joke. This Google-story has been reported with links already several times on /.
I'll take a story on a new kernel, even a BSD article. Anyhing!
The real reasons by LostCluster · 2004-04-01 08:35 · Score: 4, Funny

Sure... Google's going to the moon just because of the fact that... ... there's no minimum wage laws. ... they'd be outside of every tax jurisdiction. ... there's no labor practice laws. ... there's a weaker gravity law there. ... the longer moon days that can be used to justify workdays. ... there's a 0% employment rate there. ... a large building's roof can also serve as an earth-visble billboard ...
April fools according to Reuters by mosabua · 2004-04-01 08:37 · Score: 5, Informative

According to Reuters the lunar job is a hoax, but qmail isn't. We will see..
1. Re:April fools according to Reuters by syphax · 2004-04-01 08:42 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  The journalist quotes a couple ./ posts.
  
  How'd you like to spend your time at work reading Sla... oh, wait...
  
  --
  Simple Unexpected Concrete Credible Emotional Stories
If you really want a job... by Deraj+DeZine · 2004-04-01 08:37 · Score: 2, Funny

... there's only one way to get one.

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True story.
Among other things... by hookedup · 2004-04-01 08:38 · Score: 2, Funny

They also let out the secrets of their search technology.
1. Re:Among other things... by OverlordQ · 2004-04-01 11:36 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  hate to burst your bubble but that was their 4-1 Joke a few years ago.
  
  --
  Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.
This proves GMail is for real by Pranjal · 2004-04-01 08:39 · Score: 2, Insightful

So this is Google's April Fools day gag, which means GMail is for real. Which is why the major newswires picked it up. Wow 1 GB of email space? Even their website has been updated with terms and conditions.
Only 1000 users get to test GMail from today. Those lucky bastards.
1. Re:This proves GMail is for real by bwy · 2004-04-01 08:58 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Did you read the fine print though on GMail? They're going to be showing ads based on the CONTENT of your email. Now, I'm sure people will say that everyone already shows ads based on who you are. But I for one don't want a half-page ad for a penis enlarger showing up on my monitor at work when I'm trying to discretely communicate via email with my doctor about the real thing- a $10,000 surgery I'm lining up!
Forbes says Gmail real, Copernicus joke by Slider451 · 2004-04-01 08:41 · Score: 2, Informative

Looks like gmail really is real.

Forbes says Gmail real, Copernicus joke

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Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
1. Re:Forbes says Gmail real, Copernicus joke by mark_lybarger · 2004-04-01 08:54 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  btw, according to whois.net, gmail.com:
  
  Created on..............: 1995-Aug-13.
  Expires on..............: 2006-Aug-12.
  Record last updated on..: 2004-Mar-31 16:50:22.
  
  seems interesting they've had this url for a while and updated it last around gmt april fools day.
2. Re:Forbes says Gmail real, Copernicus joke by Slider451 · 2004-04-01 08:58 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Mine says:
  >>> Last update of whois database: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 07:02:53 EST
  
  I wonder if Google used that domain for internal e-mail prior to the public venture.
  
  --
  Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
Gullible enough? by e1en0r · 2004-04-01 08:42 · Score: 2, Funny

does anyone have Lance Bass' email address?
A Use for this by millahtime · 2004-04-01 08:46 · Score: 4, Funny

I found a use for this. In breaking up with my really not all there girlfriend. I can send this to her and tell her I got a job there and that I'm sorry but I have to move away. I would love to see her buy into this. She actually would too.

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Evolution or ID?
Re:gmail by semifamous · 2004-04-01 08:50 · Score: 2, Informative

It's not fake according to this

But who knows...
My favorite part by wcbrown · 2004-04-01 08:51 · Score: 4, Funny

My favorite part of the gag was when they said that the Googlunaplex would feature "a sushi chef formerly employed by the pop group Hanson." Maybe it's just my love of self-referential deprecations.
The current research projects envisioned by dAzED1 · 2004-04-01 08:55 · Score: 3, Funny

Something like this is obviously going to be a research facility, primarily. When you read through the announcement, you find:

Once the facility is built, the real work begins. Google will be exploring a number of exciting research projects that have the potential to advance search science to a new frontier. Among the questions Googlunars will seek to answer are:
Exactly how far does the Worldwide web extend? Can it become an interplanetary utility? If so, will it replace Water Works on Monopoly(R)?
What are the likely effects of link attenuation over extreme distances? Is there a limit to link strength, or is it infinitely extensible like bubble gum that gets stuck to the bottom of your shoe?
What happens to PageRank in the proximity of a black hole? Is there distortion that might result in link relevancy reduction or popularity warping? Could this somehow be harnessed to generate more dates for engineers?
Does spam go on forever?

ps - yes, I know. Its called playing along.
5 mod point on April 1st. by handmedowns · 2004-04-01 09:01 · Score: 5, Funny

Good News: I got 5 moderator points to use or lose! Yipee!!!

Bad News: It's april 1st! BOOOOO!!!!!

--
The road between democracy and tyranny is paved with secrecy in the name of security.
The real Gem in this article by SpyPlane · 2004-04-01 09:17 · Score: 5, Interesting

Is this:

http://www.google.com/jobs/britney.html

My two favorite mispellings:
buttney spears
brititany spears (more appropriate than you would first think)

--
"We need a fourth law of Robotics: Stop Fingering My Wife"
Acreage on the Moon is still cheap! by blackest+sun · 2004-04-01 09:34 · Score: 2, Funny
It's for real, and it's even been seen on Ellen!
No wonder Google looks like it's positioning itself to take over the world...
- http://www.lunarregistry.com/
they really should have called the... by BigGerman · 2004-04-01 09:38 · Score: 2, Funny

...location-based service "gSpot" ;-)
Re:YAAFJ by scotch · 2004-04-01 09:40 · Score: 4, Funny

Yes, there is something strange with that. "April fool' day in 2104" can be written as 4012104. Note firstly that this is a symmetric date. Also note that digits add up to the tripplet (3 numbers) 525, which add up to (or directly) 12, which adds to 3. So we have 2 occurrences of 3 and 2 occurrences of 5. We all know that the Illuminati mark their works with symmetry and the special Illuminati numbers 3 and 5.
Clearly, we can conclude that Google has been infiltrated all the way to the upper levels with Masonic/Illuminati players.
Very astute of you to notice these weird connections, p0rnking.

--
XML causes global warming.
GCheese? HiDeHiDeHo? by infochuck · 2004-04-01 09:42 · Score: 2, Insightful

Cheese, enough with the joke postings, please. Or are the editors here really just that dumb?
Anyone else think by farghen · 2004-04-01 11:53 · Score: 3, Informative

The picture in the article looks like the technodrome?
Damn. by nickos · 2004-04-01 13:53 · Score: 2, Funny

I emailed them the following:
> Greetings. > > I have been responsible for monitoring communications from your planet > for some time now. It's been a largely dull and unsatisfying job, the > highlights until recently being the discovery of fire and the wheel. The > last couple of years have seen the creation of search engines; a > development that proves you may be worthy of our further interest. > > I am communicating with you to tell you that we have a sleeping opeartive > on your planet who may be useful to you. His name is <SNIP/>, a > human as yet unaware of his importance to inter-stella information > retrieval. He has been conditioned to know much about C/C++, languages > that were in the ascendency before Java/C# caused the beginning of the > end of computational technology. You would be well advised to employ this > organism. > > Yours faithfully, > [string outside unicode encoding] > > PS. We may be interested in exchanging your knowledge of "PageRank" with > our knowledge of inter-stella travel. Your employment of our operative > may help cement the deal.