What Is elgooG? Review of the Ultimate Mirror Site

In Web design, a "mirror site" is a Web site that duplicates another site's contents, usually to reduce network traffic or make content more available. elgooG is a bit different. elgooG, which is Google spelled backwards, is a mirror image of the Google Web site.

Depending on the browser you use, the search box types right to left, and the results display mostly backwards. You can search for words either backwards or forwards, but typing them backwards is more fun.

Yes. elgooG is a parody site designed and hosted by All Too Flat, a parody and comedy Web site.

Although the site is intended as a joke, it has been maintained for several years and is periodically updated to reflect changes in the Google Web site. Search results in elgooG are pulled from the actual Google search engine, and then reversed using Python.

elgooG features a "hcreaS elgooG" and an "ykcuL gnileeF m'I" button to mirror Google's Google Search and I'm Feeling Lucky buttons. It even has a link to a mirror of Google's Even More page listing Google services.

Some links lead directly to Google services, and others go to a mirror page. Some browsers may behave differently than others, and occasionally a non-mirrored website is listed in the search results. This is totally forgivable, because it's a joke.

elgooG has a Paypal link for donations to support the Web site.

China enforces Internet censorship and blocks Web sites it deems inappropriate. In 2002, Google was also blocked by the Chinese government. New Scientist reported that elgooG was not blocked, so Chinese users had a back door method of accessing the search engine. Most likely, it never occurred to the Chinese government that although elgooG is parody, the results are really coming from Google.

Since then, China has allowed citizens to access Google, and Google controversially censors search results on their end.

elgooG is not the easiest to use search engine, but it is a really funny parody of the easiest to use search engine.

• Visit elgooG on the Web at All Too Flat.
• Extend your searches in elgooG with these Google power search tips.