Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

economist.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 1001 posts

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#21

Post by duped »

eric4smith wrote: post #7

People are human. But work is work. The canonical point of a workplace is to come together to fulfill the aims of the entrepreneurs. The personal aims of the workers are fulfilled best outside of work. Just stop to think about it logically for a minute... is the workplace the best place to circulate a petition condemning something that has nothing to do with work? The workplace necessarily is going to bring together…

The office exists within society. Some things exist everywhere you go in society. You don't give up ethics and morals because you cross the threshold of your place of business.

Ignoring social problems in the workplace because it is a workplace is how we avoid solving those problems as a society.

The office is exactly where we should be advocating for things, because it is where we spend the most time and can affect the most change.

Just in recent history, the Civil Rights movement was built by people disrupting workplaces through boycotts and sit-ins. As we move forward in society it goes to reason that future movements should follow that example.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#22

Post by yakshaving_jgt »

tshaddox wrote: post #15
lliamander wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What then is the purpose of demanding others make a public stand on an issue over which they have no practical control?

There are plenty of purposes. Why are you and I talking about the issue right now despite presumably having little influence over the outcome?

We are willingly engaging in a discussion, which is different from compelling people in a position of power over others to make a statement.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#23

Post by kokanator »

> Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics—and failing

Really? Don't be surprised when you manipulate the political sphere outside your walls in ways never seen in the history of the world and that politic creeps inside and devours you from within.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#24

Post by throwaway292893 »

seibelj wrote: post #16

Why can’t we just let the market sort it out? Let the people who want to talk politics all day start, lead, and work at firms that encourage it. And those that don’t will do the same. It’s my same issue with socialists who want democratic control of companies. If it’s so obviously better, why not start one yourself? Or use government money to do so (socialists, after all). I just wish everyone would voluntarily assoc…

* others response to you *

Hey get that libertarian common sense out of here! Downvote!

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#25

Post by flyinglizard »

archsurface wrote: post #2

I have no tolerance for politics at work. As far as woke at work goes, not too long ago someone in my office commented on slack "I don't approve of unnecessarily gendered emoji" - I can't even begin to imagine what sort of mind produces such thoughts. First world problems? No idea.

It's like deriving and then acting upon several layers worth of meta-information from very mundane things. People would take the bit that was said (or not said), build some story around that, possibly derive a second story from the first and then go out and attack you based on that. Nothing is taken on face value.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#26

Post by [deleted] »

duped wrote: post #21
eric4smith wrote: post #7

People are human. But work is work. The canonical point of a workplace is to come together to fulfill the aims of the entrepreneurs. The personal aims of the workers are fulfilled best outside of work. Just stop to think about it logically for a minute... is the workplace the best place to circulate a petition condemning something that has nothing to do with work? The workplace necessarily is going to bring together…

The office exists within society. Some things exist everywhere you go in society. You don't give up ethics and morals because you cross the threshold of your place of business. Ignoring social problems in the workplace because it is a workplace is how we avoid solving those problems as a society. The office is exactly where we should be advocating for things, because it is where we spend the most time and can affect…

[deleted]

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#27

Post by drewcoo »

yakshaving_jgt wrote: post #10
tshaddox wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn’t sound like the internal petition was calling for the firm to solve the conflict. That would be unrealistic, but it’s not at all the case here.

Then it would seem the statement is inconsequential — at least in my view. How is it constructive to point out a conflict which is already at the forefront of everyone's minds because of mass civilian deaths and the associate global media coverage?

I am not a Googler. I can only use Google to search for context: https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/18/22441236/jewish-google-em...

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#29

Post by devoutsalsa »

tshaddox wrote: post #8
eric4smith wrote: post #7

People are human. But work is work. The canonical point of a workplace is to come together to fulfill the aims of the entrepreneurs. The personal aims of the workers are fulfilled best outside of work. Just stop to think about it logically for a minute... is the workplace the best place to circulate a petition condemning something that has nothing to do with work? The workplace necessarily is going to bring together…

> The point of a workplace is to come together to fulfill the aims of the entrepreneurs. The personal aims of the workers are fulfilled best outside of work. What? I can’t be the only one who works directly in order to fulfill my needs (like literally my most basic needs, think food and shelter).

I think the parent comment is saying work is all ultimately all about making money. That’s in sync with what you’re saying. I think.
Post reply on HN