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Google Urged the U.S. to Limit Protection for Activist Workers

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Re: Google Urged the U.S. to Limit Protection for Activist Workers

#12
post #8

It just goes to show that a large company is made up of many different people in different departments, sometimes with different agendas. It appears that there is a conflict of vision within Google.

No, it doesn't. I think it shows precisely what's going on in every MegaCorp in the US: Woke Capitalism. Everything is calculated to maximize profit, including campaigning, branding, and marketing to say that you're NOT all about profit.

In this case, both the saying of soothing things to the people who are complaining, AND lobbying the government to make those complaints less effective in the future are in line with the real goal: maximizing the success of the company, as measured by profits. When viewed through this lens, these actions do not conflict. In fact, BOTH are REQUIRED.

These only APPEAR to conflict when you think that top leadership actually REALLY cares about anything other than money, and the influence it brings.

Re: Google Urged the U.S. to Limit Protection for Activist Workers

#14
post #3

I tend to agree with the people saying there's a problem in Google. But that said, I also think Google should have the right to say what can and can't be broadcast. Otherwise, you make the company transmit, broadcast, and disseminate viewpoints: coercing speech.

Do you mean "Otherwise you allow free speech" ? Because it seems you are arguing companies should censor everything a person says it does on the Internet. I for one want a decentralised and open internet where you can be anonymous and say anything you like. I know people will argue about trolls and cyber bullying in an anonymous internet but I would sooner choose that for my kids then a corporate internet designed to spy and report back on us.

Re: Google Urged the U.S. to Limit Protection for Activist Workers

#15
post #11
post #10

Wow, don't they have a "Do no evil" printed around?

They quietly removed the "Do no evil" when they renamed into alphabet

Please don't spread misinformation. Alphabet created a new motto but Google never removed theirs. It's still very clearly in their code of conduct.

Alphabet's Code: https://abc.xyz/investor/other/code-of-conduct/

Google's Code: https://abc.xyz/investor/other/google-code-of-conduct/

Re: Google Urged the U.S. to Limit Protection for Activist Workers

#16
Are we going to ignore that Google responded that they published this as part of a legal defense rather than a lobbying effort. From the article: "We're not lobbying for changes to any rules." Rather, she said, Google's claim that the Obama-era protections should be overturned was "a legal defense that we included as one of many possible defenses"

I'm not saying that makes it right, but I see a difference between pushing for it as an independent agenda and using it to defend yourself from a legal filing. IANAL, but Legal arguments tend to be set up as: They are wrong because of argument 1, and even if you don't agree with argument 1 they are wrong because of argument 2, and so on through argument n. You include everything that's relevant in that list to preserve it for future appeals even if you have some pretty weak or controversial arguments.

Re: Google Urged the U.S. to Limit Protection for Activist Workers

#17
post #8

It just goes to show that a large company is made up of many different people in different departments, sometimes with different agendas. It appears that there is a conflict of vision within Google.

No, it doesn't. I think it shows precisely what's going on in every MegaCorp in the US: Woke Capitalism. Everything is calculated to maximize profit, including campaigning, branding, and marketing to say that you're NOT all about profit. In this case, both the saying of soothing things to the people who are complaining, AND lobbying the government to make those complaints less effective in the future are in line with…

What could a company like Google do to convince you that this isn't the case, if it truly isn't the way you imagine for that company? Because it sounds like there isn't anything.

Re: Google Urged the U.S. to Limit Protection for Activist Workers

#18
post #8

It just goes to show that a large company is made up of many different people in different departments, sometimes with different agendas. It appears that there is a conflict of vision within Google.

> It just goes to show that a large company is made up of many different people in different departments, sometimes with different agendas

The e-mails referenced in the article were unsolicited policy preferences communicated by a multi-billion dollar company to a regulator in writing. These communications were sent following a PR and HR crisis. The chances that this didn't have high-level sign-off is virtually zero.

Re: Google Urged the U.S. to Limit Protection for Activist Workers

#19
post #3

I tend to agree with the people saying there's a problem in Google. But that said, I also think Google should have the right to say what can and can't be broadcast. Otherwise, you make the company transmit, broadcast, and disseminate viewpoints: coercing speech.

>Otherwise, you make the company transmit, broadcast, and disseminate viewpoints: coercing speech.

By the same argument net neutrality is coercing speech.

A company has the right to decide what appears on the company blog. Deciding what is written in internal communication is on a very different level

Re: Google Urged the U.S. to Limit Protection for Activist Workers

#20
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They quietly removed the "Do no evil" when they renamed into alphabet

Please don't spread misinformation. Alphabet created a new motto but Google never removed theirs. It's still very clearly in their code of conduct. Alphabet's Code: https://abc.xyz/investor/other/code-of-conduct/ Google's Code: https://abc.xyz/investor/other/google-code-of-conduct/

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