I want to say Thank You Google, for 1998 formation & mission to improve as many lives as possible.
When I was a little girl, I was enamored w/the blue leather bound Encyclopedia Britannica's we had in our home library. Pouring through pages, allowing eyes & heart to devour taxonamies & histories. I wanted to soak up everything.
I remember someone in our close family, mentioning one of the Britannica founders, was a "relative". I was too young, it was too far "out there", we'd never met. Then, in late 80's in Santa Cruz, my adopted family were investors, Dot Com boom. Men from IBM & Mac came over to talk about important things. (Everyone cashed out.)
Both in my early environment & original home before that, I wasn't aware, that 90% of the world, may not have access. If an individual is informed, they can break through barriers, even if other odds are against them.
I closed an investment I'd made, 12/31/12, in SF, and within 6 mos, with 2 travel bags, I left, to explore. In 2 days, it will be my ten year anniversary of having made that decision.
I have always "FELT" like resources were available to me, whether true or untrue. Spending so much of career in auditing, research, reporting, I have "go-to" resources, usually gov't or private equity, and assume I'll get what I need. Some projects, I couldn't get what I needed, on my own. I felt like I had to humble myself & CALL another more experienced, w/more connections, more insight, asking for their help. They knew, exactly what to do, and I got what I asked for.
If I had to resort to that, it would extend a project, by a week or sometimes, MONTHS. A couple projects, I had to change the Diagram and YEAR, of completion.
But with Google, you guys, have changed the entire playing field.
A tech guy, asked me to sign up to Google, when it was invite only, in 2003. I did. His friend was a software engineer for them, and the two of them, were like kids in a candy store. You could see in their faces, all the things they knew, that they were keeping to themselves. Their joy though, shone through.
Something totally shifted for me this summer, when a gov't contract, where I'm ensured payment, was delayed, not from them, but from the effects of traveling, and all the disruptions that travel & project work, can have. I hadn't felt dis-empowered like that, well, I could not even place a time. I asked myself if I wanted to "freak-out" for two seconds then get over-it, and realized that NO, it wasn't even that big, as Google had solved those problems. Even w/o "resources", even w/o fancy or preferred tools, I could still find what I needed to know, completing my projects, because of Google.
I used to believe in privatization, and that education should be accessible to all, but Resources were going to be dependent on Socioeconomic Status. Now though, I can see why Google wants to empower everyone. Google is making tools, that make things better, without discrimination as to class. Thank you.
