Live data from Hacker News

Google Protest Leader Leaves

bloomberg.com

131–140 of 442 posts

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#131
post #41
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The majority wanted Project Maven and search in China?

Rephrased slightly differently: The majority want opportunities that will advance their careers, increase their stock values, and keep the company doing well (which usually means bigger bonuses)

Rephrasing even more: there is a number of rats that are capable of doing anything to advance their careers and to make more money. When a few people appear that value their conscience more than money, these rats will fight them.

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But your work is innately political.

what is political about this? for(const i = 0; i < 100; i++) { ... }

If you work for a defense contractor your work is political. Not literally political, but you are now serving the state.

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#133
post #31

As a googler, I say good. People like her have made going to work exhausting. Leave your politics at home and let me do my job in peace.

I was amazed there was even a Resist@Google group within Google. I’m okay with people protesting the companies actions but Google seemed to be internally supporting protests on company time and property. Which has pitted employees against each other across political lines. I don’t see why Google cant just keep it apolitical in the work environment while being open to critiques externally and not caring what their emp…

The problem becomes that googlers stop thinking about anything but the current company priories, and you don't innovate anymore.

Weird as it is, I don't think there's a half-open position with the free-thought floodgate.

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#134
It stories like these that make me wonder, is it better to take an adversarial/external approach to change (like Meredith) or to work slowly inside an org and change it from the inside?

Of course the external/adversarial approach can generate huge changes quickly by relatively junior folks, but always comes at a huge cost and is not sustainable (see: most of the people who did these protests have left). So you get one shot, and worse, it sends a message to others that this behavior isn't tolerated. So in the long run, could even lead to worse outcomes overall.

On the other hand, the idea that you can change the system before it changes you...well we all know how that usually works out.

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> until the first competition shows up Their worry is that competition will be started by the people they've not hired and kept on the bench. I'd imagine a large amount of their top-level hiring is driven by taking minds off of the market, more than optimising their output.

This couldn't ever work. Folks that smart want to do things that are real.

Real != profitable. Google can offer academic style oppurtunities at industry style salaries.

Eg. Fuchsia OS might have been started because Google saw a bussines oppurtunity in writing an open source capabilities OS. Or, it might have been started to keep smart OS engineers from leaving the company.

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#136
post #94
post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If by "politics" you mean "not being harassed" or "paid the same for the same work", yes, yes you should be free to bring that to work. Every damn day.

Harassment is a crime and plenty of workplace laws are in place for that. If Google fired someone for speaking up against an incident of harassment that would be a huge story in the media.

Yes, if only there was some news story alleging that Google treated workers poorly after raising harassment concerns. Sounds like you want to see that!

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#137
post #99

I don't really understand why it's surprising to anyone that they would face "internal retaliation" after exposing their employer as evil and boycott worthy to the entire world. By publicizing it to the degree that they did and attaching their name to it, they were putting their interests over the company. If my company started doing business practices that I didn't approve of, I would try my hardest to change the di…

I believe the strong term "evil" is only used because Google's motto is "don't be evil". Not everyone has the freedom to instantly change jobs. The world might be a better place if employees had the right to whistle blow without being threatened with homelessness or fleeing to Russia. Unions striking and protesting against their companies for better wages seems acceptable. Why is protesting for ethical reasons withou…

Google's motto was don't be evil. I believe it was removed.

Source: https://gizmodo.com/google-removes-nearly-all-mentions-of-do...

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#138
post #31

As a googler, I say good. People like her have made going to work exhausting. Leave your politics at home and let me do my job in peace.

I was amazed there was even a Resist@Google group within Google. I’m okay with people protesting the companies actions but Google seemed to be internally supporting protests on company time and property. Which has pitted employees against each other across political lines. I don’t see why Google cant just keep it apolitical in the work environment while being open to critiques externally and not caring what their emp…

>I was amazed there was even a Resist@Google group within Google.

If I was google, I'd allow it. For a while. Then get rid of everybody in there. Good riddance.

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#139
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Protesting against sexual harrassement and and equal compensation are just 'your politics'? huh.

When people say they want politics out of something, what they really mean is they want everyone else's politics out. My beliefs are common sense; your beliefs are partisan politics.

If your politics are encouraging or even accepting of sexual harassment and pay discrimination based on gender, then your 'politics' aren't worth acknowledging, honestly.

Re: Google Protest Leader Leaves

#140
post #73

One less person on the payroll to generate negative news and internal strife is surely a positive development.

Positive for Google & Shareholders, but not for the rest of the 7.7 billion people on Earth.

I can't tell sarcastic comments from serious ones anymore, deluded wannabe saviors who actually think like that are abound.
Post reply on HN