Google is diving into the public policy waters in a very, well, public way — the company has opened an internal policy blog to the public and will allow comments from readers. The initial burst of articles, previously published only for Google internal use, covers topics ranging from net neutrality to immigration to visits to the legendary and mysterious Googleplex by John McCain and John Edwards. The site’s also looking at policy-related uses of Google tools — such as a Google Maps mashup created by Sen. Ben Nelson’s office that combines stories, pictures and video of a recent trip to Iraq.
Here’s what the unveiling post says about the new site:
We’re seeking to do public policy advocacy in a Googley way. Yes, we’re a multinational corporation that argues for our positions before officials, legislators, and opinion leaders. At the same time, we want our users to be part of the effort, to know what we’re saying and why, and to help us refine and improve our policy positions and advocacy strategies. With input and ideas from our users, we’ll surely do a better job of fighting for our common interests.
This blog is part of the dialogue we’re hoping to foster.
Thanks to Search Engine Watch for the catch.
– cpd