Wired reports Google has fixed a year old bug where 700 million posts within a Usenet group were unsearchable via Google Groups. Google fixed this bug after Wired called them out for the blunder.

Google sent Wired a response that read:

It turns out there was a bug, a specific bug, that affected search within a specific group. That bug is something we’re working on fixing, and I think that will be fixed by tomorrow. Thanks for writing this, because that’s how we discovered this specific bug.

Wired confirmed the fix is actually working, but there are still some issues with searching by date ranges. Google acknowledged that issue and said they are working on a fix. Why did it take Google over a year to fix the issue? Supposedly, Wired embarrassed them into fixing it. All it took was a day of some engineering time to get it done. Wired did note that Slashdot wrote about the issue 11 months ago.

Although it’s been around for a little while, Google is doing some promotion of its new “Small Business Network.” Believe it or not it’s a lobbying effort to represent small business interests in Washington DC and at the state level. It’s also a clever way to open a new direct communication channel with SMBs:

Google’s Small Business Network was created to give small business owners the information and tools to promote business-friendly policies in Washington, D.C. and state capitols. The Internet provides an unparalleled opportunity for small businesses to start up, grow, and reach a worldwide customer base. But realizing its potential requires your participation.

Google wants to know about the issues that are important to you so that we can better invest in your goals and objectives and ultimately, your success. New laws, regulations and other public policy initiatives at the federal and state levels should be designed with your best interests in mind.

There’s also a little bit of what one might call “reciprocal lobbying” going on:

We want to help you stay on top of many issues, the first two of which are increasing high-speed Internet or broadband access and preserving an open Internet. An open, accessible Internet is a critical element in helping you reach beyond yesterday’s customers. The Internet has given you the power to compete in new markets and stay in touch with partners across the U.S. or overseas. Infrastructure that enables high-speed Internet and standards that keep it open have the potential to help create jobs in your hometown and around the world. Learn more and sign our open letter to Congress.

Assuming that Google can get enough attention from SMBs, this effort could be quite valuable in several ways: in product development, PR/communications, customer acquisition and loyalty and so on. Google might also develop an effective tool for grassroots lobbying on its issues (i.e., net neutrality).

Google Groups launched their beta design to the public last night. The new design change switched from an orange/yellow/white color scheme to a light blue and white color scheme. The new design also comes with some feature additions including:

• Pages. Create and contribute to shared web pages with simple drag, drops, cuts, pastes, and clicks (i.e., no coding).
• Customized look and feel. Select pictures, colors, and styles to express your group’s style.
• Member profiles. See who else is in the group and read their profiles. Personalize your own profile with a photo and other details.
• File sharing. Post documents that anyone in the group can access.
• Easy reading of group discussions. Read easily in a Gmail-style interface.

The official Google press release on the new Google Groups can be found here. Google Blogosoped has the before and after screen shots, the official Google Blog has a post on it leading to the tour of the new Google Groups.