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Google Critic Ousted from Think Tank Funded by the Tech Giant

nytimes.com

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Re: Google Critic Ousted from Think Tank Funded by the Tech Giant

#181

Post by nerpderp83 »

gthtjtkt wrote: post #96
ebola1717 wrote: post #4

> “We are in the process of trying to expand our relationship with Google on some absolutely key points,” Ms. Slaughter wrote in an email to Mr. Lynn, urging him to “just THINK about how you are imperiling funding for others.” That was a real kicker for me. This seems like pretty blatant corporate censorship. Unfortunately, it's hard to make the public care about a situation like this that's so out of view.

Yeah, she's talking out both sides of her mouth. First, she says his work is imperiling their funding (referring to Google's complaint about its positions not being represented). Then, she says his work has nothing to do with his firing.

When combined it averages out to a coherent honest message. That you are being let go because the content of your message puts a funding source at risk.

Re: Google Critic Ousted from Think Tank Funded by the Tech Giant

#183

Post by munificent »

CPLX wrote: post #15

This isn't a problem with Google, it's a problem with the establishment left in the United States. There's no genuine, credible anti-corporate voice in American politics. The reasons why are many, but of course they typically distill down to the incredible power of money to influence people, of which this is an example. The side-effects of there being no credible labor party in our political system manifests, in part…

Why is this not equally a problem with the establishment right in the United States? They aren't being a genuine, credible anti-corporate voice either. Or do they get off the hook because we just assume that there's no chance they would ever be that?

Re: Google Critic Ousted from Think Tank Funded by the Tech Giant

#184

Post by defen »

idlewords wrote: post #22

In a tweet, New America claims this is false, and will release a statement soon: https://twitter.com/slaughteram/status/902874942433263616

Prediction: strenuous (truthful) denials that Google/Alphabet were in any way involved with this. Left unexamined: the role Eric Schmidt played in his personal capacity. For people to argue about: whether there is a difference between Eric Schmidt working in his personal capacity to benefit Google/Alphabet vs Eric Schmidt acting as an official representative of Google/Alphabet

Re: Google Critic Ousted from Think Tank Funded by the Tech Giant

#185

Post by mhermher »

freehunter wrote: post #116
redm wrote: post #93

The key point of the article is this: “Google is very aggressive in throwing its money around Washington and Brussels, and then pulling the strings,” Mr. Lynn said. “People are so afraid of Google now.” Honestly, the only thing shocking about any of this is that people thought Google was "special". The reality is, when its revenues are threatened, it's going to reach like any other corporation, which it should. Googl…

Are you actually locked into those services? I decided to switch away from Google when they mixed up my inbox with someone else's and started sending my email to someone who quickly used the mistake to issue password resets on many of my accounts, and it was easier than I thought. With Gmail, I just forward my mail to my Outlook.com account, and I switched my email address on as many sites as I could to use my Outloo…

And YouTube, where the competition is not even close as far as content. It's really the one irreplaceable Google product.

Re: Google Critic Ousted from Think Tank Funded by the Tech Giant

#186

Post by mehwahnah999 »

xienze wrote: post #165
otakucode wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Schmidt was pretty clear in his book that he believes his business success is an indicator of virtue, and that he believes he should use Google and his wealth to intentionally seek to manipulate modern culture. It's a disturbing notion and I've never understood why people weren't more concerned about it. If every significant avenue of communication used by people is controlled and censored by a group, no matter who i…

> and that he believes he should use Google and his wealth to intentionally seek to manipulate modern culture. It's a disturbing notion and I've never understood why people weren't more concerned about it. Because they're pushing the progressive agenda, so who in the media, government, or academia is going to stand in their way? As far as those parties are concerned, Google is doing what corporations "should" do.

Exactly this. If I have a political religion, it's Chomskican. Chomskicrat? He describes exactly this over and over.

The protectors of the ideology control our universities, training good little corporate bots.

They're getting pats on the back from early on to tow the line regarding economics, neoliberal policies, fancy jobs, nice things, for doing so.

Success isn't measured by merit, but by how successful you are evangelizing the gospel of America's form of mercantilism.

A whole lot of today's most successful haven't built anything humanity will rely on in a generation. Facebook in 2100? Please.

They know how to peddle brand! Facebook allows you to do something you've never done before! WOW!

No one questions whether that thing is really valuable in any meaningful way. So far, the spying/tracking, propagation of propaganda, effectively TV on the web brainless distraction, seems to suggest that overall, no, social media is more of America 1980 style. Not a huge shock, most of the folks at these corps learned in universities keen to push out good workers, who learned in 1980s economies.

Nostalgia forever. Tradition rules all in America, despite our facade of "progress". Everyone wants the world to look like it did in their head when they were kids.

Re: Google Critic Ousted from Think Tank Funded by the Tech Giant

#187

Post by zero_shift »

matt4077 wrote: post #25

90 points in less than an hour. This guy's fight for his right to be wrong is surprisingly energising to this community. I'm even sympathetic to the criticism of Google. But for the life of me I can't figure out why this particular employment dispute gets this sort of billing... Arguably the US government (an entity endowed with something literally called "the monopoly on violence") just pardoned someone who build an…

The cynical explanation:

1. We work in tech, and some of us have already developed opinions on Google. We have small worlds and in them some things seem disproportionately large.

2. Most posters are American. Examining how the US state uses violence is never going to be comfortable for them.

3. Decades of misinformation have created a layer of innuendo and whataboutism around acts like whistleblowing and certain kind of political protests. Google is under fire because it simply hasn't yet operated the kind of propaganda machine available to other organs of our economy.

4. People have already been 'primed' to respond to this story by a slow buildup of other stories. Your story hits a blindspot. The good news is that continued messaging, continued posting can gradually overcome that effect if it's targeted at the right people.

Re: Google Critic Ousted from Think Tank Funded by the Tech Giant

#188

Post by marlokk »

wfo wrote: post #102
dublinben wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In your estimation, are you placing the very active and loud anti-corporate voices in this country outside of American politics, or merely denying that they are genuine?

By active and loud anti-corporate voices do you mean the pro-corporate liberal party, the pro-corporate conservative party, the corporate-owned TV media or the pro-corporate mainstream newspapers? There are anti corporate voices like e.g. Chomsky, Sanders, and they all have a couple of characteristics in common: they are ignored by the powers that be. They are without platforms, and they are without power.

Or are serving as an Emmanuel Goldstein from 1984.

Re: Google Critic Ousted from Think Tank Funded by the Tech Giant

#189

Post by jcoffland »

The conflict of interest here was caused by the think tank accepting money from Google in the first place. Google does not have to do or say anything after that and still they will exert influence. The New Yorkers complaint seems to boil down to Google is too big.

Re: Google Critic Ousted from Think Tank Funded by the Tech Giant

#190

Post by mhermher »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #83
cisanti wrote: post #43

If U.S or E.U would want to break up Google, how would it realistically work? I hope we see that happening, the company has become a monster and can literally tell the world what to think and how to feel.

Well, bear in mind, the US and the EU effectively can only mandate how Google operates as long as it does business there. So both the US and the EU have the ability to demand Google be broken up, but it will be up to Google, as an international entity, whether they want to leave the territory that orders it or comply to the extent that the regulator in a sovereign territory is appeased. See also, the recent Canadian…

That is not really a valid option. No source, but I'm sure a very very large proportion of Google revenue comes from the US and EU. They would comply if required to. There is no way they would leave those markets.
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