I’ve decided to launch a new bit on this site: approximately each week, I will write a letter to someone or some company. My goal is primarily humor but I will also use this opportunity to voice good or bad service etc.

I open this new bit with this letter to Google, which I will mail out (on actual paper, in an actual envelope) tomorrow:

July 4, 2007

Google Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043

Dear Google,

Thank you for providing cool web tools like universal search, GMail, Calendar, and Reader. These applications are an integral part of my daily life.

With respect your code of conduct (http://investor.google.com/conduct.html) and informal motto, “don’t be evil”, I encourage you to not take over the world.

Having recently read of your acquisitions of popular services like YouTube, DoubleClick, FeedBurner, and GrandCentral, and your recent installation of a solar power generation array capable of meeting 30% of your energy needs (http://www.google.com/corporate/solarpanels/), I’m growing quite concerned.

As the popular fortune cookie postscript goes, “…in bed,” so must Google-related news be followed with, “…and their plan for world domination continues.”

I urge you, Google, be mindful of this incredible power you are building.

Best regards,

Michael Haren
mharen@gmail.com (but you already knew that, didn’t you?)