GrandCentral Homeless Stunt Worked So Well It’s Time For An Encore

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1. Webside Ventures
   

   February 28th, 2008 at 6:08 pm

   Are there a lot of payphones in SF?

2. allen stern
   

   February 28th, 2008 at 6:10 pm

   What I don’t get is that GC has been doing this for a very long time - I guess Google just wanted more publicity for it?

   When I wrote about it last april, they have already been doing it for a year:
   http://www.centernetworks.com/.....e-homeless

   I think the program is a great idea and should be done nationwide, not sure why it’s just in SF…

   If I remember, the main point of the program was to help the homeless be able to give out a number when they apply for a job or aid.

3. Jesse Farmer
   

   February 28th, 2008 at 6:12 pm

   Michael,

   You’re just showing your ignorance, here. Not having a phone number is a huge barrier to employment.

   Lots of organizations that work with homeless people try to offer this service, but it’s expensive. Google has done in one fell swoop what a patchwork of NPOs have been unable to do alone.

   Google benefits from the PR and increased influence in the realm of NPOs, and homeless people have one less barrier in their way. It’s a win-win, and some of us ’round these parts call that capitalism.

4. Jesse Farmer
   

   February 28th, 2008 at 6:14 pm

   @1:

   No, there aren’t a lot of pay phones. But many homeless people *do* have access to a phone, just not a phone number they can give out to other people.

   With this service they can give out their GC number and call in to listen to their voicemail whenever they’re around a phone.

5. Asa Dotzler
   

   February 28th, 2008 at 6:16 pm

   Wow.

   You sure sound like an asshole or an ignoramus here.

   I guess you’ve never known or worked with anyone homeless before or you’d know what an important tool a phone number can be. Have you ever considered how difficult it might be to arrange anything, like a job interview, or an apartment viewing, without a phone? Probably not. Living the high life sure has cost you perspective.

6. Ben Tucker
   

   February 28th, 2008 at 6:16 pm

   Sure, there’s an upside in publicity for Google in doing this, but I what’s so absurd about it? It’s fullfilling a demstratable need in the homeless community. And if they’re able to facilitate the signup process this is really a great thing.

   ** Oh, I see you edited the post. Nice. For those who missed it, it used to close with: “Brilliant. Absurd, but brilliant.”

7. Hobo
   

   February 28th, 2008 at 6:19 pm

   San Francisco’s homeless situation is bit offsetting! Why are there so many homeless people there? On Haight and Ashbury & Golden Gate Park it seems to be a life style, which boggles the mind.

   This year in walking the streets (as a tourist) of San Fran and NYC, I viewed more homeless in San Fran then NYC. Crazy

8. WiredMike
   

   February 28th, 2008 at 6:19 pm

   Interesting to see if have an ad supported model for the homeless people. I mean isn’t it weird to have them advertise products to homeless that they likely can’t even buy? Or I guess they could advertise self help programs, training and learning programs, etc.

9. Michael Arrington
   

   February 28th, 2008 at 6:24 pm

   uh, yeah, I’m sure homeless people appreciate the free voicemail. What is ridiculous about this is that Google is making it seem like they’re doing something special to help the homeless. When all they’re doing is giving an already free product is being given away free to the homeless. Why not make an announcement that every homeless person can get free email? or watch videos for free? A free wiki? Point is, the product is already free. It’s a publicity stunt, and just because you are pro-homeless, or whatever, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be smart enough to see that.

10. Brian B
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 6:25 pm

    The homeless can get a cell phone if they want one, but help from anyone for anything is a good thing because they need all the help they can get. There are prepaid phones already. The ones that actually want jobs will do anything to get a job, including spend part of their welfare check on a prepaid phone. I wonder though, how is this phone going to be recharged??

    Brian B

11. Michael Arrington
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 6:26 pm

    I am hereby announcing that I am providing TechCrunch free to all homeless people in San Francisco for life.

    Where’s my MSNBC coverage?

12. Mordechai Horowitz
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 6:31 pm

    Michael I am disgusted at you. Google is trying to save the world and all you can do is be sarcastic.

13. Ben Tucker
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 6:33 pm

    You totally miss the point Mike. From the MSNBC article:
    “Google is partnering with San Francisco to provide the service to homeless individuals and to shelters and agencies so they can distribute the numbers to their clients.”

