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Google and Microsoft offer Japan tsunami and earthquake resources, Bing bungles it
Google, as always, was the first to respond with a Google Person Finder for Japan. There is now a full Google Crisis Response page for the earthquake and tsunami, which is full of extensive resources for those in Japan, those trying to contact friends and family in Japan, or for people who want to help out by donating money to the Japanese Red Cross Society. Google has already updated its satellite imagery to show the to-scale effects of the disaster.
Apple was next on the scene, giving iTunes users the ability to donate money directly to the American Red Cross (which is different from the Japanese one!) There doesn't seem to be much else coming out of Cupertino, though, probably because of the impending worldwide release of iPad 2.
Microsoft published a similar 'crisis response' page on its Corporate Citizenship site. Microsoft is working on a "cloud-based disaster response communications portal, based on Windows Azure," which will hopefully help improve government and nonprofit communication with agencies and citizens. Microsoft says it's also giving out temporary licenses to "all impacted customers and partners as well as lead governments, nonprofit partners and institutions involved in disaster response efforts." All in all, though, Microsoft's page doesn't include a whole lot of useful data.
Finally, the Bing department at Microsoft got it a bit wrong by offering $1 for every @bing retweet of Microsoft's Corporate Citizenship site. It wasn't long before comedian Michael Ian Black accused Bing of cashing in on the Japanese tragedy. A few hours later, Bing apologized and said that $100,000 had been donated.
Comments
4
Subscribe to commentsWM2Android2WP7Mar 14th 2011 10:22AM
You guys are awfully tough on a company that basically handed out money on behalf of people that were willing to simply press a button. Why doesn't anyone ask Google what they are doing with all the data they are gathering from their 'People Finder' page?
DepicusMar 14th 2011 4:08PM
@WM2Android2WP7
Individuals and companies should want to donate with nothing in return.
Millions give money but don't demand such exposure, imagine if they asked you to retweet after 911.
Sensei123Mar 14th 2011 4:59PM
@WM2Android2WP7
It is one thing to do a good deed and then tout it after-the-fact for good PR (like the Tide detergent "Loads of Hope" program).
It is a completely different thing to say "hey - we will do this good deed ONLY AFTER you show interest in our company"
Would you not think it's in poor taste if say the Ronald McDonald charity said "hey - we will help the family of this little kid with cancer AFTER enough people have tweeted the kid's name to our twitter page?
As far as Google goes, it is obvious that you have not actually used the Google People Finder for Japan Earthquake/Tsunami page, otherwise you would know it can be used without actually giving out any personal information worth farming.
unopepito06Mar 14th 2011 6:17PM
@Sensei123 Well said, sir.