

SnapDeal.com helps out a small, and very thankful village. - 51Cards
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/06/17/india.village.name/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

======
noelsequeira
At the risk of sounding like a complete cynic, isn't this nothing more than a
shameless PR plug? And I think the bigger villain here isn't said company or
their PR agency, it's CNN for carrying this crocodile-tear-jerking piece.

And if you're considering the "every little step counts and must be lauded"
counter-argument, spare a thought for every faceless, deserving non-profit
that's doing genuine, sustainable, long-term grassroots work and doesn't
receive a shred of credit / support, let alone a mention from the mainstream
media.

To quote from the article:

 _Story Highlights: The residents of Shiv Nagar changed the village name to
SnapDeal.com Nagar / They wanted to show their gratitude to the online coupon
company / SnapDeal installed 15 water pumps so that villagers could have
potable water / SnapDeal's founder was tossed from the United States after his
visa expired_

"Tossed"? Really? Yes, immigration laws suck (I should know, I'm Indian), but
I'm certain it's a lot less dramatic when your visa expires. Let's not
trivialize the effort to improve the immigration status quo by dangling
insinuations that extol pseudo-philanthropy.

What hurts me most, though, is that this hit the front page of HN.

</rant>

~~~
asanwal
Whoa - why the bitterness?

Sure there are non-profits that do a lot of good but that doesn't mean what
Snapdeal has done is not worthy of recognition nor does it mean CNN should not
cover them. And because Snapdeal is a startup likely busy trying to make
money, scale, etc, their action is "unexpected" and perhaps more newsworthy as
a result. Unfortunately, "Red Cross helps village" would not be a particularly
interesting story for CNN or any news outlet.

Yes - it is good PR for Snapdeal and whether it was a calculated PR move or
just a good action being rewarded with press (I think it's the latter), it
shouldn't matter. They did some good and if this was actually a calculated PR
move, good for them for finding a PR hack that gets them onto CNN while
actually doing some substantive good work at the same time.

And last somewhat unrelated point, as a fellow Indian (Indian-American), I
always find it curious and somewhat unfortunate that there is a contingent of
"the tribe" that can't just be happy when others in the "the tribe" do well.
Can't we just be happy for the guy, the village, the company, etc and do
without the scorn?

~~~
noelsequeira
This will be my last response in this thread - I don't wish to troll / waste
my resources on an argument that doesn't deserve them.

 _> why the bitterness_

Because I'm yet to see a more primed-for-PR CSR initiative. At least from a
startup. Much as I'd like to perceive it as being well-intentioned, it smacks
of being the brainchild of a PR agency ("snapdeal.com Nagar" anyone?), which
is all kinds of wrong. I'd have been just as indignant if it were Groupon or
Facebook that pulled this off.

 _> their action is "unexpected" and perhaps more newsworthy as a result_

There's a not-so-fine-line between innovative PR and inappropriate
opportunism, and a responsible company would know better than to cross it. And
that's the beauty of this issue - you're damned if you take a stand against
it, because "they did help a poor village after all". If, as a business, you
really wish to be an ameliorating influence, do it quietly - don't pimp
poverty for PR. There are always other ways to grab eyeballs.

 _> as a fellow Indian (Indian-American), I always find it curious and
somewhat unfortunate that there is a contingent of "the tribe" that can't just
be happy when others in the "the tribe" do well._

That I'm afraid, is the classic ad hominem. Please read the parent comment
once again and point out one instance where I've expressed disdain or envy for
the company / the founder's success. As I've already said, I'd have been just
as enraged had this been any other company from any other country. That you
would confuse indignation at a dodgy PR stunt with envy for a fellow Indian
baffles me.

~~~
asanwal
Guess just a difference of perspectives. It's unfortunate that you're willing
to impugn this entire sequence of events and everyone involved despite having
no real evidence that this was in fact done for PR.

But even if it was an elaborate PR effort, there is nothing wrong with
enlightened self-interest. CSR activities of all types by mega-, large and
small corporations can all be viewed with such cynicism, but if an article on
a website and some more visitors to Snapdeal is what it takes to impact some
positive change (water to a village), that sounds like a net positive.

------
chime
> The irony is that none of this might have happened had Bahl's H1B visa had
> not expired. The special visas granted to skilled workers are good only for
> six years. Bahl graduated from the prestigious Wharton School at the
> University of Pennsylvania.

I don't know much about him but just taking a guess that if he could have
extended his visa, he could have worked at some large financial/tech company
as an analyst, like most people on H1Bs. If startup-visa existed, he could've
moved to SV to create something big instead of moving back home. It worked out
well for him and India that his visa expired.

I don't claim to predict the future but the world might have got something
better than a Groupon-clone if people like him could be enticed to form/work-
on startups in SV instead of choosing between large companies that can afford
to sponsor H1Bs or going back home.

------
blackRust
IMHO Good point for the water pumps. Bad for the computers, sure it helps but
maybe not really an immediate need? What are the positive effects of putting
them there apart from the old "education" argument and what percentage of the
village population will benefit from them?

Also I don't see any sustainability in this one village project. Make a
commitment to give a % or fixed amount to help a cause and see your actions
through.