    That’s the announcement here. You think that’s just going to happen magically? It’s a non-trival problem of how you distribute these numbers to people without computers or computer literacy.

14. Ben Tucker
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 6:35 pm

    : I am hereby announcing that I am providing TechCrunch free to all homeless
    : people in San Francisco for life.
    :
    : Where’s my MSNBC coverage?

    Hey, if you partnered with the city to provide computer education classes to every homeless person in the city so they could read TechCrunch (the equivalent to what Google’s doing here) then you’d get the coverage.

15. Jesse Farmer
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 6:37 pm

    Michael,

    I don’t deny it has value to Google, from several angles. But you’re just not thinking clearly.

    Imagine yourself homeless and without a phone. You manage a shower and go in for an interview. They want a phone number to call you back in for a second interview, or to let you know if you got the job.

    Maybe you’re mentally handicapped and manage to get transitional employment. You can now afford a low-rent apartment in the Tenderloin. The landlord or apartment agency requires a phone number for contact purposes. Rut roh.

    I remember when I first moved to Chicago, years back. I didn’t have a cell phone. Do you know how (*&ing hard it is to set up an apartment without a phone number? The phone company actually requires a phone number to install phone service! I had friends with phones, so I managed, but if I had no help, no money, and no connections I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done.

    Think, Michael. Or talk to someone who has actually worked with the homeless and ask them whether they think this is helpful. Hint: it is.

16. A new low
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 6:41 pm

    Wow, Michael. Do you really think there is no substance behind this announcement? This post highlights your ignorance and insults the many individuals (Google employees and others) who have worked hard to make GrandCentral’s free service actually accessible to the homeless of SF.

17. Michael Arrington
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 6:43 pm

    Jesse - yep, it’s super awesome. But what would make it an even better marketing gimmick is if they made the homeless people wear Google tshirts all the time. Wait, that’s free clothing for the homeless!

18. Scott Isaacs
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 6:44 pm

    I agree with Michael. It *is* a great service to provide to the homeless, but it is a service that is provided to *everyone* — I have a GC number AND a home. I guess the real benefit of the campaign to the homeless here is that they might not know about GrandCentral without it.

    That said, my Mom doesn’t know about GrandCentral, and she and my dad live in a nice home. Google’s next campaign: “Free Phone Number and Voice Mail for All Mothers of Adult Children.”

19. Michael Arrington
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 6:45 pm

    “a new low” - my point is…wait for it…that exploiting the homeless for a marketing gimmick is rather pathetic. If Google wanted to do something, they should donate a boatload of cash to Community Voice Mail.

    http://www.cvm.org/

20. Jesse Farmer
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 6:50 pm

    Michael,

    Wait, you’re now lambasting Google for being self-interested? Of course Google had something to gain. OMG corporations!

    Besides, it’s not like they’re saying, “Hey, homeless, you now have GC invite codes. Come and sign up!” They’re working with the city of SF to roll this out.

21. Michael Arrington
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 6:52 pm

    Jesse - You say “They’re working with the city of SF to roll this out.” But what you mean is, the city of San Francisco is helping google get new users for their Grand Central service, don’t you?

22. Jack
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 6:53 pm

    Michael, I totally agree! I was reading Techcrunch with all my homeless buds in a nice alley today, and they were all like “shit, I’ve been on GrandCentral for a year!” and “Stick it to ‘em, Arrington!”

    You’ve got a HUGE following among the homeless, Michael!

23. Jesse Farmer
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:00 pm

    Michael,

    Yes, users who would particularly benefit from the service. So?

    And now I see you’ve substantially changed the text of the article. Oops. I guess your original, more flippant post, just wouldn’t do.

    I don’t really feel like commenting on a moving target, though.

    Cheers!

24. Matt
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:01 pm

    wow… talk about a riot in here…

    I could be wrong, but what I think Michael Arrington, of Tech Crunch (who recently announced his pledge to provide TechCrunch free to the homeless of San Fansisco), is trying to call Google out on is the flurry around their “charity”.

    God’s honest charity should be done in the vein of “don’t let your left hand see what your right hand is doing”. And Google is taking an uncharacteristic “Look at me!” stance with this. (Clearly this is Google and their board being responsible to their stockholders by trying to drum up as much Pro-Google sentiment as they can in these hard times.)

