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On Resigning from Google

alphabetworkers.org

101–110 of 295 posts

Re: On Resigning from Google

#101
post #54

What's interesting is that this thread is getting a ton of new accounts defending Google. Suspicious.

It's also pretty common for people to create new accounts to post things they wouldn't otherwise post on their mains, isn't it?

Re: On Resigning from Google

#102
post #26

Random thoughts: 1. I applaud the fact that they are actually quitting the company to voice their disapproval of these policies. In my mind all the "internal activism" happening at Google and others is massively hypocritical. One cannot publicly criticize a company while enjoying cushy paychecks fueled by those very activities they despise. 2. If they think Google is discriminatory towards LGBT employees and minoriti…

My only concern (this goes for political administrations too) is that resigning is a one-time thing. It gets press, hurts a bit, but that’s it... then you’re out and can’t make internal change. And you’re replaced with people more comfortable with the bad status quo.

I respect when people stay, too... they’re trying to make change from within where they have some power, rather than outside where they have none.

Re: On Resigning from Google

#103
post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're telling me to accept the status quo and be fine with it. That's telling me how to behave. The company is just an entity that needs to follow the set of guidelines set by people living in that society.

Please - quit your overpaid tech job and actually work to change the status quo. No one is saying you have to accept the status quo. But your lectures while driving past the homeless in a $100K tesla on your way to swank vacations are tiresome - particularly as you build that money off the status quo you are so eager to say is terrible.

There's two ways to change the current system:

1. Work in the current system and try to slowly impact it and change how it behaves.

2. Start a violent revolution and start a civil war which will end in millions dead.

Which one do you prefer I do?

I also HAVE to participate in this system if I want to live. That's one of the reasons I want to change the system.

My participation in this system isn't consensual.

Re: On Resigning from Google

#104
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like to hire you for "just a job". I'm gonna make a big deal about how my company is "morally good" and "does no evil". Hitman OK? No? How about I hire you for janitorial duties at first, and slowly transition you to the death squad duties over 10 years? Don't quit, it's "just a job".

Given that, at Google, he only went from a Network Engineer [2005] to SRE [2020], I don't think you can call that moving to defense contracting, especially as a SRE for the Ad Serving platform.

I think you are reading way too much into my satirical critique about the terrible "just a job" mindset (avoiding the obvious "I was just doing my job carrying out the Holocaust" analogy), which as a generally independent critique can stand on its own legs without needing to be specifically applied to the current scenario at hand.

To really clarify this, I made the exemplary initial job "janitorial duties".

Re: On Resigning from Google

#105
post #83
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Consider what happens if everyone who has a moral complaint about their employer immediately quits rather than staying around and attempting to chase the complaint up the management hierarchy and/or educate and organize other employees to voice the complaint. I think utilizing one's power as a worker and aligning other workers to increase workers' power is far from hypocritical. It's a great way (perhaps the only rel…

> Consider what happens if everyone who has a moral complaint about their employer immediately quits This is in fact the quickest way to ensure that this behavior immediately stops

If a critical mass of the employees both share your view and act in kind. But if you have that much power organized already, you've effectively already got the internal power to make the change you want to achieve rather than resigning.

If you do not have that critical mass, and resignation is the only moral choice, then all you achieve is eliminating that voice from the inside and eliminate any inside power to influence.

Re: On Resigning from Google

#106
post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're telling me to accept the status quo and be fine with it. That's telling me how to behave. The company is just an entity that needs to follow the set of guidelines set by people living in that society.

Please - quit your overpaid tech job and actually work to change the status quo. No one is saying you have to accept the status quo. But your lectures while driving past the homeless in a $100K tesla on your way to swank vacations are tiresome - particularly as you build that money off the status quo you are so eager to say is terrible.

> Please - quit your overpaid tech job and actually work to change the status quo. No one is saying you have to accept the status quo.

False dichotomy. You don't need to quit your job to work to change the status quo. Indeed, you can often effect change much better from inside an important organization than from outside it.

Re: On Resigning from Google

#107
post #101
post #54

What's interesting is that this thread is getting a ton of new accounts defending Google. Suspicious.

It's also pretty common for people to create new accounts to post things they wouldn't otherwise post on their mains, isn't it?

Probably, that's why I said suspicious but didn't do finger pointing.

Re: On Resigning from Google

#108
post #2

> www.alphabetworkers.org/ > The trouble with deep belief > The reason it’s unlikely to work is that although you can persecute the prophets Sounds a bit full of themselves. They worked for a company, they no longer like the company, they quit. Great, move on. No need to make a big deal about it. It's just a job.

While I approve with the general direction of your comment, I think that characterizing Google merely as "a company" is disingenuous. Obviously it was not "just a job" for those who resigned.

There is nothing that I do at my job that could potentially disrupt the live of many; hence I don't feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility.

Now if I would be part of an enterprise whose name is said, typed or thought by billions every day, yeah maybe my sense of responsibility would be heighten and yes, maybe I would think it warrant a greater tribune or more sensational language.

Overall, that the essay was quite constructive, no?

Re: On Resigning from Google

#109
post #89
post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah that is pretty disgusting. By doing this, it steals a label with a 'fairly' clear meaning, agenda, and history to prop up any old complaint. This is beyond disingenuous and actually will end up causing more harm to LGBT issues in the future.

Okay thank you for your input. We'll continue to fight for the rights of everyone who is being discriminated against. You should learn more about intersectional activism :)

Please do, but doing so in the name of LGBTQ+ and not simply as a fellow human/coworker is hurting the label, as @maps said.

Re: On Resigning from Google

#110
post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're telling me to accept the status quo and be fine with it. That's telling me how to behave. The company is just an entity that needs to follow the set of guidelines set by people living in that society.

I think you made their point yourself Go change the guidelines. No need to tell anyone anything at that point.

And that's what posts like this are slowly doing. Changing public opinion towards our way of life.
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