An ‘Independent Web Advice’ Blog

A step forward, but only a tiny baby Google step.

Now as much as I support this initiative, it seems to me that Google is spending a very small amount on something it is proclaiming to the world is very important to it.

So how much are they spending exactly?
For several years, Google has honored the legacy of computer scientist Dr. Anita Borg with a scholarship program designed to encourage women to pursue careers in computer science and technology. The awards are $10,000 (Americans only of course) scholarships for outstanding female undergraduate and graduate students completing their degrees in computer science or related fields.

Why are they doing this?

Because we believe in what the Anita Borg Institute calls the “virtuous cycle.” Through this scholarship program and other efforts, we hope more women can be encouraged to embrace engineering and technical professions and learn the skills of leadership. Then they can use those apabilities to influence how technology is designed and used, and focus on practical solutions to global issues - energy, food, illiteracy, environment, elder care, disease control - that confront us all. As the products and services resulting from their innovations permeate the global market, new generations of women will follow, in a profession that is increasingly more supportive of women.

The Institute is named for a renowned computer scientist who spent her life inspiring and motivating women to become active participants and leaders in the technology revolution that can benefit all of us. For the 2006-2007 academic year, Google received 324 applications from students at 90 different universities America. They awarded scholarship support to 47 young women, more information available from http://www.anitaborg.org.

So they are spending $500,000 on it, given administration costs, this amounts to about a half a million pounds. Now that is actually a not inconsiderable sum. But in terms of profits, what percentage does this represent of a global billion pound industry?

Compared to court settlements
Compare this contribution to the good of the community with their recent out of court settlements. Rather than harming Google’s profits, the search engine’s proposed $90 million settlement of a click-fraud lawsuit does more to draw attention to a problem that continues to concern advertisers. http://www.dmnews.com/cms/dm-news/search-marketing/36027.html

Settle a lawsuit out of court rather than sort out click fraud for 180 times what they are spending on supporting women in science and technology. They could have sponsored not 90 women, but over 16,000!

Now that would have been worthy of praise!

Come on Google and Gates, you can do more to impress us and support the communities your wealth is built from.

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