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Note to Google Employees from CEO Sundar Pichai

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Re: Note to Google Employees from CEO Sundar Pichai

#261
post #5

Quoting Sundar Pichai (Google CEO), emphasis mine: > At the same time, there are co-workers who are questioning whether they can safely express their views in the workplace (especially those with a minority viewpoint) . They too feel under threat, and that is also not OK. People must feel free to express dissent. So to be clear again, many points raised in the memo—such as the portions criticizing Google’s trainings,…

So much respect lost for google. If you're gonna be bigoted and fire people that don't have the same views as you, fine.

But at least own up to what you are.

Re: Note to Google Employees from CEO Sundar Pichai

#262
Before even reading the link, I somehow knew that this was going to be a topic about "diversity" or workplace "harassment" against minorities or something closely-related to this agenda; my predictive knowledge is so advanced I feel like a genius, or maybe perhaps this propaganda is so prevalent in our society it has reached critical levels? In any case I am not reading a single sentence; the headline "diversity" already tests my patience.

Re: Note to Google Employees from CEO Sundar Pichai

#264
post #213

Let's break down the reality of this situation as it currently stands: 1) You can't say what you want at work, period (there are no first amendment protections at work, just from the government). The person who posted the memo was naive and this memo from the CEO is corporate bullspeak to look good for outside PR. That's all this is, and if you take it for anything more you're also naive. For all intents and purposes…

Only going to reply to your last point, this isn't my experience at all with Google. I work in SV, and get contacted by an internal recruiter at Google a couple times a year. What school did I go to? None. Ok, I have a certificate from the Defense Language Institute, but no degree. So I'm not sure this is a problem.

Re: Note to Google Employees from CEO Sundar Pichai

#265

Many here seem to feel sorry for the fired employee. We don't need to tolerate intolerance. Nobody cries for the Nazis, for example. "Tolerance is an agreement to live in peace, not an agreement to be peaceful no matter the conduct of others. A peace treaty is not a suicide pact." [1] [1] https://extranewsfeed.com/tolerance-is-not-a-moral-precept-1...

Only three sith deal in absolutes.

Re: Note to Google Employees from CEO Sundar Pichai

#266
post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They advocate for inclusion but oftentimes want their kind of inclusion. For example they may want women to go out and vote, so long as they vote for their candidate. How dare they "vote against their self interest". Like when Hispanics get ostracized for voting republican as if they owe it to Democrats to vote for them.

Agreed, I'm for the political party that just wants people to vote, regardless of which candidate they're voting for. That truly real party that we all know and love.

That's kind of an ideal party. They organize the vote but don't promote any candidate. Just make sure you are ready to vote, if you are willing to exercise your vote.

Re: Note to Google Employees from CEO Sundar Pichai

#267
post #91
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As the note basically says; starting a debate does not excuse you from suggesting that some of your co-workers are there because of a "lowered bar", your evidence being psuedo-scientific bullshit about the tech-skill distribution among minorities and women.

What can Google or any other company do to hire more from one group (example, women) other then by making it easier (lowering the bar) for those groups to be hired?

Focus on the pipeline, k-12, getting girls excited about tech.

Then in a decade you'll have a much wider pool of talent to select from and can just take the best while appeasing diversity advocates.

The same could be done for racial minorities.

Re: Note to Google Employees from CEO Sundar Pichai

#268

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure it's a lie. What he actually says: > Extraversion expressed as gregariousness rather than assertiveness. Also, higher agreeableness. This leads to women generally having a harder time negotiating salary, asking for raises, speaking up, and leading. Note that these are just average differences and there’s overlap between men and women, but this is seen solely as a women’s issue. Now, these are discussed i…

> these are discussed in the first paragraphs of the WP article he referenced Where? It doesn't say anything about one sex's aptitude for leading there.

So you are effectively nitpicking words, single words, present or not in a cited source out of a 10 page reasonable critique of existing policy?

And for what? To justify a guy getting fired?

For real?

Re: Note to Google Employees from CEO Sundar Pichai

#269
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The guy who was fired was way out of line, far beyond any reasonable limits to topics of discussion. What did the author say that was "out of line"? Can you please cite a section of the essay and explain? Note: Please see this response to the memo from four scientists who study the field of psychology: http://archive.is/z6xxP The reason given by Google for the author's termination was "advancing harmful gender ster…

A lot of what he said was on-point and I agree with it. However, it also puts forth a lot of inappropriate generalizations, and in many places presents absurdisms as valid points. I think his "manifesto" would have been a lot more compelling and less divisive if he had presented it much differently.

It makes points that children can be upset about, adults need to learn to have discussions. Even on topics that they think are sensitive.

If they can't do that, maybe they shouldn't even have a "grown-up" job.

And to throw my 2cents in here too, I'm a biological scientist and agree with the overall theme of what the guy wrote (though there are a handful of smaller points within the manifesto that I take issue with).

Re: Note to Google Employees from CEO Sundar Pichai

#270
post #213

Let's break down the reality of this situation as it currently stands: 1) You can't say what you want at work, period (there are no first amendment protections at work, just from the government). The person who posted the memo was naive and this memo from the CEO is corporate bullspeak to look good for outside PR. That's all this is, and if you take it for anything more you're also naive. For all intents and purposes…

Only going to reply to your last point, this isn't my experience at all with Google. I work in SV, and get contacted by an internal recruiter at Google a couple times a year. What school did I go to? None. Ok, I have a certificate from the Defense Language Institute, but no degree. So I'm not sure this is a problem.

And you may be absolutely right -- I'm going off what I've heard from young people anecdotally out of college who say they weren't given a second look because they weren't from MIT or Cal Tech. But perhaps that's only for entry-level positions, or perhaps my information is just plain wrong.
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