It is heartwarming to see Google’s recent strategies to introduce its services to the lives of Internet users. Heartwarming? Yes! While Google has had every opportunity in the world to bundle products and look for ways to tie users’ arms behind their backs to force them to pay as much as they wallets will allow, the Google team continues to take the higher road, offering more for less (most often nothing) and promoting its products and services by looking to make a social impact. Most recently, Google partnered with Global SchoolNet to promote an 80 school-wide online brainstorm of strategies for combating global warming. Google may be shamelessly pushing its new Google Docs & Spreadsheets, but it doesn’t seem quite so shameless when they are also endeavoring to promote both environmental sustainability strategies and the education of America’s youth on real world issues.

I am reminded of Google’s other recent partnership, with the University of California at Berkeley, to bring more than 100 introductory-level lectures online through Google Video. Again, they are endeavoring to incorporate Google products and services into out lives, but who cares when they are promoting them by trying to make the world a better, smarter place?