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The Artist Leaving the Googleplex

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Re: The Artist Leaving the Googleplex

#41

Post by asuffield »

curiouscat321 wrote: post #31
asuffield wrote: post #10

(Tedious disclaimer: my opinion only, not speaking for anybody else. I'm an SRE at Google.) > sometimes mining information to leak to organizer friends > After 9–12 hours on campus I would fill my Google-issued bag with Naked juices and to-go containers of food for my roommates So... deliberate violation of the corporate NDA (which is massively disrespectful to the other people who work here) and stealing food from t…

The NDA is inexcusable. The food though...seems like everybody does it.

> The food though...seems like everybody does it.

The people who work here are the sort of people who don't, and that's intentional. Enjoy the things that are provided, but understand the context and intent behind them and don't abuse them. We get to have these things because we collectively take responsibility for not abusing them. That's how you avoid the tragedy of the commons - if everybody abused them then we'd have to stop having them so freely available.

Re: The Artist Leaving the Googleplex

#42

Post by jankassens »

freditup wrote: post #39
curiouscat321 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The NDA is inexcusable. The food though...seems like everybody does it.

I've often taken a drink or a snack from the office for later in the evening or the next day. Never considered that this might be frowned upon. On the other hand, taking large quantities of items frequently seems like an abuse of a perk.

That's how I understand it. "fill my bag with juices" is not the same as taking a snack for later.

Re: The Artist Leaving the Googleplex

#43

Post by [deleted] »

asuffield wrote: post #41
curiouscat321 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The NDA is inexcusable. The food though...seems like everybody does it.

> The food though...seems like everybody does it. The people who work here are the sort of people who don't, and that's intentional. Enjoy the things that are provided, but understand the context and intent behind them and don't abuse them. We get to have these things because we collectively take responsibility for not abusing them. That's how you avoid the tragedy of the commons - if everybody abused them then we'd…

[deleted]

Re: The Artist Leaving the Googleplex

#44

Post by qzxvwt »

kapitza wrote: post #9

What I find most interesting about this piece is the awesome lifestyle of flitting from grant to grant as a semi-celebrity in the international jet-set art world. Also lets you feel good about "leaking" your employer's information to "organizers." Take that, employer! And best of all, you get to use the word "show" as a nontransitive verb, as in "I showed at Venice." Apparently this lifestyle is only available if you…

>the awesome lifestyle of flitting from grant to grant as a semi-celebrity in the international jet-set art world

This reads like a snide remark toward art and artists in general... if it is, why?

Re: The Artist Leaving the Googleplex

#45

Post by brudgers »

mc32 wrote: post #32
asuffield wrote: post #10

(Tedious disclaimer: my opinion only, not speaking for anybody else. I'm an SRE at Google.) > sometimes mining information to leak to organizer friends > After 9–12 hours on campus I would fill my Google-issued bag with Naked juices and to-go containers of food for my roommates So... deliberate violation of the corporate NDA (which is massively disrespectful to the other people who work here) and stealing food from t…

I think that works for any kind of voluntary grouping. When people abuse a cultural conventions and other implicit taboos for personal gain it's really detrimental to the larger group. Now, sure, he might see the larger group as his foe, and so be it, and so it's their privilege to let this kind of person go (and to keep them would undermine group cohesion). It's like someone coming from a culture where people patien…

According to the article, the author was neither hired nor fired by Google. The author worked on campus for a contractor.

Re: The Artist Leaving the Googleplex

#46

Post by GooglyMoogly »

freditup wrote: post #39
curiouscat321 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The NDA is inexcusable. The food though...seems like everybody does it.

I've often taken a drink or a snack from the office for later in the evening or the next day. Never considered that this might be frowned upon. On the other hand, taking large quantities of items frequently seems like an abuse of a perk.

I've heard multiple times that taking food home is "ungoogly". I can't remember exactly where, but I think at least once in one of the many training/ethics videos I had to watch.

Re: The Artist Leaving the Googleplex

#47

Post by eru »

freditup wrote: post #39
curiouscat321 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The NDA is inexcusable. The food though...seems like everybody does it.

I've often taken a drink or a snack from the office for later in the evening or the next day. Never considered that this might be frowned upon. On the other hand, taking large quantities of items frequently seems like an abuse of a perk.

It's well tolerated within bounds. Regularly feeding your roommates seems well outside those bounds.

Re: The Artist Leaving the Googleplex

#48

Post by eru »

eropple wrote: post #16
rdtsc wrote: post #8

I think the problem with Google is that it advertised (still does?) itself, in a rather believable way, as being be diverse, fun, everyone working together -- developers, janitors and artists all holding hands creating a brigher tomorrow and perhaps fighting against evil. Well it worked for me back then, I really did believe Google was "Don't Be Evil" kind of company and so on, vis-a-vis say Microsoft, or say Walmart…

> So you see, Google took advantage of that image, and it worked out great for them. The problem is as soon as they went that way it became a high risk game, because from then on they will be judged according to that standard. Among people who are aware of that standard, I agree with you. On the other, sadder hand, I think that, to most people, Google really is Just Another Company. And we expect companies--except ma…

Why single out Apple? They aren't that nice to their employees.

And if you single out Apple, you can also single out Amazon: they may treat their employees badly by Google standards, but I am delighted to be their customer.

Re: The Artist Leaving the Googleplex

#49

Post by eru »

qzxvwt wrote: post #44
kapitza wrote: post #9

What I find most interesting about this piece is the awesome lifestyle of flitting from grant to grant as a semi-celebrity in the international jet-set art world. Also lets you feel good about "leaking" your employer's information to "organizers." Take that, employer! And best of all, you get to use the word "show" as a nontransitive verb, as in "I showed at Venice." Apparently this lifestyle is only available if you…

>the awesome lifestyle of flitting from grant to grant as a semi-celebrity in the international jet-set art world This reads like a snide remark toward art and artists in general... if it is, why?

Nah, kapitza is complaining about the author of the piece, who seems to be a big prick.

Re: The Artist Leaving the Googleplex

#50

Post by eru »

I_HALF_CATS wrote: post #23
golergka wrote: post #3

OK, so this guy's problem with Google is that it doesn't give all of its perks to all employees? Why the hell would the company treat employees from significantly different labour markets the same way in the first place? Is there some crazy assumption that any employee should be equally valuable to the company?

Uh, working 4am to 2:15pm has nothing to do with meal perks.

I wonder why they don't just hire people in a better timezone.

(Though eg bakers in Germany got up even earlier to make fresh bread every day.)

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