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Google fires employee who protested Israel tech event, shuts forum

cnbc.com

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Re: Google fires employee who protested Israel tech event, shuts forum

#231

Post by ReptileMan »

GordonS wrote: post #164
ReptileMan wrote: post #29

>“I refuse to build technology that powers genocide.” The Google Cloud engineer was subsequently fired Well google cloud can't power genocide, so what is your problem?

I'm not saying it is, but technically, yes, it could play a role. For example, US-backed Israel has used an AI system to decide where to drop bombs. They likely need lots of storage for videos of their drones killing people. They likely used databases with the locations of journalists so they could murder them. Just a few examples, but compute and storage can definitely play a part.

And those types of data will be stored om Google cloud?

Can't we just assume that the person is bored, overly political and naive?

Re: Google fires employee who protested Israel tech event, shuts forum

#232

Post by glomph »

sanderjd wrote: post #113
hayst4ck wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is why we need tech unions. We should be able to take an ethical stance without getting fired.

Honest question: Is this a common function of a union? For instance, I don't seem to recall hearing much about auto-workers taking ethical stances and being protected from termination by their union. But it's also not something I've paid much attention to, so maybe this is indeed something unions do. I'm genuinely curious.

Historically yes it is a massive part of what unions have done and continue to do. For example there have been many examples of dock workers refusing to transport South African or Israeli goods. That this is done as a collective action organised by union is what protects workers from individual retaliation.

Re: Google fires employee who protested Israel tech event, shuts forum

#233

Post by salawat »

lordfrito wrote: post #125

Lately it seems that more and more rank-and-file employees believe that a company has some sort of moral obligation to take their political opinions into consideration. Corporations aren't democracies. Unless you're an executive or high ranking decision maker, you're along for the ride. I don't ask my kids for their opinion about my home budget, what house I should buy, etc. So it is at work. Expecting a company to k…

Expecting employees to enable you to do what they aren't okay with having supported and be silent is just as entitled a worldview. Employees are not to Management/Executives as a child is to a parent. We're all adults. We're all here together, and literally the only thing the Exec title carries with it is potential liabiliy.

Don't like not having your every whim kowtow'd to by people below you? Well, feel free to fire and incur the increased uninsurance premiums that will detract from your bottom line. And hey, there's other places to hire people in. But oh wait.... Everywhere else still recognizes the legotimacy of secondary strikes. Let me know how that works for ya.

Or... You know, listen to the people actually doing the hard work. Be a pity if something unfortunate were to happen to that all those cooperative people that make you making money possible.

Re: Google fires employee who protested Israel tech event, shuts forum

#234

Post by surfpel »

PheonixPharts wrote: post #226
lordfrito wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never suggested the employee wasn't allowed to speak their mind. I'm just saying that the person should fully expect to be fired for that sort of behavior, and take that into consideration. There is a time and place, and work is not it. Don't crap where you eat, etc. If you did that in my house, I'd (politely) kick you out. You're welcome to disagree with me, but if you're inside my house then it's on my terms.

If you earnestly believe there's no important distinction between employees of a multinational corporation and a guest in your private home then I don't think there's any more possible room for discussion. I am curious though, in what specific context would you "defend to the death" my right to free speech? It seems strange to be willing to offer your life for something with so many terms and conditions applied.

I was going to respond the same thing but it’s really pointless.

What would it even mean to say that one doesn’t have the right to free speech, if having the right was indefensible after having spoken?

“You have the right to bear arms but I have the right to persecute you for bearing arms”??

“You have the right to remain silent but I have the right to jail you for remaining silent”??

“Rights” in this case seem to be conflated with the technical capacity to exist as a human being and nothing beyond that.

It’s just virtue signaling without substance.

Re: Google fires employee who protested Israel tech event, shuts forum

#236

Post by GordonS »

PheonixPharts wrote: post #54
c0mbonat0r wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

> propaganda news outlets. Most major news outlets are still wildly pro-Israel. My and most people's opinions on the subject tend to not to drive from main stream media accounts, but research and journalistic investigations into the situation there. I don't personally know anyone who has walked down the path of doing real research into the issue and not come out of it horrified with Isreal's actions and this has been…

> I don't personally know anyone who has walked down the path of doing real research into the issue and not come out of it horrified with Isreal's actions and this has been long before Oct, 7 2023.

I'm slightly ashamed to admit that until Israel's propaganda and genocidal response to the Al Aqsa Flood attack, I believed Israel were basically The Good Guys doing their best against terrorist neighbours. I feel like most people in the UK thought like that, and I rarely saw any negatively portrayals of Israel in the MSM.

From what I've learned since, I've been... horrified - and like you said, by their actions going way back.

Re: Google fires employee who protested Israel tech event, shuts forum

#237

Post by colechristensen »

themgt wrote: post #169
colechristensen wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My questions weren't just rhetorical, there is nothing in the posted article about the political connection of the meeting / conference that was disrupted.

Cloud computing and AI technology is at the heart of the modern battlefield. Let's say it was a speech by the Google Palestine director in charge of selling cloud computing and AI technology to the military wing of Hamas, at a conference where a Hamas spokesman was also giving a speech. Would you also consider there to be no political connection there?

If you support the Palestinian peoples and the cause for peace or one of the various proposed solutions for long term peace, there’s no problem. Debate and differing opinions are expected.

Hamas though is a terrorist organization. Internationally recognized as such almost universally. They started this war with rape, murder, and kidnapping of innocent civilians. If you do business with them you’re breaking the law. If you give voice to them or publicly support them you are an enemy not only of your own country, but of peace and good sense. I have nothing but the harshist judgement for someone openly claiming to support Hamas.

If I found out my company had relations with Hamas I wouldn’t protest, quit, or cause a scene, I’d call the FBI. That is not a political issue, it is a serious legal and moral issue.

Re: Google fires employee who protested Israel tech event, shuts forum

#238

Post by C6JEsQeQa5fCjE »

From the article:

> One employee asked about Gemini's bias. Specifically, the person wrote that when asking Gemini, "Do women in Gaza deserve human rights?" the chatbot didn't have a response and directed the user to try Google search. But when the employee asked the same question of women in France, Gemini answered "Absolutely," followed by multiple bullet points backing up the assertion.

> CNBC replicated the search Thursday afternoon and found the same results.

Dreadful.

Re: Google fires employee who protested Israel tech event, shuts forum

#239

Post by duxup »

PheonixPharts wrote: post #228
duxup wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like the expectations here are reasonable. I wouldn't want another employee interrupting my meeting like that either. As for the rest of your "salve owner" commentary I think that's an absurd comparison.

Are you being deliberately obtuse? Surely you recognized there is a context to the "no interrupting meetings" guideline. The protester felt that meeting was playing part in the support and facilitation genocide, I think that's adequate grounds to interrupt a meeting. And what do you find absurd about the "slave owner" comparison? I'm not arguing that modern day employment is slavery or anything of the sort, just poin…

Obviously his behavior wasn't simply interrupting a meeting.

Re: Google fires employee who protested Israel tech event, shuts forum

#240

Post by smashah »

surgical_fire wrote: post #229
smashah wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You mistake manufacturing Zyklon B like a good little wagie for professionalism. You also mistake a moral position as conformism, which enables you to make immoral (by your own standards) statements.

> You mistake manufacturing Zyklon B like a good little wagie for professionalism You either don't know the meaning of professionalism, or are arguing in bad faith. I will presume cognitive limitations instead of malice. > You also mistake a moral position as conformism, which enables you to make immoral (by your own standards) statements There is nothing moral or immoral to conforming to society. I don't make the ru…

> I was just following orders

Sounds familiar.

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