蟬師的選擇

今期Economist報導Google.org的阿頭Larry Brilliant. Google.org 很快便有一個超過1,000個ideas的list. 之後便把它縮成11個世界的"biggest, most imminent, least well resourced problems". Core initiatives有三大範圍:

1. fighting climate change (a particular obsession of Messrs Brin and Page);
2. economic development (a passion of Sheryl Sandberg, the unseen driving force behind the creation of Google.org); and
3. building an early-warning system for pandemics and other disasters—something Dr Brilliant wished for when he won the 2006 TED Prize, which first brought him to Google's attention.

他們尤其希望information的流通可以提高public service的水準. 和幫助發展中國家的中小企業.

但我不明白怎麼有些area他們拒絕涉足:

1. getting involved in microfinance, which Dr Brilliant thinks is now awash with money, or
2. trying to eradicate a disease (something he found especially hard to let go, given his personal history in the battle against smallpox).