Every now and again Google really worries me. While they are inspiring innovators in most areas they touch, they also have a history of making the odd, but major, decision that goes against their perceived, general message. Their decision-making, like their innovation, isn’t flawless, and it certainly sometimes disheartening (though less flawed and less disheartening that other certain, huge internet companies).
And then they do stuff like this:
Google has made an announcement that could help hundreds of homeless people in San Francisco get back on their feet.
Every single homeless person in the city will be given a life-long phone number and voicemail, should they choose to accept it, NBC11’s Lisa Bernard said.
…
‘How do you communicate as a homeless individual?’ [San Francisco Mayor Gavin] Newsom asked. ‘How do you expect your life to turn around if you can’t even get information or if someone can’t even get in touch with you?’
I tend to really appreciate it when companies do more than simply admit, or acknowledge, the communities around them. Or serve them in a way that’s less tangible or undesired. Google is providing a service which the city cannot fulfill, but compliments on going efforts (like San Francisco’s universal ID program).
I’m betting that Google realizes that the payback, probably intangible, is worth way more than whatever small piece of change they spend on phone lines.
