Google Celebrates Facebook With Stock Price Doodle
In an unprecedented move Google (GOOG) honored a fellowÂ SiliconÂ Valley competitor with their own Google Doodle today, placing a real-time update of Facebook's (FB) stock price on Google's hompages around the world. Google normaly reserves the prestigious Doodle for celebrations of national holidays or for honoring significantÂ historicalÂ figures. However, the doodle team at Mountian View, California based Google thought today would be a good day to break with tradition andÂ congratulateÂ its Palo Alto rival on itsÂ successfulÂ IPO listing on the Nasdaq stock exchange last week. "Facebook's IPO is a signal that theÂ entrepreneurialÂ spirit of Silicon Valley is alive and well. We simply just wanted recognize that, " said a spokesperson for the team. The two tech titans are engaged in a fierce battle for control of the Internet with Google moving agressively into the social networking space with its Google+ service, and Facebook positioning itself as an alternative online advertising destination. According to GoogleÂ Finance, Facebook's stock price has fallen 25% since its IPO just last week, and is down 9% today alone. The firm's rapid share price decline has been a black eye for the company and the investment banks involved in its floataion. Several lawsuits have already been filed, and a congressional investigation is under way. As the markets closed in New York, GoogleÂ brieflyÂ replaced the stock chart with a message reading "Dear Facebook, Investors have requested a Business Model." followed by two options familar to those fileding Facebook friend requests; "Accept" and "Not Now". Mark Zuckerburg had no comment on the record regarding Google's actions. Google's CEO Larry Page, however, called The Daily Currant personally to add a quote for this story: "Being CEO ain't always easy, is it bitch?"