well, these days it can begin anywhere!
This from the folks at Microsoft's Virtual Earth for Government Blog
regarding one of their colleague's online surveys:
Chris [Technical Evangelist on the Virtual Earth team] just posted surveys on his blog to solicit your feedback on your needs and requirements for a mapping platform. The survey for Public Sector customers can be found here. As a token of our appreciation, Microsoft will donate $10 to International Services of American Red Cross on behalf of each participant who completes the survey. As an additional benefit, your voice will be heard by the Virtual Earth product team.
That's pretty cool. I hope they get lots of feedback. Oh, and, steal this idea! Maybe instead of thanking the speakers at your conference with chocolates or wine, you can make a donation to your or their favorite charity?