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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

#91

Post by mgunes »

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.

No, there aren't "people"; there is "a person", me. Just one person.

Everyone else is speculating on how the poor little "Googler"'s life is destroyed by a naive peaceful protest, derailing the issue with anti-left wing jokes, suggesting that "Googlers" carry weapons, and so on.

HN at its best: when its ideological toe is stepped on. popcorn

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

#92

Post by tomp »

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.

The point of the protest isn't to destroy a person's life, the point of the protest is to (1) make Google's employees reluctant to continue being Google's employees and as a result (2) make Google rethink their official and unofficial policies, in order to (3) make the world a better place.

AFAIK, they haven't really hurt anybody (this time). They are just pressing the points that (they think will) hurt the most.

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

#93

Post by aniket_ray »

chroem wrote: post #49
smtddr wrote: post #24

I feel for the plight[1] these people are facing, I really do and I want to help. _BUT_ if you started showing up at my home protesting and making my family uncomfortable, that creates a different problem entirely. Anyways I'm assuming this site is fake because I can't find this being reported anywhere else... and I assume the protesters know better than to pull a stunt like this. 1. Let's be clear though, this is a…

What they're doing is trying to make it socially unacceptable to assist the NSA/ DoD, and quite frankly it's overdue. I get the feeling that most of the criticism here against the protesters is because HN identifies with the Google employee(s), not because the protesters are wrong. It's a purely emotional reaction.

These protesters are skirting the real issue which is that they cannot afford prime SF real estate anymore. When these protesters, themselves, were uprooting the original inhabitants they did not really care but now that they are being uprooted, they suddenly are crying foul.

The criticism here against the protesters is because they are asking for free handouts rather than them actually working to earn them. Yes I understand it is not easy to be retrained and I don't have a good solution for people being uprooted.

Yet, most commenters here on HN identify with startups/capitalism and believe that creating something that the market wants is ultimately the only way to earn a living. Certainly not protesting for free handouts.

The strange thing is that the protesters would have found lots of support among Google and other Tech industry employees if they had not targeted them in the first place.

PS: Google does not assist the NSA. Google has made it categorically clear. Guardian too had to backtrack on it's claims about that.

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

#95

Post by droopybuns »

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…

I'd take a different angle:

This is the behavior of desperate people who have lost hope that our government functions and are motivated to action.

This seems like the natural conclusion of our government's inattentiveness to it's citizenry. Violence isn't far when folks have achieved this level of frustration.

The last line of the link makes it clear that Google isn't going to be the only target. "All of you other tech companies, all of you other developers and everyone else building the new surveillance state--We're coming for you next." Burn the witch!

I don't think people should be resorting to violence out of principle, but I don't think it's reasonable to expect that "folks" who are economically marginalized should put up with this because "manners."

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

#96

Post by jedmeyers »

matthewmacleod wrote: post #67
brudgers wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

And we might guess that majority of those "protesters" either did not vote or voted for Obama.

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

#97

Post by anExcitedBeast »

shoeless wrote: post #45

How is protesting in a residential neighborhood allowed? Did this group have a permit? Is the SF Bay area different in this regard - no permit allowed?

"Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble...."

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

#98

Post by tomp »

matthewmacleod wrote: post #67
brudgers wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

In a country where corporations seem to have more power over the government than its people, it more effective to target the corporations than the government.

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

#99

Post by mortov »

walshemj wrote: post #8
Bahamut wrote: post #2

This is shameful behavior - it is tantamount to mob rule & harassment, with the effective statement that "We strongly dislike what you're doing, so we are going to disturb your private residence and prevent you from going to work". No person who isn't committing a serious crime deserves that whatever his/her beliefs.

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.

PPW in the UK ? Really ?

Post Dunblane, all handguns are illegal in mainland UK. The only exceptions are for law enforcement/armed forces. [We'll ignore diplomatic missions using immunity/convention exceptions.]

Northern Ireland does have PPW (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_the_United_Kin... and, handily for this topic, an FOI response on PSNI website http://www.psni.police.uk/firearms_applications_ppw.pdf).

Without getting into all the republican politics, Northern Ireland is distinct in terms of the legal system and status compared to the mainland (of Scotland, England and Wales). You cannot use an example from NI to extend to the rest of the UK.

I'll leave other commentors to discuss how sensible it is to talk about bringing guns into what seems to be a pretty hot debate on the street. One comment I read recently which has stuck with me goes along the lines of "there is no situation which resorting to violence will not make worse".

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

#100

Post by stefan_kendall »

danielweber wrote: post #41
hgsigala wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you honestly think that carrying a weapon in the san francisco bay area is a good idea?

I can come up with lots of reasons for why carrying a concealed weapon is more likely to be harmful than beneficial in these circumstances. But why is it a bad idea to carry a weapon in SF? Are people stopped and frisked? Are there metal detectors everywhere? Are there pickpockets all over the place that will steal your weapon and use it against you?

It is extremely difficult to legally buy and conceal a handgun that conforms to California law. You also can't pickpocket a gun to anyone carrying it appropriately.

Try to take a gun from a cop and see what happens.

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