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My Google Internship

goldsborough.me

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Re: My Google Internship

#131

Post by galfarragem »

Shank wrote: post #65

I love reading accounts like this. As someone who had an internship in high school, I'm always happy to hear what other people's experiences were going into and out of the process. I think my immediate reaction is that Google creates an environment that simply doesn't exist at most other places. I interned at two companies in the defense industry. You could argue that our experiences were different because of securit…

> Even if it might seem a bit cheesy to go after the low hanging fruit, employee happiness goes a long way to building a thriving, mutually beneficial relationship between an employee and a company.

This. While general funding (IT is a very well funded sector) also matters, most of this is cultural. As an anecdote, I interned in a place (not IT related) where we had to use our personal laptops and even pay for drinking water and toilet paper..

Re: My Google Internship

#132

Post by ta34534445 »

madeofpalk wrote: post #60
chmln wrote: post #58

Great read. However, he lost me at > Googley to stand up for diversity and inclusion, such as protesting against binary gendering on toilets Is it Google's business? Why should Google be involved? Why cater to 0.6% of the population, at the expense of convenience for the 99.4%? At my last job we had "non-binary", "all-inclusive" bathrooms. They're just awkward. Not the stalls themselves, but having to share the bathr…

Have you never been in a place with unisex toilets? In Australia, many offices, pubs and clubs have 'unisex toilets' which are basically just a whole bunch of small individual stalls with toilets + basin. Most of the time it isn't necessarily about being progressive, just cost saving and practicality.

I am in Australia, and have never come across "unisex toilets". Perhaps I'm misreading your comment, but I think you suggest a room of stall that can be used by all genders. I think by law however, there needs to be an "accessible" bathroom. This will be a single room which would likely fulfil the role.

Re: My Google Internship

#133

Post by Raed667 »

galfarragem wrote: post #131
Shank wrote: post #65

I love reading accounts like this. As someone who had an internship in high school, I'm always happy to hear what other people's experiences were going into and out of the process. I think my immediate reaction is that Google creates an environment that simply doesn't exist at most other places. I interned at two companies in the defense industry. You could argue that our experiences were different because of securit…

> Even if it might seem a bit cheesy to go after the low hanging fruit, employee happiness goes a long way to building a thriving, mutually beneficial relationship between an employee and a company. This. While general funding (IT is a very well funded sector) also matters, most of this is cultural. As an anecdote, I interned in a place (not IT related) where we had to use our personal laptops and even pay for drinki…

Laptops are expensive I undressed... But water and toilet paper are just common decency.

I bet you that they have red flags all over glassdoor?

Re: My Google Internship

#134

Post by HiroshiSan »

Jesus christ, there is a lot of jealousy in this thread. I don't have anything interesting to add to the conversation but I am in awe with how much you've been able to accomplish in life already. Good job and I look forward to seeing what else you put out in the world.

Re: My Google Internship

#135

Post by rincebrain »

chmln wrote: post #88
amputect wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, it is, but I think the implementation matters. In my building on the Google Kirkland campus, we have men's and women's bathrooms in a few different places, and also one place where there's 5 single-occupancy unisex bathrooms and one mother's room. It's great! It doesn't take any space away from the other bathrooms, and it accommodates people who are uncomfortable in the cisgender multi-person bathrooms for whate…

Honestly, its largely a non-issue. Presenting people with choice and accommodating e.g. mothers is common sense. It is the fact of protesting such matters at work that threw me off in the first place. Opinions shouldn't be crammed down people's throats.

If the protest was about the lack of such choice, at the time, then this is still compatible with what you're suggesting is common sense.

Re: My Google Internship

#136

Post by rincebrain »

thegenius2000 wrote: post #127
onion2k wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why cater to 0.6% of the population, at the expense of convenience for the 99.4%? Do all those 99.4% of people consider it an "expense"? A lot of people are happy to make a small sacrifice if it greatly benefits other people.

Very fair point, but what about the fraction of people who not only consider it an expense, but an affront to moral dignity? For example, Politico did a poll which showed that 46% of Americans believe that everyone should use the bathroom of their birth. Should their comforts be sacrificed for the sake of 0.6% of the population?

"Believed that they should" is not necessarily the same as "affronted if they don't".

There are, for example, a number of people who would not get an abortion, but believe in the right of others to doso.

Re: My Google Internship

#137

Post by HelloNurse »

19guid wrote: post #37

> It’s Googley to stand up for diversity and inclusion, such as protesting against binary gendering on toilets So if I support binary gendering on toilets, I'm not welcome at Google? Why has it become necessary to subscribe to a particular set of political beliefs in order to work for Silicon Valley firms?

Supporting "binary gendering" on toilets means deliberately troubling one's transsexual, queer etc. colleagues; not only hurting their feelings with a constant reminder that they are misfits, but concretely allowing obnoxious people to attack them because they are guilty of using the "wrong" restroom.

Such an attitude, although less harmful than many more common workplace problems, is so high on the jerk scale that I cannot imagine how it could be considered a political issue. It's as absurd as asserting one's right to drive while drunk.

Re: My Google Internship

#138

Post by jacques_chester »

Shank wrote: post #65

I love reading accounts like this. As someone who had an internship in high school, I'm always happy to hear what other people's experiences were going into and out of the process. I think my immediate reaction is that Google creates an environment that simply doesn't exist at most other places. I interned at two companies in the defense industry. You could argue that our experiences were different because of securit…

> I wish more companies would copy Google on how they treat their employees and interns.

More companies would love to copy Google's position athwart a massive river of gold (advertising), soon to be two rivers (cloud).

Re: My Google Internship

#139

Post by rincebrain »

danspencer wrote: post #102
Veelox wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think 19guid has a problem with using a toilet or being an asshole. I think the question is why is dissent from specific political views looked down upon? I have been in Silicon Valley for almost a year now after moving from the Midwest. I have been able to talk freely with my coworkers about some of my conservative views. Yet when I have shared what would count as "traditional values" on internal forums I ha…

You have a good point. A friend of mine works at Yahoo and he regularly gets emails from management encouraging everyone to show up at the Yahoo booth at Gay Pride Parade. Sure, Yahoo wants to be at Gay Pride Parade because they want to be seen as an open and accepting place. If Yahoo does not participate, it looks bad because every other big company (read: Yahoo's competitors) attends Gay Pride Parade too. But now w…

There are several things to unpack here, but I'm going to stick to one.

The primary difference, in practice, between something like Gay Pride and something like "Straight Pride", would be the power dynamic between the two.

Historically, and even to some extent currently, the people with more power have been those who would be in the latter parade.

"Punching up" is what it's called when you are challenging a group more powerful than you - "punching down" is more commonly referred to as "bullying".

Re: My Google Internship

#140

Post by kidlj »

thewhitetulip wrote: post #114
wsh91 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey, I know others on here have already chimed in, but I joined Google not that long ago having been rejected twice before. Please don't sell yourself short. Give us a try.

I live in India, have written a tutorial on Go, https://github.com/thewhitetulip/web-dev-golang-anti-textboo... , am decent with Go, am learning Vue.js, writing book on it as well, http://github.com/thewhitetulip/intro-to-vuejs/ . I am a full geek, applied twice. Didn't get any reply! edit: changed book to tutorial

Vue.js is nice!
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