Ask YC: Why does 800-GOOG-411 have a listing for "prostitutes" in SF?

11 pointsby plusbryanvor 19 Jahren10 comments

If you call 800-GOOG411 in San Francisco at least, and ask it for a "prostitute", it has an entry and responds, offering up a choice of hotels. What tech powers GOOG-411 that allows for something like this (it certainly doesn't respond to other nonsensical queries) - or did I just discover an easter egg?

12 comments

jmpetersvor 19 Jahren

Finally a business model I can believe in. Despite not having an MBA I'm going to speculate that there may be slightly more demand for this service than for Facebook's digital fish in an aquarium.

jamongkadvor 19 Jahren

Ha ha ha I guess so.

cpercivavor 19 Jahren

Why were you phoning up Google and asking for a prostitute?

plusbryanvor 19 Jahren

Why, what do you use 411 for?

cpercivavor 19 Jahren

I haven't used 411 recently; but if I used it at all, I guarantee that my girlfriend wouldn't approve of me using it for that purpose.

dariusvor 19 Jahren

There is a tall free number to get around using 411: (800)FREE-411. It has some commercials but it saves you a buck from not using 411. I wish I came up with that idea...

BrandonMvor 19 Jahren

Umm... what do you think GOOG-411 is?

zurlavor 19 Jahren

the worst part is that google started making 'acquisition noises' with the jingle guys (free 411) before goog 411 launched. google had some meetings with them, talked about the business and learned everything they could, but i hear the jingle guys (free 411) discovered it was all pretense, as google was actually just doing research for their own free 411 service (goog 411) that google was actively developing at the time.

zandorgvor 19 Jahren

"a tall free number"

Is that also something to do with prostitutes?

zyxvor 19 Jahren

research for prostitutes.likebetter.com, of course

[deleted]vor 19 Jahren