A few weeks ago I wrote a post calling for Google to go black to conserve energy.
This post brought out quite a few comments. One in particular pointed to Google’s official blog, where a study argued that going from white background to black would actually require more energy on a user’s part. To that I argue, what about something in the middle — what about Graygle?
Here’s my argument: An all white website background uses more electricity to display for all types of computer monitors, other than LCD. If an all black background increases usage on LCD, as the study suggested, then we need to reach a compromise. Gray instead of black or white. It’s worked for centuries in politics, why not technology?
Others argue that LCD is the future, and my argument doesn’t apply there. I hope you aren’t the same group that bet on BETA or Blu Ray too early. Also, although LCD is on the rise because of laptops, so is plasma for corporate meeting rooms as well as luxury monitors. Who knows where that will play out? No one have EVER disproved that energy is wasted by white backgrounds on all other types of monitors, especially the hundreds of millions of CRTs still used here and abroad. Many of them search Google daily, spending tons of time in full 25 Watt computer white noise.
So, I’m dropping Blackle and moving to Graygle. I’m also going to reach out to several environmental experts to get their .02. If my findings are compelling, I’m willing to go back to my old stomping grounds, the Silicon Valley to broker the idea of an eco-Yahoo/Google or god forbid MSN.
PS: I’ve redesigned my blog to reflect my new gray thinking, if you can’t see the changes, clear your cache.
