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Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

businessinsider.com

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Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#31

Post by literallyWTF »

ostenning wrote: post #6

Here is a classic case of someone conflating the state of Israel and Jewish people and lumping it all together. Plenty of Jewish people that live both inside and outside of Israel are critical of the state. People can be critical of the state of Israel, but they should not be antisemitic. His comments are offensive for this reason.

This is by design. Israel and spent years associating the _state_ of Israel with Judaism.

That way you can’t criticize Israel without being labeled and anti-Jewish semite. Nothing he posted was offensive. Israel is an apartheid state

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#32

Post by mcherm »

cookieswumchorr wrote: post #8
Tomte wrote: post #3

> Instead of firing him, though, Google is moving Bobb into a STEM-focused role. That's surprising, but I think it's good. He's obviously not viable in the diversity role, but there's no reason to go ballistic over a 15 year old blog post.

why would they use an engineer for such a role anyways. Should have gotten someone with a degree in gender studies

A major goal of a diversity leader in a tech-focused company like Google is to influence the behavior of engineers. A fellow engineer is often able to do that far more effectively than someone without a strong technical background.

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#33

Post by jewnotzionist »

ostenning wrote: post #6

Here is a classic case of someone conflating the state of Israel and Jewish people and lumping it all together. Plenty of Jewish people that live both inside and outside of Israel are critical of the state. People can be critical of the state of Israel, but they should not be antisemitic. His comments are offensive for this reason.

That is, of course, true.

However part of the problem is that zionists within the state of Israel work really hard to blur this distinction.

You can see for example arguments being made in that sense in this debate here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1VTt_THL4A

Or the French parliament deciding that anti-Zionism is antisemitism: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/french-parliamen...

Even within Israel there are of course fringe groups (e.g. Naturei Karta) and such, but unfortunately, the reality is that while it wouldn't suit most Jews for Judaism to be conflated with Zionism, it suits most zionists, so they try to further that notion.

Edit: To be clear I'm addressing the Judaism x Zionism aspect of this comment thread, not the blog post in the topic post.

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#34

Post by cousin_it »

Tomte wrote: post #3

> Instead of firing him, though, Google is moving Bobb into a STEM-focused role. That's surprising, but I think it's good. He's obviously not viable in the diversity role, but there's no reason to go ballistic over a 15 year old blog post.

Yeah, seems like a good compromise. There's a big difference between "we don't want our spokesperson to say X" and "we want to make people saying X unemployable". I wish the second didn't happen at all. I wish all people saying things hateful to me could find nice jobs and get assimilated into live & let live. What else should I wish, that they'd die poor in a ditch and their kids too?

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#35

Post by wonderwonder »

Will be interesting to see how Google handles other old examples of people writing things perceived to be offensive. Apple clearly has taken the opposite approach, with the firing of Antonio Garcia Martinez. While the google employee's comments are clearly anti Semitic, one can hope he has changed since then and give him another chance. We are too quick to condemn people for life due to their past mistakes. With that said though, a diversity role is probably not going to be an ideal spot for him going forward and re-assigning him is good.

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#36

Post by busterarm »

Tomte wrote: post #3

> Instead of firing him, though, Google is moving Bobb into a STEM-focused role. That's surprising, but I think it's good. He's obviously not viable in the diversity role, but there's no reason to go ballistic over a 15 year old blog post.

Imagine being a Jew and suddenly finding this guy not only not-fired but on your team.

I'll take hostile work environment for 1000, Alex.

Thing is, I wouldn't want to work with this person at my company period.

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#37

Post by nazca »

Slightly shocking that he didn't get fired. (yet?)

They fired Damore for writing an email that was tone-deaf, insensitive, but largely supported by research. Bobb goes on a clearly antisemitic rant, and just gets reassigned.

Is Google inconsistent, or has their policy on how to deal with these things changed over the past few years?

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#38

Post by londons_explore »

I really wish we could seperate people's private and professional lives.

This guy in his private life wrote some nasty blog posts. That shouldn't impact his professional life. Nor vice versa.

This blog post isn't sufficiently against the law to end up with him in prison. Yet this is a case of extrajudicial punishment.

Unless there is any evidence of him bringing that thinking into his work, he shouldn't be punished.

Re: Google removes its head of diversity after 2007 blog post surfaces

#39

Post by Gunax »

dalbasal wrote: post #17

Somewhat tangential, but who is the right kind of person for a diversity job? What does a job well done look like? Changes in hiring? Changes in company culture? I'm skeptical of roles with a "my job is to care about X" kind of definition. That includes, for example, "customer advocate" and similar, especially someplace as complicated as google. I don't think they can have much success beyond the surface level. EDIT:…

The purpose of the role is to be able to show that you have a diversity officer. Whether or not that actually helps diversity, or helps at all--is secondary.
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