Google Protest Leader Leaves • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#51

Post by anonuser123456 » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 2:42 PM UTC

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #13

I thought this story had already been reported a month ago. But no, I was wrong, that was the other organizer of the Google Protests, Claire Stapleton: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jun/07/google-wa... So to clarify, both of the female Google employees who lead/organized the protests have now left because they say they faced retaliation. That looks very bad for Google.

Not clear why you needed to put 'female' in your statement. Are you implying Google's actions are a result of their gender?

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#52

Post by PhasmaFelis » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 2:43 PM UTC

cobookman wrote: post #20

ulfw wrote: post #4

Googlers haven’t realised yet that they have different leadership now. The open culture of discussing and opposing things that Google does is slowly degrading.

Realize Meredith and her crew are a minority of employees. We are talking Majority of googlers wanted maven. They wanted search in China. Biggest change to culture is people getting tired of SJW outrage. And a focus back on our users and business

> Majority of googlers wanted maven. They wanted search in China.

Source, please.

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#53

Post by dmix » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 2:43 PM UTC

CydeWeys wrote: post #46

cobookman wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does this look bad for Google? Honest question.

It's bad to retaliate against workers who organize against sexual harassment and gender compensation disparity in the workplace. It looks bad because it is bad.

So as long as you have good intentions you should be free to bring whatever politics to work?

Regardless of how, as long as what your protesting the right things everything else doesn’t matter?

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#54

Post by pgeorgi » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 2:43 PM UTC

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #24

dmix wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What retaliation have they faced from Google exactly?

https://www.wired.com/story/google-walkout-organizers-say-th... >In a message posted to many internal Google mailing lists Monday, Meredith Whittaker, who leads Google’s Open Research, said that after the company disbanded its external AI ethics council on April 4, she was told that her role would be “changed dramatically.” Whittaker said she was told that, in order to stay at the company, she would have to “abandon”…

> who leads Google’s Open Research

The only trace I can find of that group/team/whatever is that she leads^Wled it. What does it do?

> in order to stay at the company, she would have to “abandon” her work on AI ethics and her role at AI Now Institute, a research center she cofounded at New York University.

So side gigs need approval, and if there's a conflict of interest (such as: preventing your employer from building something that looks similar to your side gig) you'll be asked which side you're on. Sounds pretty normal to me.

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#55

Post by knd775 » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 2:43 PM UTC

duxup wrote: post #33

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.wired.com/story/google-walkout-organizers-say-th... >In a message posted to many internal Google mailing lists Monday, Meredith Whittaker, who leads Google’s Open Research, said that after the company disbanded its external AI ethics council on April 4, she was told that her role would be “changed dramatically.” Whittaker said she was told that, in order to stay at the company, she would have to “abandon”…

If you don't like the ethics council... and you protest it, and then they disband it ... that would involve a dramatic change if your role was on it. Retaliation or not, there would be some change. So any change, not sure I buy is/isn't retaliation.

I don't believe she protested the AI ethics council.

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#56

Post by damnyou » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 2:44 PM UTC

RcouF1uZ4gsC wrote: post #45

>Whittaker also publicly denounced some Google decisions, including the appointment of Kay Coles James, a conservative think tank leader, to an AI ethics board. Google soon nixed the board. I wonder how much that contributed. No matter the personal political leanings of the employees, most companies try to stay on the good side of both sides of the political aisle. When the president of Heritage Foundation (which is…

[flagged]

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#57

Post by cobookman » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 2:44 PM UTC

medecau wrote: post #38

dmix wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What retaliation have they faced from Google exactly?

Maybe read the article? > Google soon nixed the board. > Whittaker said her Google manager told her to "abandon [her] work on AI ethics" and blocked a request to transfer internally.

She asked to be moved to RMI. No hiring manager in RMI wanted her on their team, and she didn't complete the ladder transfer process.

Instead demanding a forced transfer.

Could be wrong here, but that's how it was presented internally by Meredith herself.

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#58

Post by Jasper_ » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 2:44 PM UTC

charliesharding wrote: post #47

I don't really understand why it's surprising to anyone that they would face "internal retaliation" after exposing their employer as evil and boycott worthy to the entire world. By publicizing it to the degree that they did and attaching their name to it, they were putting their interests over the company. If my company started doing business practices that I didn't approve of, I would try my hardest to change the di…

It sounds like she did step 1 (try to change from the inside, first privately, then through employee protest), and now she's doing step 2 in your program. What would you do differently?

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#59

Post by dmix » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 2:44 PM UTC

medecau wrote: post #38

dmix wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What retaliation have they faced from Google exactly?

Maybe read the article? > Google soon nixed the board. > Whittaker said her Google manager told her to "abandon [her] work on AI ethics" and blocked a request to transfer internally.

I’m surprised Google’e executives would direct their managers to prevent what their employees are doing politically in their spare time...

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#60

Post by choonway » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 2:44 PM UTC

Wrong fit. You should always recognize who is your paymaster.

She would be better off as an independent activist, a face for other disgruntled employees who have to remain anonymous because they have responsibilities to family etc.