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Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

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Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#61

Post by walshemj »

keithpeter wrote: post #50
csbrooks wrote: post #16

I wonder what the person did? If it were me, I'd be tempted to just pop out the back way, and take the train to work or something. I'm sure the protesters are hoping for a big confrontation. OK, actually, if it was me I'd stay home and peek through my windows, take a bunch of pictures, and write up a blog post about it. I kinda want a group of crazies to protest outside my house, it sounds sort of exciting.

I've had to cross picket lines (not outside my house). Not fun.

That's not a picket line as it is not a legal strike

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#62

Post by matthewmacleod »

calibraxis wrote: post #40
keidian wrote: post #6

Is this serious or supposed to be satire or something? Cause it reads like something a deranged person would write to me... Making comments about how Google employees automatically bring police, "All of Google's employees should be prevented from getting to work", etc. Yeah they do bring police.. to deal with nutjobs that decide to randomly show up at their houses and stop them from working, stop a bus in the middle…

Just read the PDF, and it's an interesting and reasonable perspective on tech. Probably sounds blasphemous to an audience excited about investments/acquisitions of $15M, $30M and $1.54 billion (from HN's current front page), but I think techies are due for a reasonable backlash for their usual servility to power, by people concerned about their society.

With respect, you are wrong. It's neither interesting nor reasonable, and indeed is barely coherent.

Gentrification is a real problem, with inequality at it's roots. I think most people would agree with that. And I'd also agree that it's easy for some in the tech community to lose touch with the relative privilege that they often live in. But this is not a "reasonable backlash" – it's a bunch of incoherent knee-jerk harassment by people who should really be doing something better with their time.

The proper channel for dealing with housing issues is local government; for NSA issues, national government; in neither is the correct channel the harassment of individual employees of a company which may (or may not be) the cause of those issues.

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#63

Post by judah »

Xdes wrote: post #38

This is a good example of what the liberal democratic movement should be about: policing corporations. Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and the rest of them will never end their reprehensible behavior from lawsuits or other slaps on the wrists. Until there is a boot-on-ground movement to obstruct these corporations and their employees they will continue to act without consequence using their hoards of capital.

Agreed. It's time to obstruct these money-making corporations. We can slap their hands with lawsuits brought against them for making money, or we can shut down their greedy, wealth-building schemes. These money-loving fat cats have it coming to them and we need to stand up against them, especially since we have nothing better to do after quitting our mindless jobs at our former corporate greed houses.

Anyone who wants money should be obstructed and shut down!

Anyone who starts a new company should be seen as a money-loving greed-inducing pawn in the corporate cog, renewing their vicious cycles of greed!

Anyone who takes part in a money-making company is no better than taking part in Nazi Germany!

Who's with me? Who's with me??!!11oneoneone

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#64

Post by Xdes »

wf wrote: post #42

Can someone help me understand what effect would be had if Google did exactly what these people wanted and uprooted to elsewhere? I feel like that would cause a way bigger problem than it would solve, but my intuition doesn't have a solid basis.

Like it or not these Silicon Valley types are coming in and pillaging the local economy with capital that isn't even theirs. It's a very unsustainable and disruptive environment that displaces workers, creates instability, and increases civil unrest.

Innovation and economic progress, while essential to the advancement of society, needs to be amortized to decrease these negative side effects.

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#65

Post by calt »

brudgers wrote: post #57
rexreed wrote: post #36

This is getting to be a bit absurd. I understand and can sympathize with the plight of folks who feel that they are becoming economically marginalized in the region, because in many ways it is really happening. But public badgering of mid to low-level folks is not a way to gain a lot of support. It's like damaging the lobby of a Bank of America or smashing the windows of a McDonalds -- all it does is ruin the day for…

The analogy between Google and McDonalds only works in regard to commercial creepiness. It does not sufficiently cover collaboration with the surveillance state's organs.

>The analogy between Google and McDonalds only works in regard to commercial creepiness. It does not sufficiently cover collaboration with the surveillance state's organs.

What??? Uhh. This guy is the surveillance state's organs. You mean he's from Oregon? No wait...

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#66

Post by hadem »

mgunes wrote: post #30

Excellent. If engineers and technologists refuse to take personal political and ethical responsibility for the future they help build, they need to be reminded to do so. We need more of this.

I've never felt the need for a down vote button for a comment on Hacker News until now.

Yes, we should be ethically aware of the tools and products we build, but this is not the way to go about this! Harassing a man at his home like this is unnecessary and aggressive.

Please stop the promotion of individual harassment.

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#67

Post by matthewmacleod »

brudgers wrote: post #57
rexreed wrote: post #36

This is getting to be a bit absurd. I understand and can sympathize with the plight of folks who feel that they are becoming economically marginalized in the region, because in many ways it is really happening. But public badgering of mid to low-level folks is not a way to gain a lot of support. It's like damaging the lobby of a Bank of America or smashing the windows of a McDonalds -- all it does is ruin the day for…

The analogy between Google and McDonalds only works in regard to commercial creepiness. It does not sufficiently cover collaboration with the surveillance state's organs.

I don't think anybody wants a situation in which companies pick-and-choose which laws to follow, and which to ignore.

The proper target for anger in this case is the NSA and the government which allowed this to happen.

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#68

Post by ericcumbee »

[deleted] wrote: post #44
walshemj wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I where a Googler working in SF id have to start seriously thinking about getting a PPW license. PPW is short hand for the Uk licence to carry a gun for personal protection - and yes there are tech companies that do have staff that do that.

[deleted]

Why is it that you think because someone has a gun they are incapable of acting rationally? If I were in the above situation I would not draw my gun with out feeling that there was a real threat to my life or property. And in that case I would rather have a gun than not have a gun.

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#69

Post by mattmaroon »

jasonkester wrote: post #51

Absolutely horrifying. More so because there are actually people here in this thread defending the crazy person who's trying to destroy somebody's life because they don't like the company he works for.

That article was insane. How dare he try to get actual houses built so people can live there! And those crazy tech people with their law and order, and the jobs they create in the service industry! We cannot tolerate that!

Re: Demonstration at Home of Google Developer. Google Bus Blocked in Berkeley

#70

Post by Thrymr »

doctorwho wrote: post #12

Where were these uber-concerned citizens while George Bush was raping the US and Iraq? Why are they not protesting at the White House or stopping NSA employees from getting to work? But yeah, trample the rights of individual people, that will help. It's easy (and a lot less dangerous) to hate and pester a guy who makes more money than you. Forget about who's ruining the country and focus on the guy you think is respo…

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/03/20_antiw...

http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_8626408

https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/03/21/18487630.php

EDIT:

The same website also covered NSA protests: https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/10/26/18745485.php

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