Google-Funded Library Programs Teaching Google-Provided Curricula 18
theodp writes: Q. What's the difference between Andrew Carnegie and Google? A. Andrew Carnegie used his wealth to help build libraries, while Google's using its wealth to get libraries to help build its brands. "In advance of Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek)," announced the American Library Association (ALA), "an annual event to get students excited about coding, ALA will be awarding $300 mini-grants to school and public libraries that facilitate a program for youth during Computer Science Education Week, December 9-15, 2019, using Google's CS First Hour of Code activity. This year, youth can use their imagination to turn a real-life hero into a superhero using code. Code Your Hero is an activity that honors the everyday heroes in our students' lives who use their powers to better their communities. Libraries Ready to Code is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) and sponsored by Google, which aims to ensure libraries have the resources, capacity, and inspiration to embrace activities that promote computational thinking (CT) and coding among our nation's youth."
Last month, the ALA announced it had received a $2 million Google.org grant to develop library entrepreneurship centers. In advance of last December's CSEdWeek, Google announced a $1 million sponsorship to the ALA, creating a pool of micro-funds that local libraries could access to bring digital skills training to their community in conjunction with the Libraries Lead with Digital Skills and Libraries Ready to Code ALA-Google joint initiatives.
Last month, the ALA announced it had received a $2 million Google.org grant to develop library entrepreneurship centers. In advance of last December's CSEdWeek, Google announced a $1 million sponsorship to the ALA, creating a pool of micro-funds that local libraries could access to bring digital skills training to their community in conjunction with the Libraries Lead with Digital Skills and Libraries Ready to Code ALA-Google joint initiatives.
One other slight difference... (Score:4, Insightful)
This is an especially dumb summary, half-literate formatting aside.
Andrew Carnegie was an individual while Google is a corporation. Stockholders tend to frown on altruistic philanthropy done with their money. Note this doesn't mean no philanthropy is done or should be done by corporations, simply that it should be done with some sort of benefit to the corporation be it via good PR or an expected benefit of some sort.
Now, if one of the Google founders personally donated e.g. $100M to some charity with strings attached that benefited Google directly, then you would have a point.
Re: (Score:1)
If it isn't altruistic, it's making money off of kids. There is no non-disturbing analogy for that.
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Funny you should mention this. Bill Gates kind of set a precedent for your scenario (with a $200M donation!). See Microsoft Announces More than $1 Million Donation to Bring the Internet and Multimedia Software to Chicago Public Library [microsoft.com] (1996) and Gates to Aid Libraries, in Footsteps of Carnegie [nytimes.com] (1997, $200 million). Btw, Larry and Sergey have the option of funneling their money through Donor Advised Funds [wikipedia.org], so you may never know the details of their philanthropy.
What's your point? (Score:2)
Same thing. Extroverted/Abrahamic strain of religion-type schizophrenia.
How is that helping with your inferiority complex?
JIDF WEAK SAUCE (Score:1)
DA. GOYIM. KNOW.
...So? (Score:3)
The role of a modern library isn't just a place where books go to die. They are centers of lifelong education and skills development, ersatz offices, and community centers.
Sure, Google gives them boatloads of money to use Google's educational programs. Of course, Google thinks that Google's programs are best... Maybe because they're biased, but maybe also because if the project managers didn't like what they'd produced, they'd be the ones with the power to produce something different.
I seem to recall similar complaints against Microsoft, but there's an important distinction: Microsoft actively sought to exclude its competition, whereas Google still works toward compatibility. As long as a Google user can still move to or from anything else they decide they prefer, I have no qualms about seeing their brand alongside an educational program. Let's go ahead and complain about the bad things companies do, but perhaps we shouldn't malign education just because it comes with a name, okay?
Umbrella Coproration is there for you. (Score:2)
Trust us with ALL the things in your daily life. A true American Chaebol!
Pay no attention to the kraken behind the veil! ... is all I could think.
Difference between steel baron and Google? (Score:2)
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You dweebs keep making that assertion, but can never seem to point out these nebulous harms Gates brought to society other than risible "We'd all be running Linux!!" nonsense.
Even the DOJ said Microsoft set computing back a decade. And even the very earliest days of the Gates Foundation were marked by abusive investment. Educators and educational organizations alike have condemned Microsoft's investments in education as being actively harmful to the state of education. If you really wanted to know what harm they've done, you could find it with Google. But you don't. That's why you posted anonymously, you know you're full of shit.
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If you could find the harm Microsoft did, rather than vaguely alluding to press releases by directly interested organizations, you'd be able to find it with Google.
But you don't. Why would you write an entire reply that claims that there is lots of evidence readily available, without referencing even one bit of it? Is it because you are full of shit?
Pay your damn taxes, Google (Score:3)
Microsoft did it too (Score:2)
Why is this news? Microsoft did it years ago with education, essentially giving away software, server software, etc in an effort to get folks in school "hooked" on their products.