Internet giant Google has thanked a grandmother for her politeness after she used ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in her web searches.
May Ashworth, 86, typed a request into Google to translate Roman numerals MCMXCVIII after seeing them on a tv show, with ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ at the beginning and end of the request.
A screenshot of May Ashworth’s polite request to Google went viral after her grandson, Ben John, uploaded it to Twitter.
The 25 year-old from Wigan told the BBC: “I asked my nan why she used ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and it seemed she thinks that there is someone – a physical person – at Google’s headquarters who looks after the searches.
“She thought that by being polite and using her manners, the search would be quicker.”
After hearing of the story, Google UK and Google’s global Twitter account, which has more than 15 million followers, expressed their appreciation.
Google UK tweeted: “Dearest Ben’s Nan. Hope you’re well. In a world of billions of Searches (sic), yours made us smile. Oh and it’s 1998.”
Mr John added that he uploaded the search just for his friends to see and he never expected it to get so much attention.
He said: “I posted the photo on Thursday, and it wasn’t immediately picked up by the media. I’ve even had calls from the US for me to speak on their shows.”
Source: Evening Standard UK
