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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

#141

Whoever wrote this is a fucking lunatic. I mean, common, "His house is a pompous, minimally decorated two story palace with stone lions guarding the door." You lost me right there. And then the parts about Google X developing "war robots" and Google threatening to release a "massive amount of carbon"? Just... no. I thought the protestors had a reasonable argument about Google hindering the development of better publi…

Are housing prices in San Francisco really so insane that a two-story house is "pompous" and a "palace"?

> developing "war robots"

Technically, since their acquisition Boston Dynamics, Google is indeed in the business of war robots: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/google-buys-major-military...

Though they've said they're only going to fulfill their existing military contracts, not seek out others. I guess we'll see what happens on that front.

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

#142
post #22
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I where a Googler working in SF id have to start seriously thinking about getting a PPW license. PPW is short hand for the Uk licence to carry a gun for personal protection - and yes there are tech companies that do have staff that do that.

San Francisco almost never issues such licenses. If memory serves, only two people currently have CCW licenses issued by the City and County of San Francisco. Those two people who have them have serious political connections.

Last I heard it was down to a single person.

However, CCWs in California are state-wide licenses and many of the more rural counties are pretty liberal with giving them out. Even Sacramento is close to a "shall-issue" county. I've heard San Diego is pretty decent too.

In other words, if you live in a county where you can get a CCW, you can carry it legally in the entire state.

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

#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 more money than he could ever dream of, Levandowski is working long hours bringing this dream of the military into reality."

"Levandowski started a company that created computer tablets designed to display blueprints at construction sites. The reasoning behind their venture was that updating and then printing new blueprints took a few days and slowed construction time. With this new product, construction companies could create condominiums, malls, and subdivisions with the least possible delay and the maximum profit. In praise of his prodigious business acumen, the administration-run UC Berkeley News decided to run an article on him in 2003, championing his ability to make money and enable the housing bubble that was just starting to expand."

"The proposed project is a testament to the arrogance, disconnection, and luxury of the ruling class. Growing their own vegetables in a rooftop garden and selling them to other wealthy people allows them, somehow, to pretend that the planet is not being ravaged by the same economy they depend on for their wealth, comfort, and safety."

"Preparing for the action, we watched Levandowski step out of his front door. He had Google Glasses over his eyes, carried his baby in his arm, and held a tablet with his free hand. As he descended the stairs with the baby, his eyes were on the tablet through the prism of his Google Glasses, not on the life against his chest. He appeared in this moment like the robot he admits that he is."

Seriously? That last one is particularly horrifying and almost sounds like an implicit threat.

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

#144
post #92

Absolutely horrifying. More so because there are actually people here in this thread defending the crazy person who's trying to destroy somebody's life because they don't like the company he works for.

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.

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

#145
post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never felt the need for a down vote button for a comment on Hacker News until now. Yes, we should be ethically aware of the tools and products we build, but this is not the way to go about this! Harassing a man at his home like this is unnecessary and aggressive. Please stop the promotion of individual harassment.

You claim that it's unnecessary and aggressive yet you do not discount its effectiveness. Therefore I'm going to discount your argument. Protest is worth it when its effective. And we're reading about it, so its done its job. Protest need not be cozy, clean, friendly, or Batemanish.

I never claim effectiveness. Reading an article about a protest and a protest causing actual change are two very different things. I don't see what job was done.

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

#146

The article has a deeply discrimatory ring to it. It's essentialist to single out Google as the sole source of whatever problems San Francisco has. It also has the ring of "these immigrants are destroying the character of our community and taking our jobs, and not giving back. Let's send these immigrants a message." Disturbing, terrifying, and misguided.

Interesting that the employee targeted appears to be an immigrant and not a WASP.

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

#147
post #6

Is this serious or supposed to be satire or something? Cause it reads like something a deranged person would write to me... Making comments about how Google employees automatically bring police, "All of Google's employees should be prevented from getting to work", etc. Yeah they do bring police.. to deal with nutjobs that decide to randomly show up at their houses and stop them from working, stop a bus in the middle…

Just read the PDF, and it's an interesting and reasonable perspective on tech. Probably sounds blasphemous to an audience excited about investments/acquisitions of $15M, $30M and $1.54 billion (from HN's current front page), but I think techies are due for a reasonable backlash for their usual servility to power, by people concerned about their society.

This PDF is so far from reasonable. This is a group of people that seem to be angry about anything and everything tech related - from exploitative production labor all the way through to not paying enough attention to your family. The PDF reads like an anti-technology manifesto and anti-government war cry more than anything else to me.

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

#148
post #92

Absolutely horrifying. More so because there are actually people here in this thread defending the crazy person who's trying to destroy somebody's life because they don't like the company he works for.

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.

No one deserves to feel unsafe, especially in their own home. Just because they haven't literally harmed his person doesn't mean that they're acting morally.

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

#149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can come up with lots of reasons for why carrying a concealed weapon is more likely to be harmful than beneficial in these circumstances. But why is it a bad idea to carry a weapon in SF? Are people stopped and frisked? Are there metal detectors everywhere? Are there pickpockets all over the place that will steal your weapon and use it against you?

It is extremely difficult to legally buy and conceal a handgun that conforms to California law. You also can't pickpocket a gun to anyone carrying it appropriately. Try to take a gun from a cop and see what happens.

Weapon retention is an extremely stressed training point for most law enforcement agencies (even over effective shooting in many places). That's because many LEO shootings involve their service weapons that have been taken (I've seen estimates in the 8-12% range).

This is in a population that is trained in weapon retention. I've rarely met non-LEO folks who spend adequate time on the skill.

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

#150
post #140
post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, it's kinda like driving by your house with a camera then putting the pictures on the web. Or slurping up your wifi credentials. Good thing Google employees would never get involved in anything like that.

It is exactly like those things.

but Google did not turn up mob handed an picket you house and make threats about you and your family did it.
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