Rating:

Nickname: Ajith

Review: How about Google coming out with a product similar to Goodsearch.com, a search site that donates money to charity for every search we do on that site?

Date reviewed: Feb 21, 2007 2:28 PM

Rating:

Nickname: hopper

Review: Dr. Sullivan, once called the "Michael Jordan" or HR, taught us to use a number every 10 words. Quantify the problem--1% is an example of this.

Date reviewed: Oct 2, 2006 6:59 AM

Rating:

Nickname: Gert

Review: I think some of the readers are missing the point! This article is about corporate philanthropy, not the Negroponte project, this was just an example. Let's not be misled into thinking it was an endorsement of the project. Kudos to Google.org for being civic-minded. If only more corporate entities believed as they do.

Date reviewed: May 8, 2006 8:38 PM

Rating:

Nickname: EddieTam

Review: Who is the (narrowed down) target market for that $100 laptop for kids mission? And how will they be disbursed? If you are talking about only kids in school, most poor children in poor countries can't afford to go to school, even if it is offered for free. It is more productive for a child to work in the fields, rather than be ridiculed by their peers for not being able to afford a mere writing pencil. I know, I have directly helped nonprofit groups doing good in the Philippines, Brazil, etc. I still do not understand the $100 laptop objectives, which they need to redefine. Google's commitment to the idea, however, is commendable however misled.

Date reviewed: Apr 28, 2006 10:42 PM

Rating:

Nickname: Shari Aaron

Review: Social values are critical to business performance, not to separate or part of a different department. Think about football: where does philanthropy fit into the team? Is philanthropy a team member who has the plays and is counted on to help block, tackle, pass or score? Or is it just a cheerleader (sidelined)? When philanthropy is in a silo,it is put on the sidelines. I'd rather see Google make a team where philanthropy is a critical member. Keeping these separate makes it too easy to do things that work against what our philanthropy dollars are meant to do it feels like it's telling a half truth. Up to now, companies see philanthropy separate from how they run their businesses -- this isn't working so well. How many companies silo philanthropy and operate for short term profit and individual advancement. I believe when companies have their social impact front and center, embed within the business operations, we can succeed and make more progress on the issues we face.

Date reviewed: Oct 24, 2005 7:30 PM

Rating:

Nickname: Til

Review: Guys, the point of the article was that Google was making an effort to become one of the best in socially responsible and philanthropic investment. I do not know details about Negroponte's program, and no one would claim that kids without food and water need that more than a laptop, but I believe rather than latching onto one program (because I would assume there are other programs that would be striving to provide those necessities for impoverished children), try to see the big picture here. It's still early days, but let's look at the good in this company's significant example. It's easy to slam a PR piece. But, I wish more corporations were giving like Google, Target, etc. Let's see if they get up to $900 million.

Date reviewed: Oct 24, 2005 2:53 AM

Rating:

Nickname: irv

Review: Negroponte is a snake-oil salesman and will soon be exposed, when obvious questions are posed by rational people (like what's the TOTAL cost of the $100 laptop, how it will work within a classroom and where is the data that shows laptops benefit children - he openly lies about the Main project). The MIT site alone is full of blatant lies: the kids using laptops in a village without electricity. How the hell do they manage???? The lies go on and on...

Date reviewed: Oct 23, 2005 4:15 AM

Rating:

Nickname: Ffantazsia

Review: I think the philanthopic commitment is fabulous! My only concern would be is the money spent in the best possible way to benefit and serve as many as possible?

Date reviewed: Oct 21, 2005 10:44 PM

Rating:

Nickname: Dave Chiang

Review: Instead of realistic solutions toward solving global poverty issues, the $100 notebook doesn't address the basic problems in the developing world. Many of the world's children lack the basic essentials of clean water, food, textbooks, medicines, etc. The most pressing need is NOT access to high speed internet services. Nicholas Negroponte of MIT seems more interested in pandering to the Hollywood and Davos crowd than offering realistic solutions. The misallocation of funding from basic education needs of poor children to finance computer notebooks from MIT represents an economic injustice.

Date reviewed: Oct 20, 2005 6:36 PM