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Linda Sandvik Resigns As Director Of Code Club

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Re: Linda Sandvik Resigns As Director Of Code Club

#11

Post by Iftheshoefits »

facepalm wrote: post #4
simondedalus wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You cannot have a healthy society if only the powerless are allowed to criticize the powerful. She isn't even resigning in protest of Google's involvement, but the board's forbidding her to criticize any of Google's actions.

Why should a sponsor finance a project that tells people the sponsor is evil? I don't really see the problem here. Two parties disagree, so they go separate ways. End of story.

When imbalances of power exist, it's almost never as simple as "two parties disagree, so they go separate ways."

We don't have complete information, and the article is clearly a one-sided representation of the situation. That said, based on her account, it seems one of these things is true:

1. Code Club's board acted independently of any action by Google in an attempt to stop some perceived conflict before it started (e.g. Google balking at further support because on of their key people says some negative things about Google now and then).

2. Code Club's board acted based on off-the-record or unofficial complaints by unknown Google representatives about the negative things Linda says/said.

3. Code Club's board acted based on on-the-record/official complaints by Google.

If the former, the board is in error. They have neither the obligation nor the right to demand anybody in the organization, Linda or whomever, to behave in any manner when not "on the clock." Our society is conditioned to accept the imbalance of power that makes such a demand seem reasonable, but it doesn't have to be that way (my opinion, if it's not clear, is it ought not be that way).

If it's either of the latter, it's an egregious abuse of power on Google's part (and an obsequious act on the Board's part). Google's relative power and influence makes Code Club a rounding error in terms of their PR efforts, either direction. In this scenario, Google's support of Code Club is little more than an advertising purchase masquerading as giving back to the community, which is certainly not unusual, I suppose, but it's also not something that leads to anything like an equal/level playing field.

If she's making stuff up, well, that's pretty bad on her part, and at least as awful as any of the above items.

Re: Linda Sandvik Resigns As Director Of Code Club

#12

Post by mnarayan01 »

> "I do not want to get into the specifics of any particular corporation. Nonetheless, it’s worth restating that the Code Club board believe X are a tremendous partner. As a member of the board I am completely aligned with that view."

> I'm not comfortable with lying and so it is in my best interest to resign.

I'm not sure what part of that statement would be a lie?

Re: Linda Sandvik Resigns As Director Of Code Club

#13

Post by viraptor »

mnarayan01 wrote: post #12

> "I do not want to get into the specifics of any particular corporation. Nonetheless, it’s worth restating that the Code Club board believe X are a tremendous partner. As a member of the board I am completely aligned with that view." > I'm not comfortable with lying and so it is in my best interest to resign. I'm not sure what part of that statement would be a lie?

> I do not want to get into the specifics

That part - it looks like she does want to get into the specifics.

Re: Linda Sandvik Resigns As Director Of Code Club

#14

Post by [deleted] »

mnarayan01 wrote: post #12

> "I do not want to get into the specifics of any particular corporation. Nonetheless, it’s worth restating that the Code Club board believe X are a tremendous partner. As a member of the board I am completely aligned with that view." > I'm not comfortable with lying and so it is in my best interest to resign. I'm not sure what part of that statement would be a lie?

[deleted]

Re: Linda Sandvik Resigns As Director Of Code Club

#15

Post by rabc »

Someone1234 wrote: post #2

I'm conflicted. I respect someone for standing up for what they believe in (freedom to express their views) but this also seems like one of those "pick your battles" situations. Google like it or not are a key sponsor of Code Club. They do some good and some evil, but they're a key sponsor, and as the director you need to put the organisation ahead of your personal issues/complaints. The complaints might be entirely…

"Here, take all this money and be quiet about everything we do". That's not how a healthy society works.

Google are sponsoring Code Club not because they're good guys, but because they have some business interest in it.

They must be accountable for their actions, good or bad. Linda Sandvik expressed her believes as a person and she did great not accepting being silenced just because she was hurting the feelings of a big company.

Re: Linda Sandvik Resigns As Director Of Code Club

#16

Post by vidarh »

mnarayan01 wrote: post #12

> "I do not want to get into the specifics of any particular corporation. Nonetheless, it’s worth restating that the Code Club board believe X are a tremendous partner. As a member of the board I am completely aligned with that view." > I'm not comfortable with lying and so it is in my best interest to resign. I'm not sure what part of that statement would be a lie?

The above is what the board has told here she should say if asked something about a partner.

If the actions of this corporation means she thinks e.g. that they're an unsuitable partner, then doing as the board told her would be to lie. She may also very well consider it lying by omission if she is unable to state her true opinion about said corporation.

I saw her speak at one of the Croydon Tech City events, and it's sad to see one of the founders of such a great educational organization like Code Club effectively get pushed out over the (possibly perceived - it's not clear Google or whomever actually asked for this in any way) sensitivity of some corporate partner.

Re: Linda Sandvik Resigns As Director Of Code Club

#17

Post by viraptor »

facepalm wrote: post #4
simondedalus wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You cannot have a healthy society if only the powerless are allowed to criticize the powerful. She isn't even resigning in protest of Google's involvement, but the board's forbidding her to criticize any of Google's actions.

Why should a sponsor finance a project that tells people the sponsor is evil? I don't really see the problem here. Two parties disagree, so they go separate ways. End of story.

You should be always able to criticise companies/organisations you depend on. Otherwise, why would they improve anything for you?

Taking an example on a bigger scale: you should be able to openly criticise some actions of the government, even if you're receiving benefits.

Re: Linda Sandvik Resigns As Director Of Code Club

#18

Post by paulhauggis »

otakucode wrote: post #6
Someone1234 wrote: post #2

I'm conflicted. I respect someone for standing up for what they believe in (freedom to express their views) but this also seems like one of those "pick your battles" situations. Google like it or not are a key sponsor of Code Club. They do some good and some evil, but they're a key sponsor, and as the director you need to put the organisation ahead of your personal issues/complaints. The complaints might be entirely…

Why do you take it as implicitly acceptable that Google should expect silence about their bad actions simply because they sponsor the club? Is Google sponsoring the club to support teaching kids to code, or to buy some ideological allies in the tech ideas sphere? If the second, why should we accept such a thing?

From Google's perspective, why would I want to sponsor a group that thinks I am evil (and spreading this opinion around)?

If I was sponsoring a company/group (IE: paying them money) and they said anything negative about me, I would drop them in a second.

If they really don't like Google, they can deny their money and press as a result of the sponsorship.

They didn't and then the director thought it was okay to spread her negative opinion around. You don't get it both ways. She was obviously not on board with the rest of the company and now has to deal with the consequences.

It seems many people commenting here want to be able to express any opinion (bad or good) without any consequences. The world doesn't work this way.

Re: Linda Sandvik Resigns As Director Of Code Club

#20

Post by Avenger42 »

mnarayan01 wrote: post #12

> "I do not want to get into the specifics of any particular corporation. Nonetheless, it’s worth restating that the Code Club board believe X are a tremendous partner. As a member of the board I am completely aligned with that view." > I'm not comfortable with lying and so it is in my best interest to resign. I'm not sure what part of that statement would be a lie?

I'd think it would be this part:

"As a member of the board I am completely aligned with that view."

If she were asked to stop at "the board believe X are a tremendous partner", then as a member of the board, she'd be implying the last sentence, but not actually saying it. (I couldn't comment on whether or not she'd be fine with the implication either.)

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