25. Scott Rafer
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:03 pm

    Michael,
    Please check with local experts when they are available. It’s all about SF politics, and the gimmick is Mayor Newsom’s not Google’s. I’m generally a supporter of this mayor, but his terrible Care-not-Cash program ripped prepaid mobile phones out of the hands of many working homeless — the people who have the best shot to get themselves out of trouble. They are often doing day work for employers who know the phone numbers at the homeless shelters and will not call them or accept calls from them.

    GrandCentral and similar services provide the Mayor with some air cover and are at least a mediocre replacement for prepaid phones in this use case.

26. Corey
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:03 pm

    Wow, do you all really think these 4,000 new users are the users Google is dying to get. I’m sure their licking their chops at the billions they’re going to make by all of these homeless individuals signing up for the eventual “premium” features where Google will actually make their money. To argue that this is just to gain users is ignorant.

    Furthermore, just because Google gets good PR doesn’t mean wasn’t done for the right reasons. Stating that GC has been offering this for a year is silly because a private beta is not exactly the sort of thing a homeless individual would know about. This is a great effort and should roll out nation wide. If Google gets free publicity, fine by me!

27. Michael Arrington
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:03 pm

    Jesse - yeah, i highlighted the fact that they did this same thing two years ago. I know a changing post can make commenting difficult, I apologize for that.

    Look, all I’m trying to say is, just because you see “HOMELESS,” doesn’t mean their motives are pure. I call bullshit on this. It’s easy to say I’m anti-homeless based on that and score comment points. But there’s an issue here that is worth discussing.

28. Ben Tucker
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:04 pm

    For the record, here was the original version of the article:

    GrandCentral Launches, But Only If You’re Homeless
    2/28/08 8:55 PM Michael Arrington

    Most companies target early adopters with their new products, hoping those users will tell all of their friends all about it. But not GrandCentral, the company Google acquired for $50 million in July 2007. They just pulled off a huge marketing stunt, and it appears to be working.

    GrandCentral hasn’t actually launched - it’s in private beta and you have to get someone to invite you (get one here through our InviteShare service). On Wednesday, though, the company announced that any homeless person in San Francisco will soon be able to sign up and get a free local phone number and voicemail. Mayor Newsom then threw in a bunch of sound bites about how this will “empower” the homeless, improve their morale, etc.

    What they are offering the homeless is simply the GrandCentral product - they already give you a phone number and voicemail, and it’s already free. The only difference is that they are guaranteeing it will be free for life to the homeless. And knowing Google, there’s a good chance it will be free for life for everyone else, too.

    I wonder if Google can pull off the same stunt in the future for new products. Free cloud storage for the homeless, anyone?

    Brilliant. Absurd, but brilliant.

29. Michael Arrington
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:05 pm

    Scott - great comment. I’m going to pull that up to the post in an update.

30. Michael Arrington
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:08 pm

    actually, ben, that was the second version. I rewrote it twice as I thought about it more.

31. Bob Jones
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:08 pm

    What a pointless move, not just the sleaze in trumpetting an already free product to homeless people for free, but the idea voice mail helps people? Does it? Can they live in their voice mail? I imagine it is one of the last things a homeless person worries about, sort of a nice idea - but using it as some PR stunt is plain sleazy, how many homeless people will be helped really?

32. Jesse Farmer
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:08 pm

    Michael,

    Care to post the first, or is it too far down the memory hole?

33. A geek
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:09 pm

    michael - how much time or money did you donate to charity last year?

34. Michael Arrington
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:10 pm

    Jesse - no, it’s gone. but it was extremely harsh too.

35. Matt
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:10 pm

    Is it good to be charitable to the homeless, especially for a global powerhouse like Google to be charitable to the homeless in their own backyard? Yes. Does it somewhat make my stomach turn to see the upper-class exploit the homeless in a public campaign to gain political and commercial favor? Yes.

36. Matt
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:14 pm

    @#32 … see #24

37. Scott Rafer
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:15 pm

    @Michael. thank you.

38. Michael Arrington
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 7:16 pm

    A geek - you mean stuff over and above providing TechCrunch free to the homeless?

