Googling Good Deeds?

Virtual Purse Strings and Naysayers


January 17, 2008 Google.org Spreads a Wider Philanthropic Net


SAN FRANCISCO - Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google Inc, said on Thursday it is expanding beyond funding for alternative energy to focus on projects in health and combating poverty and climate change.

Google.org is working with partners in five fields who will get $25 million in new grants and investments and help from Google employees.

Three of the projects are new, including one that will use of information technology to "predict and prevent" ecological, health or social crises in vulnerable regions. Its initial focus will be on Southeast Asia and tropical Africa.

"We want to take the advantages of Silicon Valley to the Rift Valley," said Dr. Larry Brilliant, executive director of Google.org, referring to support for projects in East Africa, in a conference call to discuss his group's plans.

Google.org mixes the star-power of the world's biggest Internet company with a change-the-world idealism that aims to inject new energy and activism into the world of philanthropy.
But critics question whether the tiny percentage of its $200 billion market capitalization Google has committed to good works is more than just a publicity stunt.

The norm may be cynicism and questioning the motivations behind this move to enter into such philanthropic ventures. But what use will come from such derision's. There aim may be being the big fish, but that is capitalism. I consider myself a liberal, and deeply concerned about issues of poverty, and ecological matters such as global warming. I support capitalism. It is good for a nation to produce a market where competition will benefit society. Technology, goods and services generally improve and are fostered when anyone can get in the game. This article also points out that Google funds projects that back small and medium-sized business in developing countries as a way to alleviate poverty and overcome the limits of both microlending -- grants usually under $500 to groups of villagers -- and conventional aid, involving grants of several-million dollars. That sounds like more than a stunt to me. If businesses in economically poor countries can get a foothold, then that is a good thing. Right?

We all seem to cross paths on a daily bases (or at least once a week at the least) with Google. For me it takes away some of the sting of my complaints knowing that some good is coming out of this behemoth's ubiquitous hold on my researching life.

Any thoughts?


Here is the full story (Italics are passages from this link):

http://www.internetnews.com/breakingnews/article.php/3722536