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Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

economist.com

241–250 of 1001 posts

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#242

People are human. But work is work. The canonical point of a workplace is to come together to fulfill the aims of the entrepreneurs. The personal aims of the workers are fulfilled best outside of work. Just stop to think about it logically for a minute... is the workplace the best place to circulate a petition condemning something that has nothing to do with work? The workplace necessarily is going to bring together…

Yes. You go to work because they pay you. That's it. I do not care about your politics, and I beg that you don't care about mine. I am not your family. Odds are, I will not choose to be your friend. A professional relationship as coworkers is the goal here.

This naive take seems to imply that companies, in America today, do not have political influence. Or, companies do have political influence, but its workers deserve no say despite spending 40 hours of every week devoted to serving its interests.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#243

I have no tolerance for politics at work. As far as woke at work goes, not too long ago someone in my office commented on slack "I don't approve of unnecessarily gendered emoji" - I can't even begin to imagine what sort of mind produces such thoughts. First world problems? No idea.

the one that gets me is adding race to emoji. they all used to be 'Simpsons yellow', a skin tone not found in any ethnic or racial group, and as such not representing or excluding any group but now we have black white and other various skin tones for our happy-faces. WHY? Does black happy face mean something different than white happy face isn't happiness universal? why bring race into something that was simply meant…

Fully agree. It seems so stupid. Why do people care about what color the emoji is? Don't they have real problems?

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a really disingenuous false equivalency. First, you're implying that all opinions are equally valid. That is... I'll be polite and simply call it nonsense. "Gay people should have rights" and "gay people shouldn't have rights" are not opinions of equal value, and it's not "eating your cake and having it too" to say that the latter opinion is unwelcome. Second, there's a very clear relationship between the "le…

"Gay people should have rights". What "rights" currently are being denied to gays? Honest question

--Protected-- These groups in USA have some subtle, hard to prove discrimination. If you're not in the group it's hard to even perceive and/or understand (it's why the issue is so hot-button).

Like all those prospect-hires who never got a call back - as they weren't "a cultural fit for our company" on record. But maybe (and heres the nearly impossible part to prove) the hiring manager didn't like them cause they /sounded gay/ or /was a bitch/.

Edit: you downvote cause you don't think it happens or because you don't like reading about how it happens?

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not "divine right of king" by any stretch of the imagination. It is a contract for exchange of service between to parties. Because you agreed to exchange their money for your labor. During that time you are obligated to do what you are agreed to be paid to do under the conditions agreed to at time of hire. And yes they are owed your skills because they are paying you for them, that is how any exchange of servic…

You are right, we are selling our labour. But the idea that that means that we are selling our _time_ is a recent development in human history. Most societies in the past would have a hard time even understanding the idea that one's time could belong to your employer, es explained by David Graeber in "bullshit jobs"

I honestly don't think this would be a problem if people spent their time advocating on internet message boards vs internal corporate message boards - even on the clock. This isn't about selling time, it's about what's the appropriate place and audience for certain types of discussion.

In practically every job I've ever had, some of the conversations that folks are advocating to continue would have gotten me first warned and then fired. But I've never worked for a 'tech' company per se, just in technology. I guess it could be different in SV but then that's probably the issue. Most of the country just doesn't operate this way and finds this kinda weird.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#246

> Coinbase and Basecamp, which each lost 60 employees after their bosses changed the rules, have apparently been inundated with applications from people wanting to work for politics-free firms. Basecamp had 57 employees at the time of their announcement. Are they down to -3?

It’s a sum

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow. Most businesses are started with neither. But with the sweat off the back of the founders. When will we acknowledge that one of the most noble pursuits in human history is to provide paid employment for your fellow man??

When will we stop fetishizing and lionizing "job creation"? The ideal business would employ zero people, have zero expenses, and make a 100% profit margin. From a purely business perspective, every job created is an inefficiency. No one sets out to create jobs when they start a business. They set out to make money and create products or services of value - in that order. Employing people is an unfortunate side-effect…

The beauty of the free market is that by pursuing selfish interests, people wind up benefiting others as well.

The failure of collective markets stems from nobody has figured out how to get people to stop acting selfishly.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#248
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a PoC, I’ve also fielded those comments from white co-workers and it honestly feels like a contemporary version of being blind to race.

Can you expand on what do you mean as being blind to race? Do you want them to see your race, treat different races differently? Aren't we supposed to be a color-blind society? Maybe I am just not understanding what you mean.

Not sure you heard but MLK is now an alt-right extremist.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#249
post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the one that gets me is adding race to emoji. they all used to be 'Simpsons yellow', a skin tone not found in any ethnic or racial group, and as such not representing or excluding any group but now we have black white and other various skin tones for our happy-faces. WHY? Does black happy face mean something different than white happy face isn't happiness universal? why bring race into something that was simply meant…

I don't understand why so many people get so angry about something so inconsequential.

No one is angry. That's the point. The point is that no one should care about race, but everyone all of the sudden is.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#250
post #42

I have no tolerance for politics at work. As far as woke at work goes, not too long ago someone in my office commented on slack "I don't approve of unnecessarily gendered emoji" - I can't even begin to imagine what sort of mind produces such thoughts. First world problems? No idea.

As a PoC, I’ve also fielded those comments from white co-workers and it honestly feels like a contemporary version of being blind to race.

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