39. Craig Walker
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 8:33 pm

    Michael:

    When Vincent and I founded GrandCentral in early 2006, we realized early on that the service could also help the homeless in real meaningful way and we’ve been big fans of Project Homeless Connect since the first one we attended in April 2006.

    The point of the announcement yesterday was not to restate the goals of Project CARE but to announce that we are taking Project CARE beyond showing up to these bi-monthly events and are now developing a self-service portal for agencies to be able to create these accounts directly for the homeless people they serve on a daily basis. It was also to announce that we are working directly with the Mayor’s Homeless Policy Director, Dariush Kayhan, to help us develop that portal to fully fill the needs of these agencies. The announcement also was to highlight how now that Google is behind Project CARE that we will have the resources to extend this service to homeless individuals nationwide.

    I love reading your blog, enjoyed the Crunchies, and loved the TechCrunch 40 party, but think you might have missed the point on this one though.

    Craig

40. Michael Arrington
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 8:48 pm

    Craig - that sounds great, but that’s not what the source article at MSNBC says, including your quotes in that article, which talk about how great it is to get a phone number if you’re homeless (not how you are expanding an existing program). Perhaps they took the story and ran with it without doing any research (to find out its been around forever), but this pretty much looked like a second announcement party. So I very well may have missed the point, but I’m not sure anyone else got it, either.

41. Dear stupid Michael,
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 8:52 pm

    May you read again your comment and think few seconds.

    “(…) even better marketing gimmick is if they made the homeless people wear Google tshirts all the time. Wait, that’s free clothing for the homeless!”

    Google, or Grand Central, contributes to some of the greatest innovations that make like simpler and make high technologies affordable. As homeless people spend as much time as M. Arrington spends to get the news and to know how to adopt those innovations, Google has to partner with NGOs in order to distribute their “already-free-products” to - usually unattainable - segments.

    Let’s develop a technology to make T-shirts at zero cost and offer it free to homeless. Then, your comment would meaningful, you’d be admired and get a press coverage.

    You sould make a post about Google Earth Outreach and explain us how Google monetizes environmental catastrophes or, even better, exploit the Darfur tragedy to boost its sales. I trust you to forget to say that promoting Google Earth Outreach gives a voice to charities and that many NGOs woudn’t have been convinced to adopt G. Earth without this promotion.

    I need - and like - bloggers for bringing me information and analyses. But what a pity to see that you can make pretence of stupidity to expose an “original” point of view. Don’t hunt evil down blindly, especially if there’s only commercial interest balanced with good will.

42. ZiZi
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 8:55 pm

    I agree with Michael, not sure why people missing the point here, they announced that they are going to let homeless people breath air for free.
    Now, if google paid the homeless to have a phone now that would be something.

43. Nicolas Herbeault
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 9:16 pm

    The strategy for Google is quite clear. Paid services has never been welcome but free and good services, even backed with advertising, is a good way to increase sign ups. And lastly, Google has a culture of “free”, so, they will always do this…

44. Dyde
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 9:29 pm

    This might be a great move by Google, with the increasing foreclosures, they’ll be reaching an increasing target audience

45. Mike M.
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 9:37 pm

    Mike,

    This is one of the best comment conversations ever - Hilarious. I’m all for doing good things for the community and Google’s done their fair share. It’s funny that you’d get razed for calling out their marketing gimmick.

    Google, you have a cool product and you give it away for free (to everyone, not JUST the homeless). Let’s leave it at that.

46. Sammy
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 9:54 pm

    I don’t see any problem if Google gives out free branded t-shirts to the homeless. Why not? Serves the needy and serves Google.

    And am sure several people have PAID to wear a branded t-shirt - at least the homeless are doing it out of necessity unlike us suckers

47. Ravi
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 9:55 pm

    Michael, I can kind of see where you were coming from — I too remember hearing about this way back when.

    Something of note however — I remember doing some research on GrandCentral a few months back and found that they were giving away free phone numbers/voicemails to homeless individuals in SF *before* GrandCentral ever launched as the product we now know it to be. Just to point out that Craig and the guys at GC really are altruistic about the endeavor.

48. Mike M.
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 10:06 pm

    Fair enough Ravi… good point.

