Comments on: Can Google Help The Homeless? http://profy.com/2008/02/28/can-google-help-the-homeless/ Internet news and commentary Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:44:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Google Launches Another PR Ploy, Er, Google for Non-Profits - Profy.Com http://profy.com/2008/02/28/can-google-help-the-homeless/#comment-376471 Google Launches Another PR Ploy, Er, Google for Non-Profits - Profy.Com Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:53:54 +0000 http://profy.com/2008/02/28/can-google-help-the-homeless/#comment-376471 [...] Today, Google launched Google for Non-Profits, a destination site that, er, looks almost the same as the standard Google offerings page. They've simply posted links to their existing services that can be used by non-profits (just like everyone else), and didn't even go to the trouble of creating a "Google for Non-Profits" logo. Similar to last month's announcement that Grand Central would continue to offer free phone numbers to the homeless in San Francisco as they'd been doing all along, this is nothing more than public relations. [...] [...] Today, Google launched Google for Non-Profits, a destination site that, er, looks almost the same as the standard Google offerings page. They've simply posted links to their existing services that can be used by non-profits (just like everyone else), and didn't even go to the trouble of creating a "Google for Non-Profits" logo. Similar to last month's announcement that Grand Central would continue to offer free phone numbers to the homeless in San Francisco as they'd been doing all along, this is nothing more than public relations. [...]

]]> By: Tara Kelly http://profy.com/2008/02/28/can-google-help-the-homeless/#comment-318961 Tara Kelly Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:54:19 +0000 http://profy.com/2008/02/28/can-google-help-the-homeless/#comment-318961 Brings to mind this piece: http://blog.insiderchatter.com/2007/12/18/google-warning-how-goog-411-tricks-consumers/ There's a citation in there from Marissa Mayer, Google VP, Search Products & User Experience (I have not checked the validity of this though) talking about how Google needs to collect voice samples in order to learn how to index natural speech - a technology needed primarily to index audio and video content. Why? To serve up relevant contextual ads on YouTube etc. What's your opinion Micheal? Brings to mind this piece:
http://blog.insiderchatter.com/2007/12/18/google-warning-how-goog-411-tricks-consumers/

There’s a citation in there from Marissa Mayer, Google VP, Search Products & User Experience (I have not checked the validity of this though) talking about how Google needs to collect voice samples in order to learn how to index natural speech - a technology needed primarily to index audio and video content. Why? To serve up relevant contextual ads on YouTube etc.

What’s your opinion Micheal?

]]> By: Homeless voicemail: Only in the Valley - - mathewingram.com/work http://profy.com/2008/02/28/can-google-help-the-homeless/#comment-318221 Homeless voicemail: Only in the Valley - - mathewingram.com/work Fri, 29 Feb 2008 04:25:57 +0000 http://profy.com/2008/02/28/can-google-help-the-homeless/#comment-318221 [...] I just know that someone is going to tell me that voicemail will help homeless people get social assistance, and maybe get an apartment or at least a room, and that lots of government departments require you to have a phone number, etc. etc. And maybe all of that is true. But social agencies have been handling that for years. Will free voicemail help? Maybe, maybe not. It sure helps Google look good — and yet, it seems almost absurd on the face of it. Why not just invite them to the Googleplex for a day of free gourmet lunches and foosball games in the cafeteria? [...] [...] I just know that someone is going to tell me that voicemail will help homeless people get social assistance, and maybe get an apartment or at least a room, and that lots of government departments require you to have a phone number, etc. etc. And maybe all of that is true. But social agencies have been handling that for years. Will free voicemail help? Maybe, maybe not. It sure helps Google look good — and yet, it seems almost absurd on the face of it. Why not just invite them to the Googleplex for a day of free gourmet lunches and foosball games in the cafeteria? [...]

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