Comments on: My Worst Prediction Ever: Corporate Leisure Time

By: christian

christian — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:17:36 +0000

I agree with Roth. It seems to me that the predominant trend has been away from “philanthropic work” towards more “synergistic nonprofit” work. Point-in-case is Google’s annual April Fool’s day prank: http://www.google.com/intl/en_us/landing/cadie
It drew attention to google’s other products, pointing google search users to gmail, google docs, google earth, etc.

In the last 10 years, a number of corporations have been important, high-profile sponsors of open source software. It has some of the aspects of Bell Labs style research, only outsourced!

By: Jonathan Roth

Jonathan Roth — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:34:17 +0000

To a certain extent, you were right. They might have had to cut back on it due to the recent economy, but google has (had?) an 80/20 system where some of their people could spent 20 per cent of company time working on a \"pro bono publica\" project rather than something directly profit related. This (if I recall correctly) resulted in a program that examine pictures, can tell which ones were taken from the same place, reconstruct that area and help authorites find missing and exploited children.

By: Fred Swetland

Fred Swetland — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:56:48 +0000

@Mike W: Back when I worked for a large health insurance company (_____, I’m Glad I Met Ya!) I was also allowed a couple days a year to participate in community enrichment/volunteer projects. However, I always had the impression that my company used it as a cynical attempt to ameliorate the public perception of their business. Of course, that may just be my own cynical view coloring everything around me.

By: Stefan Jones

Stefan Jones — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:46:17 +0000

Bonuses are a symptom. The disease is short-term thinking, short-term planning, and a get-rich-quick-and-get-out career model.

By: Mike Woodhouse

Mike Woodhouse — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:46:40 +0000

While I wouldn’t for a second claim that it’s either widespread or deeply embedded in corporate culture, I’d say that - in some places at least - the tiniest of seeds are germinating.

The large German bank for which I work has a program whereby volunteers can spend a few (I just checked - two) days a year working on various sponsored community projects - on the company dime (or euro).

Not much, but more than nothing.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:42:35 +0000

Amen, brother. The acquisition of wealth for wealth’s sake became a goal, without any other motivation. Honestly, I don’t see how the people who make that kind of money can possibly need it. I suppose it is possible to spend it all, but beyond a certain point the act of acquiring more wealth than you can possibly use becomes a mental illness, like filling up your house with garbage that you pick up on the side of the road.