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Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work

theregister.co.uk

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Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work

#431

Post by tedivm »

dang wrote: post #347
midnighttoker wrote: post #333

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We've changed the title in accordance with the site guidelines You've change it away from the story title, which is normally the site guideline isn't it?

The site guideline is " Please use the original title, unless it is misleading or linkbait. " Since Gitlab retracted that part of their policy, that part of the title became misleading. That's why I edited it. As always, we're open to suggestions for a better, i.e. more accurate and neutral, title. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

It wasn't misleading at the time that the article was written though, or even at the time that it was submitted. This article was posted here two hours ago, and the changes on the Gitlab repository were made an hour ago.

Is it now the policy of HN to keep titles up to date as events change?

Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work

#432

Post by programminggeek »

Now that people in the western world have largely abandoned churches for their attitudes toward "sin" and morality, they replaced churches with corporations, media companies, and governments to dictate what is sinful in society.

Once people realize what they've done will they reject corporations, media, and government? If so, where will they turn to?

I suspect that the need for parental moralization of behavior at some tribal level is a group survival mechanism that we can't get rid of.

Regardless of whether it is the church, government, news media, social media, or some corporate policy, it all seems to end up the same from where I sit. Yet, in replacing faith with consumerism or corporatism or governmentism, it seems many people have lost a great deal of hope along the way (see the current mental health crisis for evidence).

It seems people were happier when they left this sort of moral policing to the church/temple/whatever at least they had hope in something positive to keep them going.

Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work

#433

Post by galaxyLogic »

g_sch wrote: post #127
baalimago wrote: post #13

Reminds me of Peter Handke's recent Nobel prize in literature, where the committee were/are heavily criticized for judging only by literature, and not by Handke's political viewpoints. Maybe politics doesn't need to be involved in every single part of society, only the political aspects of it.

I tend to think of everything in life as political in some way. After all, politics is the fundamental question of how power is distributed in the world. However, even if you don't subscribe to this view, I would argue that work and the workplace are one of the more political spaces. I agree that it isn't easy to be political in the workplace, and it is often better to keep your head down. But think about all the pos…

Yes politics is about all of us. Trying to limit speech in the office to the football game last night is like saying we prefer our employees to avoid intellectual subjects in their discussions.

Politics is about what is WRONG and what is RIGHT. It is about ETHICS. Saying you can not discuss politics is saying you can not talk about what is wrong and what is right.

The logo of Gitlab should now be the 3 monkeys; See no Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak (about) no Evil.

Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work

#435

Post by commandlinefan »

yourbandsucks wrote: post #299
ProfessorLayton wrote: post #168

Without trying to be inflammatory in any manner, I will say that it takes a certain level of privilege to say one shouldn’t discuss politics at work. If you disagree I’m happy to discuss this viewpoint rather than being downvoted to oblivion. Lots of issues are deemed “political”, but imagine you fall into one of the marginalized groups: — lgbt: Don’t discuss the possibility about being fired for your sexuality becau…

If it were the case that these things were never mentioned, and anytime they were brought up, people were silenced, I'd totally agree with your point here. But we're getting wall-to-wall coverage of basically those exact issues, all the time, with only one point of view endorsed. It's uninclusive to anybody who thinks differently in terms of methods or priorities.

And the people who are suggesting that it’s somehow a “privileged” position to be able to suggest that politics and work don’t mix are being incredibly disingenuous about this point. The people whose viewpoints are least welcome in the modern workplace - traditionalists - are both the ones who would benefit _most_ from finally being able to get in a word in edgewise in workplace political discussions and also the ones who are calling for a professional rather than political workplace.

Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work

#436

Post by [deleted] »

daxelrod wrote: post #245
dvt wrote: post #21

GitLab are being hypocritical[1][2]. Let's not pretend the "women in tech" and LGBT movements aren't political. Frankly, I think more women in tech and LGBT representation are probably good things, but GitLab is being profoundly disingenuous with their guidelines. To clarify my point: if you open the gates to the marketplace of ideas, make sure it's an actual marketplace . [1] https://about.gitlab.com/blog/2018/10/08…

When setting workplace norms, there may be a substantial difference between discussing, for example, social issues, policy, partisanship, governance, and ethics. Depending on context, any of these may be "politics". It feels uncharitable to call them hypocritical without understanding what they mean.

[deleted]

Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work

#437

Post by Tepix »

malvosenior wrote: post #320
SolaceQuantum wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Nothing is worse than politics at work, where you may lose your paycheck if you don't align with the correct factions." I should bring up in this light that its still legal to fire people for being gay in much of the USA and there's a current supreme court case coming up to determine federally if discrimination on the basis of orientation or gender identity is covered under current antidiscrimination law. In that ca…

Right, people should advocate for whatever politics they want... just not at work. The issue you identify is a government one, not an individual workplace one. Even something like that is too much burden to put on your fellow co-workers to have to advocate for or pick a side.

If you get fired for being gay you may think about this differently.

Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work

#438

Post by danmg »

RcouF1uZ4gsC wrote: post #307
ProfessorLayton wrote: post #168

Without trying to be inflammatory in any manner, I will say that it takes a certain level of privilege to say one shouldn’t discuss politics at work. If you disagree I’m happy to discuss this viewpoint rather than being downvoted to oblivion. Lots of issues are deemed “political”, but imagine you fall into one of the marginalized groups: — lgbt: Don’t discuss the possibility about being fired for your sexuality becau…

> We can’t improve without discussion, and it’s unfortunate that these type of issues are so divisive. Around 40% of voters support Donald Trump in some way. Are you sure you really want to discuss politics at work? Do you want someone wearing a MAGA hat explaining to everyone why immigration is too high? Because that is what real political discussion will involve. In fact, I suspect many people who are advocating fo…

It's like having prayer in school. It might seem like a good idea on its surface to some, but then you have to decide whose prayer. In Engel v. Vitale many religious groups actually filed amicus briefs against having public school start their day with a prayer because to be nearly universally acceptable, it had to be designed by a committee to be as bland and unobjectionable as possible.

Likewise, anything publicly debated at work has to be inherently bland and without class consciousness, as that calls into question relationship between the workers, the professional management classes and the reigning neoliberal order. The only approved topics will ones that distract from class consciousness and divide the workers into factions that render them unable to operate cohesively.

Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work

#439

Post by dang »

midnighttoker3 wrote: post #383
dang wrote: post #347

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The site guideline is " Please use the original title, unless it is misleading or linkbait. " Since Gitlab retracted that part of their policy, that part of the title became misleading. That's why I edited it. As always, we're open to suggestions for a better, i.e. more accurate and neutral, title. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

In other words, you did them a favor.

My job is to do HN a favor, such as by making sure the site guidelines apply.

Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work

#440

Post by anm89 »

starkruzr wrote: post #376
repolfx wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Navajo speakers aren't a political bloc, they're a linguistic bloc, and support for languages is driven by revenue potential in any software company I've ever seen.

Cultural respect should not be contingent on monetary incentives.

While I have no doubt that this is said with well intentions, imagine a systemic way of dealing with this that is not facism.

There isn't. The only systemic and consistent way of enforcing "respect" as a society is some government thought court crime tribunal.

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