Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Google to close engineering office in Russia

reuters.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

291–300 of 308 posts

Re: Google to close engineering office in Russia

#291

Post by sologoub »

dmytrish wrote: post #250
sologoub wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The politics and history there is much more complicated! I strongly believe that any country put in a position of power will expand the control by any means necessary. Your own history is far from flawless: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1941_Odessa_massacre . That said, I strongly doubt Russia has any interest in Moldova or Romania. Putin lost a figurehead in Yanukovich and grabbed what he could out of the ensuing m…

There are evidences that Crimea annexation had been prepared for few years before any unrests. There are photos of paramilitary people with Donetsk "People Republic" flags at Russian summer camp Seliger in 2009. Relentless Russian propaganda has been translated all over Eastern Ukraine and Crimea for ten years. Don't get me started on "Putin did not start what happened in Ukraine".

Eh... Propaganda has been so strong on both sides that I doubt we will ever know the truth.

Personally, I'm very conflicted on the question of Crimea and don't think I can comment or discuss unbiasedly.

Re: Google to close engineering office in Russia

#292

Post by klipt »

osipov wrote: post #198
unprepare wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not parsing anything incorrectly. > _in presence of minors_ so, anywhere in public? where would one find space to hold a public event where children are guaranteed to not be present? Also the whole line of reasoning is that mentioning homosexuality to children makes them gay which is... bad? thats a value judgment on homosexuality that was put in place by the government, yet you are trying to constantly say that…

I don't know if you have kids but I do. I don't want my kids to be exposed to any form of expression supporting any sexual lifestyle. In fact, I don't event want my kids to see a blurred photo of Kim Kardashian's naked butt on TV. There is zero prejudice in this value statement. And most parents agree with my position. When my kids are adults they can decide about sexual relationships for themselves. Until then I dec…

I assume you would have no problem showing your children a Disney movie where the prince marries a princess (kids' movies obviously have no explicit sex scenes).

Would you have a problem with a Disney movie where a princess marries another princess?

I.e. is your problem really just with exposing children to sex, or do you actually have a problem with gay characters?

Re: Google to close engineering office in Russia

#293

Post by jszymborski »

EC1 wrote: post #263
Yizahi wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kaspersky proposed to government to implement a kind of internet-passport, and to allow internet usage only for people verified by government. I wouldn't trust such a person with anything.

What is wrong with that? Internet shouldn't be a basic human right, it should be a privilege, like driving.

It's less like driving, but more like access to public libraries.

When was the last time someone died due to drunk surfing, or excessive internet speeds?

I'm being facetious but the point stands.

Re: Google to close engineering office in Russia

#294

Post by kolev »

supergirl wrote: post #226
frozenport wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No! The EU doesnt require its citizens to show ID when logging onto public WiFi!

Some EU countries do. Some want to. Why don't you get informed before talking? Italy is one: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_Italy The law is meant against terrorism. I am sure Russia has a good excuse too.

Russia or US - two chicks of the the same ass. I understand US and Russia and their imperialistic desires, nothing new under the sun, but what I feel most sorry about is that EU, which now has a higher population then US and Russia and has enough power to beat each of them, is acting as a brown-noser to the US and is getting tricked into this Cold War 2.0. Without EU support, US cannot effective wage this war on Russia, and US is far and is clear that EU will suffer most, when this will help bloom US economy. Stupid EU! 500 million slaves to the US - unbelievable, with all the traditions in politics, economics, and science, with all the brain power, it's pulled by the nose! I'm ashamed!

Re: Google to close engineering office in Russia

#295

Post by mitochondrion »

izacus wrote: post #39
cromwellian wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, the NSA has a greater power to spy on data on foreign soil than on domestic soil. Ironically, although the 'legal' channels for subpoenaing data with warrants exposes data in the US to government demands, there's at least in theory, some kind of oversight by the courts (although we know they rubber stamp everything). I think the idea that data held within your home country is 'safer' may be a false sense of…

There's that small difference of actually being able to influence our own governments and changing what they give to US. Which is still a huge difference than being exposed to mercy of an overseas government which gives us about the same consideration as it does to cattle and approves of torture.

It's not even so much being able to influence our government versus one to which we are foreign non-residents, it's that at least the people over at the NSA, however much they may abuse their power, have some small consideration for me as a fellow citizen versus "just some German/Chinese/South African guy".

