I rely on Google for a lot of things. I use a customized version of the Google home page. I have a Gmail address. And I’m a frequent visitor to other parts of the Google ecosystem, like Reader and Maps. Google’s motto is “Don’t be evil”, which is a bit like saying “don’t beat your wife”. No major corporation wants to have a reputation as being evil, but they are all compromised to some degree. For example, Google censors search results for its Chinese users. But I do believe that Google has a genuine commitment to making the world a better place, as exhibited in its decision to hand out free voicemail numbers to San Francisco’s homeless. Google recognizes that access to communication is critical to coming in from the cold of society’s fringes, which is a more farsighted act of charity than most other companies seem capable of contemplating.
Even when I don’t pay too much attention to the contents of what you’ve written, your entries are like pearls of beauty.
I do adore your style of writing.
And I appreciate the reliability of this blog, since you appear to write every day.
Mieke.