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Google lays off its Python team

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Re: Google lays off its Python team

#91

Post by ferrouswheel »

gnu8 wrote: post #82
tgma wrote: post #72

Meta is clearly driving most of CPython efficiencies. The projects listed are mostly stable so it's smart of Google to let the community drive it forward and they just use it ("we had managers that were extremely good about work life balance" and "marathon not sprint" should tell you all you need to know.) Python inside Google, for non-AI stuff at least, feels quite a bit different than with different defaults than t…

> ("we had managers that were extremely good about work life balance" and "marathon not sprint" should tell you all you need to know.) That's how all jobs should be though. The only time anyone should be sprinting is if the building is on fire. I guess Google is moving to a 9-9-6 schedule, and they want to do it in Munich where they can pay peanuts for it.

Ah but unlike the crazy USA, Germany has a legal maximum of 48 hours per week.

Re: Google lays off its Python team

#94

Post by thatguysaguy »

JSDevOps wrote: post #88
thatguysaguy wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is quite the claim, any source? Edit: I guess I'm not sure on whether large training runs count as prod or not. They're certainly expensive and mission critical.

[flagged]

I have worked on a team which trains foundation models

Re: Google lays off its Python team

#95

Post by srockets »

algaeselect wrote: post #43
filoleg wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Join the alphabet workers union if you’re a Googler who cares. I was considering, but after seeing how they operate, I am certain I will be ok without doing so. I am yet to see them accomplish anything meaningful, and behavior of some of their members tripped my “this seems unethical” meter really bad. I might’ve mentioned that story on HN before, but the rundown of it was that one of my friends was interviewing at…

On the internal memegen site, where people post and vote on memes, the AWU folks (they have a red logo around their profile picture, so easy to identify) are basically Debbie Downers. Constantly posting comments or memes shitting on the company. Whatever it is, see red logo around profile picture, you know it's going to be a "this company sucks" comment. They very much give me the vibe of the "late stage capitalism"…

Union's power is in the enforcement of employers to accept collective bargaining (that's why the misnamed US "right to work" laws are so effective at disenfranchising workers). AUW, as it currently organized, lacks that power, so yes, all that remains is bitching.

Which is why memegen exists: it is a way to disarm Google's employees. Had they didn't had memegen to post on, the higher probability more would tunnel their disappointments into organizing.

Those disappointments were created by Google: they (used to) market themselves as a benevolent employer. People get on board, and realize that the truth is far from that. Of course, they wouldn't be able to hire some people they wanted to if they had told them the truth. Should those employees know better? Maybe. But any relationship, including labor, is built on trust.

Re: Google lays off its Python team

#98

Post by fsloth »

VBprogrammer wrote: post #8
blackeyeblitzar wrote: post #2

The post suggests their jobs were offshored. Is this a common practice versus just closing the roles? I feel like US legislators should do more to protect domestic jobs from domestic companies, or else they’ll face the same eventual collapse as in manufacturing.

This might be my prejudice but when someone talks about offshoring a role, moving it to Munich isn't the first thing that comes to mind. It may be slightly cheaper than California but not by so much that if expect it to be the main reason for doing so.

”Slightly cheaper”? What are the actual numbers we are talking about regarding yearly comp?

Re: Google lays off its Python team

#99

Post by thatguysaguy »

JSDevOps wrote: post #97
thatguysaguy wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have worked on a team which trains foundation models

And no one’s used anything other than Python? The core of Tensorflow uses C++

The claim was that Python is only used for prototyping at Google, not that people are writing the AI frameworks themselves in pure Python.

JAX is obviously implemented in C++, but the scientists running the training runs which cost millions of dollars are writing lots of python.

Re: Google lays off its Python team

#100

Post by throwawayVDJDJD »

pclmulqdq wrote: post #53
karolist wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honest answer, only C++.

C++, Java, and Go are the languages for backends IIRC. I think Typescript is the frontend language of choice.

Kotlin has been seeing more and more usage as well, even outside of Android:

https://youtu.be/hXfGybzWaiA?t=972&si=1Wsgb0wOmXOi3_hC

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