Re: Google to close engineering office in Russia

#296

Post by mitochondrion »

adventured wrote: post #261
notjackma wrote: post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China has none of the above and is now the world's largest economy. Doesn't seem to be an impediment to doing business, does it? http://www.marketwatch.com/story/its-official-america-is-now...

The US is the world's largest economy, roughly 70% larger than China in fact. That's a bogus article, that is more link-bait than substance - which is why nobody has taken it seriously. The author is patting their self on the back for forecasting an event they then self-proclaim to have taken place. "So a Starbucks venti Frappucino served in Beijing counts the same as a venti Frappucino served in Minneapolis, regardl…

Not really. The real story is that the GDP per capita of the more deregulated Chinese provinces doubled or tripled from 2000 to 2010.

My Chinese friends tell me that there are tons of BMWs driving around. Looking at the numbers, it seems that BMW's volume of sales in now greater in China than in the U.S.

Re: Google to close engineering office in Russia

#297

Post by PhantomGremlin »

danmaz74 wrote: post #169
curiously wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you think Putin can keep this up with the falling currency and economy crashing? Or does he have a stronghold on everyone with guns that nobody could take him down? I wonder if Russia could change to a more democratic and liberal tone after Putin. I mean, it seems like Putin wants to go back straight to Soviet era.

I don't have a crystal ball, but a lot of people in Russia are worried that if Putin falls, the next one will be even worse than him. I don't even know what to hope now.

> the next one will be even worse than him

It seems to me as a distant observer that much of Putin's strength derives from a "cult of personality".[1] He's out there topless, catching fish. He's out there topless, swimming in a Siberian lake. He's out there on a tiger hunt. He's out there flying with cranes. He's out there dressed as an ice hockey player. He's out there doing judo moves. He's tough on terrorists. He's tough on breakaway republics. He stands up to "the Great Satan" (sorry, actually that's a line used by Iranian wackos). Etc.

This cult of personality takes many years, even decades to develop. Also these types of leaders hate up-and-coming competition. So there's no JV Putin out there, building up his own cult of personality. Medvedev probably doesn't have the charisma to take Putin's place. Plus, Putin was in what was probably a once-in-a-lifetime position to take over from Boris Yeltsin.

I don't think that any new leader could "be worse than" Putin without spending many years building up his own cult of personality.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_personality#Russia

Re: Google to close engineering office in Russia

#298

Post by papaf »

adventured wrote: post #261
notjackma wrote: post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China has none of the above and is now the world's largest economy. Doesn't seem to be an impediment to doing business, does it? http://www.marketwatch.com/story/its-official-america-is-now...

The US is the world's largest economy, roughly 70% larger than China in fact. That's a bogus article, that is more link-bait than substance - which is why nobody has taken it seriously. The author is patting their self on the back for forecasting an event they then self-proclaim to have taken place. "So a Starbucks venti Frappucino served in Beijing counts the same as a venti Frappucino served in Minneapolis, regardl…

The US is the world's largest economy, roughly 70% larger than China in fact.

I saw an article recently that would contradict your assertion:

http://uk.businessinsider.com/china-overtakes-us-as-worlds-l...

Re: Google to close engineering office in Russia

#299

Post by danmaz74 »

PhantomGremlin wrote: post #297
danmaz74 wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't have a crystal ball, but a lot of people in Russia are worried that if Putin falls, the next one will be even worse than him. I don't even know what to hope now.

> the next one will be even worse than him It seems to me as a distant observer that much of Putin's strength derives from a "cult of personality".[1] He's out there topless, catching fish. He's out there topless, swimming in a Siberian lake. He's out there on a tiger hunt. He's out there flying with cranes. He's out there dressed as an ice hockey player. He's out there doing judo moves. He's tough on terrorists. He'…

Just to clarify: by "worse than him" they meant more extremist, nationalistic and illiberal.

Re: Google to close engineering office in Russia

#300

Post by bad_user »

pdeuchler wrote: post #215
bad_user wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Judging by your other comments, your intent is pretty clear but I'll bite. I strongly disagree that governments are becoming more authoritarian, it's quite the opposite, governments are becoming more liberal and democratic, with the situation improving even in countries such as Libya, Egypt and Morocco. The only reason for why the situation seems bleak to some people is because access to information has become unhind…

>>> with the situation improving even in countries such as Libya, Egypt and Morocco I don't know enough about Morocco to call you out on that one, but dude... Libya and Egypt? If the current goings-on in those countries forms the basis of your opinion then I think you might need to rethink your position

I'm not saying that Libya and Egypt are democracies, all I said is that the situation has been improving even there.
Post reply on HN