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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

#151

Post by ForHackernews »

Shivetya wrote: post #121
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…

Why should it matter what level they are? If its wrong to harass the low level worker its wrong to harass any level of worker at their home. If you wish to protest a business do so at their business. Lets just hope feel the same the next time they read about some mid level banker or stock broker having people outside their homes. Amazing how even in this community we have groups who think there is a difference just b…

> If its wrong to harass the low level worker its wrong to harass any level of worker at their home.

If we stipulate that actual harassment is illegal, I don't think the rest of your statement follows. Protesting at the home of a worker without decision-making authority is unlikely to change anything, protesting at the home of a high level executive (hypothetically--you'd never get past their security) could potentially convince them to change the way their company does business.

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

#152

Post by throwaway_yy2Di »

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.

"Can someone help me understand what effect would be had if Google did exactly what these people wanted and uprooted to elsewhere?"

Together with the rest of Bay Area tech? Perhaps like the collapse of the auto monopoly in Detroit, but with an even larger industry and a worse-run city (SF).

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

#153

Post by ForHackernews »

walls wrote: post #144
tomp wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

You'd have to be completely insane to believe #3 is in any way related to #1 and #2. I personally feel the world is a much better place (certainly Oakland is) with highly skilled employees flushing out the trash.

> I personally feel the world is a much better place (certainly Oakland is) with highly skilled employees flushing out the trash.

To what or whom does "the trash" refer in your comment?

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

#154

Post by mgunes »

walshemj wrote: post #123
mgunes wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

And if I as a "techie" feel threatened an oppressed by those individuals I am. I am in no way a right winger I was coming at it form the same direction that those who fought in cable street did. "An injury to one is an injury to all"

"Threatened" and "oppressed", by non-violent assembly and protest? Come on.

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

#155

Post by scarmig »

mdip wrote: post #118

When you attack an individual because of the place s/he chooses to work you take the "Let's all protest the activities of Big X" down to a personal level. I'd be horrified if I woke up and found a large group of people protesting in front of my house because of who I work for. Reading this message, I instantly put myself in that employee's shoes and instantly became hostile toward the organization arranging this. I m…

Question: people will often protest at the houses of CEOs, who consider themselves just employees doing their jobs. E.g. after the Bhopal disaster, people protested at the home of the Union Carbide CEO as he was trying to evade responsibility and minimize payouts to the victims. Is this inappropriate?

I agree with you that the protestors didn't gain anything from this particular protest and did harm to their cause, if anything.

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

#156

Post by JeremyMorgan »

krisdol wrote: post #134
JeremyMorgan wrote: post #130

I would like to know what this "privilege" is all about. I'm a tech worker who makes a very good salary. Am I privileged? I couldn't afford a fancy high end college, so I chose a cheaper one and got a loan from the Government, which I paid back in full. I studied hard in a public school and those achievements helped me get a grant to offset some cost as well. I got a job in tech support, worked my way up through the…

> I would like to know what this "privilege" is all about. I'm a tech worker who makes a very good salary. Am I privileged? Yes. So am I and so is most of the audience here.

In what way? How is what do confined to an exclusive group of people?

I can understand Americans as a whole being privileged, yes. We have tons of opportunities people in other countries don't. But we're talking about Americans protesting against Americans and that's why it doesn't make much sense.

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

#157

Post by kasey_junk »

JeremyMorgan wrote: post #130

I would like to know what this "privilege" is all about. I'm a tech worker who makes a very good salary. Am I privileged? I couldn't afford a fancy high end college, so I chose a cheaper one and got a loan from the Government, which I paid back in full. I studied hard in a public school and those achievements helped me get a grant to offset some cost as well. I got a job in tech support, worked my way up through the…

A few questions: Are you white? Are you male? Were you born in a country that had clean running water? What about public education system, or a country that had education loans easily available for you? Did you grow up around people that had jobs? Were literate? Had gone to college? Did you know your parents? How often did you suffer from hunger growing up?

All of these are forms of privilege. Some of them may apply to you, some of them may not, but if you are posting on this board there is a very good chance that you were privileged. One of the insidious problems of privilege is those with it think it is the norm.

When we talk about privilege we are not trying to take away from the very real benefit of drive/ambition/hard work. I'm sure you deserve the good life you've built for yourself. But a little empathy/understanding that you did have some very clear advantages just as a product of your lucky birth, goes a long way.

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

#158

Post by ubercore »

I agree with everyone that's calling this mob behavior and harassment. In no way is this "OK". But...

I'm actually glad this discussion is happening. I think it's a really interesting problem that faces a lot of cities, ones even less prosperous than SF. Hopefully the opposition can follow up this overwrought and misguided protest with an actual dialog with companies like Google and the city.

I also hope they stop singling out employees.

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

#160

Post by stdgy »

andrewfong wrote: post #143

This flyer is just plain nuts. Some choice quotes: "The self-driven car has been another pet project of the DARPA for many years. It sponsored a recurring Grand Challenge for people designing self-driving vehicles, hoping someone would crack open the new technology. Anthony Levandowski was one of the wonder kids who flocked to these competitions, looking for a federal handout and fame. Now, with Google handing him mo…

We are writing to warn you that your neighbor is a talented and driven individual. He should not be tru...

Wait, what?

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