49. gilltots
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 10:14 pm

    man i’m “bummed” - i met this awesome chick at the bar, and she gave me her number…but she never answers my calls! i always have to leave a voicemail…what’s the deal??

    i guess i should have known when she kept having me buy her beers in a paper bag…

50. Alex
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 10:20 pm

    @39 Craig
    OK. I’ve got to call bullshit here.

    Michael A,
    I can’t believe it, but I agree with you 100% on this observation:)
    If GOOG really wants to help the homeless get jobs they would offer free websites and GOOG ads. Yes, this means Mr. Rogers who is homeless would have a adsense ad appear above Monster.com.

    On another note I’d like to personally congratulate Craig and Vincent for pulling the wool over GOOG and getting $50M for GC. What a joke! What on gods green earth have you guys done to add shareholder value (REVENUE!). GOOG bought a company that truly had a cute UI, but zero horsepower under the hood.

51. levi
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 10:22 pm

    in the jewish community center in murcia spain we too offer free voice mail VOIP calls with gtalk gizmo project and free soup..
    after all we are jewish and a siesta from the world we are spanish also

    http://ayunt.murcia.googlepages.com/home

52. Paul
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 10:47 pm

    Michael - you’re right on with this one. Please stop trying to answer the complaints of politically correct whiners (”if you’d only spent time with the homeless, as we saints do…”). It’s unnecessary and undignified, and it just feeds their destructive neuroses.

53. Tom M
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 11:09 pm

    It’s always tough to discern the intentions of a large company like Google. On the one hand, they can be opportunistic, donating a yard of carrots to a band of starving horses who all end up with a “G” branded on their hind side. And then they can have pure intentions with a near impossibility of remaining anonymous, if they wanted to.

    I think Craig Walker’s comment was honest, for no other reason than it seemed so (that’s just me). It’s not impossible for even the great dark Microsoft to do something for pure philanthropic reasons though we’re usually skeptical of such notions. We have to use our historical exposure to try and identify the difference.

    Could it be that this fruit was hanging so low that you couldn’t resist jumping on the big “G”? And with all of the comments and time to reflect, is it not possible to say, “hey, some good folks inside Google (not the goog itself) might have just tried to bring to bear the power of their org to make something good happen?” After all of the comments and time to reflect?

    We all have jumped on something that seems obvious only to find that our conclusions were premature and incorrect but what makes us credible is using the same force with which we tackled someone to stand them up and correct our own selves. Dunno if you need to here but it seems worth investigating.

54. Sundar
    

    February 28th, 2008 at 11:56 pm

    http://www.babajob.com/ goes one step further. (If you understand the dynamics in India, you can appreciate this better.)

55. Bryan
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 12:19 am

    Hey Craig Walker -

    OK, this move puts GC back in the headlines for a bit. Can we make any assumptions about when we’ll see GC with some forward momentum again?

    I use the service and like it, but it has a few little issues which, if I don’t see movement within a month or so (at most!), will force me to leave GC for a paid service. Please don’t play possum for 16+ months, then resurface with half the features gobe, as the Jot folks did.

    Any news at all would be welcomed, Craig.

56. Michael Arrington
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 12:37 am

    I linked to Craig’s comment in an update to the post, too.

57. Sam I Am
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 1:51 am

    I like how you slid the nicely SEO’d link text in there for the non-profit org Normally all your nicely SEO’d anchor texts go to techcrunch articles only so it’s a welcome change.

58. Tom
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 2:28 am

    Hi Michael, I am disappointed to see you frame Project CARE and Project Homeless Connect in such a negative light. I think it is wonderful, and I look forward to seeing such a great service help more people across the entire nation. I hope to see more “publicity stunts” like this from other companies, and I look forward to hearing more about how technology is being used to help those in need.

59. Mark
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 4:47 am

    “pro homeless” is wrong on so many levels…

60. scratchiti
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 7:38 am

    Michael, the link isn’t to Craig’s comment, it’s to the Grand Central site. You may just want to pull his comment into the body of the post like you did with that other comment - I think it’s a really fair defense, especially since you were using another article to base your story on. Good to get a primary source in there.

    I actually generally hate when people get on here and complain about your reporting, but I have to say I’m a bit disappointed to find out this was based on some main-stream media report that you just re-hashed and opined on. I come on here because I think you and your writers get technology in a way that the mainstream media just doesn’t.

