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At Google, an Employee-Run Email List Tracks Harassment and Bias Complaints

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181–190 of 234 posts

Re: At Google, an Employee-Run Email List Tracks Harassment and Bias Complaints

#181
post #146

"Menustration products in the male restrooms for 'men' who have periods" Thanks for reminding me how insane some people from California are... I almost thought this was a joke.

You do realize there are trans people right?

I don't realize any need to accommodate a delusion

Re: At Google, an Employee-Run Email List Tracks Harassment and Bias Complaints

#182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would guess most subscribers simply like gossip and watching train wrecks.

It's like old days of Gawker.com. You could rationalize that you were doing a true public service by participating in the "name and shame" game. Or you could just be there to take pleasure in other people's misery. Also, look at 'name and shame' subreddits like the SRS communities. Those places are toxic. While I think that there's some value to be had in viewing other people's missteps and learning how to improve ba…

There's no naming and shaming in "Yes, at Google". From the article: "Usually, the people in the complaints are not named."

Re: At Google, an Employee-Run Email List Tracks Harassment and Bias Complaints

#183
post #6
post #2

I'm not a big fan of HR departments, but an open company-wide-readable email list seems like it could have it's own perils. Hopefully it's carefully moderated/anonymized/edited by somebody who is good at that sort of thing.

This has really huge potential for abuse. How do we know the acts happened indeed?

They don't, but I don't think the point of it is to accuse people, you would report to HR and have a proper investigation for that.

From the report, this is fully anonymous on both sides, so it sounds like the purpose is more to learn from mistakes and realize things that we may have done unconsciously, more so than pointing fingers. Like for example, when Eric interrupted the other person as the article say, I doubt they were intentionally trying to be disrespectful and he may not have realized what he did was not nice. But by seeing the impact that some action have had on other people, we can view things from other people's perspective and learn from it.

Re: At Google, an Employee-Run Email List Tracks Harassment and Bias Complaints

#184
post #8

> One employee said that during a one-on-one performance review with a manager, he was told that his rating dropped from "Exceeds" to "Meets" because he didn't get as much done while on paternity leave. If true, that is quite obviously legally actionable.

How do you exceed expectations while not actually working? As a manager, I'd like to know.

Re: At Google, an Employee-Run Email List Tracks Harassment and Bias Complaints

#185
post #66

This is what happens when people have lost faith in the formal process and instead institutionalized gossip as a necessary system for their own protection.

Hah, that's what happens when you pander to people who are easily offended. In any large company, Google included, there are crybullies who will rat you out to HR if you look at them wrong. That's usually their only function, they aren't top performers, because if they were they'd barely have time to sleep, let alone get offended by a comment about their hair or whatever. So they get together, create "intergrouplets" (cringeworthy Google lingo, not mine), and then put it on their yearly performance review because they have little else to mention there. When particularly loud and aggressive, they may even get promoted. Over a period of a decade genie gets out of the bottle and once that happens, you can't put it back. Good people leave in disgust, things deteriorate.

Re: At Google, an Employee-Run Email List Tracks Harassment and Bias Complaints

#186
post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you're in the camp of "It's not racism or bigotry, as long as it's against whites?"

I do not believe that people making fun of Trump's bad tan are motivated by racism, no.

What is your definition of racism?

Re: At Google, an Employee-Run Email List Tracks Harassment and Bias Complaints

#187
post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>the Free Expression tunnel at NC State was spray painted with the confederate battle flag background, his "Hope" pose portrait, and in huge bold black letters the word "NIGGER". Not to minimize it, but I do wonder how often this sort of thing is elaborate trolling versus racism. Especially on a college campus.

I don't see a difference. racist trolling is a form of racism.

Is making fun of a group of people and having no hatred towards them the same thing as actually hating that group?

If I tell a joke about black/asian/latino/ then I'm automatically racist, then I'm exactly the same thing as the KKK and the Westboro Baptist Church?

Re: At Google, an Employee-Run Email List Tracks Harassment and Bias Complaints

#188
post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They just call people what the suppose annoys them most. That is why they call women cunts and men gay or sexist or whatever. Would you say sexism is only over when men are being called cunts and bitches? Actually it seems to me Nigger is a lot softer than Hitler. It basically means "black person I don't like because they are black". Hitler means "psychopathic mass murderer". Besides, this is again the "there is an a…

I don't think that first line is true, most adults are able to be disagreeable without using a slur, such as us. So no, I would say sexism wouldn't exist if people could disagree on merits of discussion instead of any insults (which, by nature of personal attack, immediately invokes all *isms of the victim). Second, there's a huge difference between insulting someone because of their perceived character ("asshole") w…

> most adults are able to be disagreeable without using a slur, such as us

The whole point of an insult is to get the other side angry, not necessarily for it to have roots in reality. I do agree that it's not a good way to have an argument. If I want to insult you I'll look at what hurts you the most.

Here is something that's not being called out as racist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5ulvcqaiM8

> I would say sexism wouldn't exist if people could disagree on merits of discussion instead of any insults (which, by nature of personal attack, immediately invokes all *isms of the victim).

Sexism exists because:

- there are a few actually sexist males and females out there see: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=marissa+mayer+gender+bias&...

- biology is sexist and there is little we can do about that

- sexism can be used as a great excuse for failing and it can be weaponized, you can threaten your boss that you'll call him sexist if you, the female don't get the promotion instead of the more qualified male

What I don't believe exists is: systematic sexism, that I believe is made up to be the ultimate excuse for everything.

> there's a huge difference between insulting someone because of their perceived character ("asshole") with little cultural baggage, and insulting someone for being literally in their own skin with a word that has huge cultural baggage

There is no difference if your objective is to hurt the other person's feelings, you pick whichever is most effective.

> Finally, I do agree that the lashing out against Trump supporters is bad. Just as it was bad that Obama supporters also had to put up with burning crosses in their frontyards when he was elected. Both sides can't see this sucks for everyone at different times for some reason and it's a stupid cycle.

I mostly noticed this from Hilary supporters, it's not an eye for an eye thing: http://blog.samaltman.com/what-i-heard-from-trump-supporters

> continued ignorance of believing we are in some post-race society

Do we have slavery? No

Is it acceptable to be openly racist? No

What is your criteria for a 'post-race society'? What other checkboxes do we need to hit to get there?

Re: At Google, an Employee-Run Email List Tracks Harassment and Bias Complaints

#189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in Scotland :-)

and find that offensive?!

No - I wouldn't find that offensive (I've been called far far worse things in a work context) - but I'd be very worried about potentially causing offense, more for the sake of politeness than the HR impact.

Re: At Google, an Employee-Run Email List Tracks Harassment and Bias Complaints

#190
post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's like old days of Gawker.com. You could rationalize that you were doing a true public service by participating in the "name and shame" game. Or you could just be there to take pleasure in other people's misery. Also, look at 'name and shame' subreddits like the SRS communities. Those places are toxic. While I think that there's some value to be had in viewing other people's missteps and learning how to improve ba…

There's no naming and shaming in "Yes, at Google". From the article: "Usually, the people in the complaints are not named."

Not sure that helps much. At worst, people will start guessing and perhaps suspect the wrong people. And many people can probably identified from the context. Furthermore, there can be no defense against the accusations.
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