- In addition to removing the “view image” button, Google has also removed the “search by image” button that appeared when you opened up a photo, too. This change isn’t quite as big, however. You’ll still be able to do a reverse image search by dragging the image to the search bar, and Google will still display related images when you click on a search result. The button may have been used by people to find un-watermarked versions of images they were interested in, which is likely part of why Google pulled it.
Getty Images is the rumored source of this change. A big part of me is wondering, why not just buy Getty instead and fuck these people? Google has already given up on the motto "Don't be evil," so why not embrace it? Not like there is any government oversight of anything any more. Getty has a valuation of about $2.4Billion US. That is barely the Starbucks and Yoga budget of Google, a company that made a profit of $28 Billion in Q4 2017.
Uhhh right click still works. eatingpaste.gif I mean, I did google image search "eating paste" and right clicked and opened a million of 'em full size but apparently that's no longer possible. Because then you're inviting Corbis to DMCA your ass on every single thing and since they're not Corbis anymore but "Branded Entertainment Network" and since they were founded and are still owned by Bill Gates you'll fucking lose. Google's motto may be "don't be evil" but their modus operandi is "don't lift a finger." Deciding they're an intellectual property rights organization opens up a world of hurt - suppose they bought Sub Pop, say, and decided that they were not going to allow bootleg Sub Pop content on Youtube? All of a sudden, every label on the planet starts asking why they can't keep their content off Youtube because fuckin' hell they surely can but they don't want to be responsible for it. The last thing Google wants is to pick sides in content ownership. They veer slightly to one side and the other is going to eat them for lunch because let's be honest: policing content would be child's play for Google but it opens them up to a world of liability they've so far avoided.Now you’ll have to wait for a website to load and then scroll through it to find the image. Websites sometimes disable the ability to right click, too, which would make it even harder for someone to grab a photo they’re looking for.
Fortunately, there’s still at least one way around it: if you right click, you can select “open image in new tab” or “view image” (or whatever your browser’s equivalent option is), and you’ll still open up the full-size picture. It’s just a bit less likely that everyone will realize this is an option.
A big part of me is wondering, why not just buy Getty instead and fuck these people?