61. Matt
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 8:04 am

    IT’s funny to see someone mention “dark lord MS” when referring to charitable contributions.

    For starters, Bill and Melinda gates are the largest charitable donators in the entire world, they give more than the rest of the top contributors combined (if you do not include the massive giving away of an entire fortune by warren buffet, but that still doesn’t eve bring buffet close the Bill and Melinda’s all time charity spree…) (sure, being the richest man in the world helps… but look at the % of worth that the Gates’ delegate to charitable causes vs. the % of Larry or Sergeys worth that is thusly delegated, hell combine the entire Google board and add up all their percentages… what’s that? You’re very surprised to see that The Google is a selfish corporate hog and MS might have actually been the good guys all along? OMG wht have we done… ). Paul Allen was no slouch either in his heyday and still funds SETI, the search for intelligent extra terrestrial life (something the gov’t stopped funding and Allen has since bankrolled of his own private funds).

    The hands that rocked the cradle at MS are very compassionate and kind hands indeed. So what if you think that MS as a company is evil, the fact remains that the private fortunes accrued as a result of MS’s success have been largely used to do more good on a global scale than anyone in these comments is willing to comprehend… (that’s clearly an assumption about the willingness)… and the good was done not for free press or political favortism, it was done for the good of mankind and the needs of dying children. So say what you want about the GC/SF deal… but dammit, don’t go bringing MS into this just because Goog. is in it… capiche.

    What these people have done for charity is Give…. its a sacrifice to give of your own to someone in need. It means you could have t, but instead you let them have it. It is NOT here, we’ll put together an interface that will allow your local townships to sign up the areas homeless for our already free service.

    Now to Craig… I’m sure you guys “acknowledged” the benefit to the homeless but I know beyond the shadow of all doubt that you did not set out to build GC for the homeless. Since your acquisition you could afford to rent a gymnasium, set up a temporary computer lab complete with Wi-Fi (um.. theres a Google announcement.. Google provdes electricity and Internet Connection for Bay Area Homeless Job Fair), provide a hot dinner, activities for children and teach the areas homeless to use the computer, sign up for GC themselves, looks for jobs and even work with select employers (aka partners for your big press release) to set up opportunities for wiling-to-work homeless… etc… you did not fucking do that, you did the least possible amount you could so stop acting like you deserve some sort of pat on the back. Do the Job Fair then i’ll be amazed at your zest to help the homeless… Mike was right to call you out, right to call Google and the Mayor out… you’ve exploited the homeless people for your own personal gain and self satisfaction and that’s nothing short if despicable… then to come defend yourself… you should be ashamed. You were better off letting Mike have his rant than coming in here and laying in front of the wolves…. silly little bastard.

    I think (even after reading the “Second” version, that Mike is not against the homeless.. he is trying to stup up to the plate for the homeless, “Don’t exploit us for you own public image, please… unless, you know, you really are going to GIVE us something.”

62. SG
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 8:13 am

    Homeless people need a place to stay i.e. home. If Google with the loads of cash that they have can address that then you can see some philanthropy in, but this act of giving a homeless person free voice mail is silly.
    Like the biggest worry a homeless person in this SFO winter is a free voicemail!

    Compounded by the fact that it was already free.

    BTW, how does the homeless person access his/her voice mails? Have the Google folks cut a deal with service providers of the world for provide computers and internet access?

    Are these guys loosing their mind and running out of marketing ideas?

    SG

63. Velioncho
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 9:44 am

    If somebody donates millions with mere intention of getting publicity, I am fine with it as long as poor gets help. However, here the point Mike is trying to make is the fact that somebody trying get Marketorial gains by announcing free as free. That is terrible considering that somebody is a huge giant like Google.

    Mike has master the art of debate.

64. Keith
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 10:30 am

    @55 Bryan

    Bravo. As another early adopter of GC, they have been real slacking, despite their promises, since the Google acquisition. To come out with this refried press release is insulting.

    GC- I am all for charity and see the value of the concept, but let’s focus on the core business here and move beyond 2 years ago. I feel like I am stuck in a LOST time shift.

65. Jesse Farmer
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 10:32 am

    @62:

    Talk to someone who works with the homeless. Not having a phone number you can give to lenders, banks, landlords, potential employers, etc. is a huge barrier.

    Many homeless do have access to phones at places like homeless shelters, pay phones, or a pay-as-you-go cellphone (which usually don’t come with *free* voicemail).

    @63:

    That is was free is inconsequential — do you expect a homeless person to ferret out a private beta invite and sign up at grandcentral.com? Remember that many homeless people have mental and physical health issues.

    Google has the image and heft to make this happen. Lots of smaller NPOs have tried this but found it difficult to maintain the service. I know of at least two organizations here in SF that had to stop for budgetary reasons.

66. SG
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 11:36 am

    Jesse,
    Thanks for response. I have obviously not worked with the homeless so don’t have any ideas about homeless people talking to lenders, bankers, landlords and employers.
    I am not a person who hates or has any negative feelings about homeless people. Just the mere fact that they are homeless makes me conclude that they do not have money to get a place to rent and live, which also means that they do not have a job so I would assume the first act of generosity would be to help them get jobs and help them earn money. (Maybe GC can hire them for stuff that they can afford them to pay). I would have done that first.

    Thanks
    SG

67. Audrey
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 1:35 pm

    I can’t believe how divided we all are on this news stunt - I think we’re all on the same page that the premise is great, and understand that a number is important to get the homeless call backs for employment. This stunt just goes back to self-promotion and personally i think my pet peeve is that we need to focus on FUNDAMENTAL BASIC NEEDS (redundant) such as health, food, water, shelter .. literacy - before we give away free VOICEMAIL - it just seems backwards to me. And honestly as a PR professional, it blows me away that mainstream media continues to cover every single move Google makes and yet won’t give us the time of day to hear what other small companies are doing that are really making a difference.

    Happy Friday All!

    - Audrey

68. Steve Albertson
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 3:00 pm

    Hi. I work for Community Voice Mail, the nonprofit referenced in the original post that has been providing free voice mail to homeless and “phoneless” people around the U.S. since 1993. We’re actually really excited about Google’s announcement, because it means that more people who can’t afford a phone will have access to at least a phone number. The FCC says that nearly 6 million households are without telephone service in the U.S., and we know from experience that having a phone number to write on a job application or to give to a health care worker/social worker can mean the difference between access to resources or continued isolation. To us, a voice mail box is an efficient, effective means to obtain those “fundamental basic needs” that Audrey (#67) mentions. If you’re seeking a job that may result in shelter, food, water, safety, etc. and you don’t have a number to give to a potential employer, those “basics” are a lot harder to get.

    Google has a voice product, and now they’re offering it directly to some homeless individuals and to agencies in San Francisco who can give it to their clients. It’s a good model (we’ve been using it for more than a decade!), and it will have an impact. I think having a large, smart, innovative company putting some focus on this is a very good thing.

69. Ovande Furtado
    

    February 29th, 2008 at 9:58 pm

    give me a break michael,

    at the end, it does not matter whether or not Google is trying to promote GC or not. The important thing is that the service is being useful for homeless people.

    These people are in need of everything and the only thing you can think is to judge those who provide them with some help? It does not matter how the help is arriving… what matters is that the help IS arriving…

    BWT, although i like the content of this site, it will not matter if you give them access to your site for “free”. They are not much interested in the content of these articles, but rather to find a way to answer a phone call from a potential employer that will help them to get back on track with their lives…

70. Marco
    

    March 1st, 2008 at 12:54 pm

    Somehow I don’t get it. Google is giving away virtual phone numbers to homeless people.

    Serious, I’m thinking all day long about it… and just don’t understand why a homeless person from Frisco would want a phone number in Houston.

    Where exactly is the sense? People who doesn’t have a home, a place to sleep and probably not even 1 dollar in their picket… HOW would they sign up for GrandCentral or edit GC’s settings?

    Yes, sure they spent their last dime for a cyber cafe…

    Like one other said before… if Google would give away cell phones to homeless people, THAT would be a great idea, but a GC account sounds RIDICOLOUS!

71. David Mackey
    

    March 1st, 2008 at 7:47 pm

    I like what GC’s doing…I hope it helps…

72. Mark Mathson
    

    March 3rd, 2008 at 9:55 am

    Kudos to GC for doing what they are doing. Project CARE is worth an announcement any time of the year.

    I have been doing some silly speculating on what is going on with GC: http://keenpath.com/archives/2.....ndcentral/