I originally upvoted this, but "LGBTQ employees have been fired for their activism" implies the employees were fired for their activism around gay and lesbian or bisexual, or transgender, issues. The employees were fired over not supporting border control. It's fine to not support border control, but please don't imply this has anything to do with gay rights or gender identity when it clearly does not.
On Resigning from Google
281–290 of 295 posts
Re: On Resigning from Google
#282Earlier quoted context omitted.
If everyone who participated in the Google Walkout (20% of their workforce) stayed out until Google addressed their complaints, rather than returning to work after their lunch hour was over, all seven demands would've been met, instead of one. (And they probably would've still got paid!) I have my doubts that tech companies could operate with a sudden loss of 20% of their workforce and talent base. If a company knows…
But it is also plausible that if an indefinite strike was on the agenda only 1% of them had joined the walkout instead of 20%, making them easier to let go.
True, but this is, again, why unions exist. Because then the union can decide to strike, everyone in the union is expected to participate, and the outcome is successful and people's jobs are protected. If engineers at Google want to be taken seriously, they should unionize.
Re: On Resigning from Google
#283Re: On Resigning from Google
#284Earlier quoted context omitted.
Only if their intention is to talk about how useless Mensa is and to break the fetishization of being a member of this club.
I'd probably read an article by a ex member of mensa that wrote that. Arguing vociferously about how that "wasn't such a big deal" would make me wonder what ax you had to grind with people who talk shit about mensa.
Exactly. I'm a little surprised at the size of the immediate and vicious reaction. There's more that people aren't saying besides "Google isn't that special".
Re: On Resigning from Google
#285“Oil and gas companies use cloud computing so I’m not going to work on cloud computing” doesn’t seem much more valid to me than “child pornographers use encryption so I’m not going to work on encryption”. It’s a technology that exists, and people will use it to further their goals no matter what you personally do. There is a simple, well-established way for society to discourage certain activities without damaging th…
Taxing externalities is great, and we should totally do that. However, your ordinary political vote as 1 of 300,000,000 Americans is probably less impactful than your job as 1 of 100,000 Googlers. And you still get to vote regardless of your job status. Heck, this post is on the frontpage of hn getting viewed by thousands of people in relevant industries. Certainly most ex-FAANG employees can afford more financial sa…
My reaction is specifically to quitting Google, not just making a noise. You should always make noise. But quitting Google damages every customer of Google, most of whom are probably doing beneficial things, so the effects are mixed. And doing it for this reason doesn’t even directly address the underlying problem.
So if you’re making a sacrifice like this to send a message, let it be “support a carbon tax”, not “don’t work for oil companies”.
Re: On Resigning from Google
#286Earlier quoted context omitted.
IMO it's not. First of all, I doubt many of the engineers here are actively selling the technology to the oil and gas companies directly, or even working on features that are especially designed for oil and gas companies - if they are, I think they have a little more of a case. Second of all, the relevant point here is that cloud computing capabilities are by default available to any purchaser, just as encryption is…
Google had a "VP of Oil, Gas, and Energy" so it's not like they are building off-the-shelf software that oil and gas companies happen to purchase. Google is making a concerted effort to accommodate those companies specifically.
I suspect the main function of that VP is sales and marketing, not inventing different technology. The technology remains essentially usable by everyone.
Re: On Resigning from Google
#287Earlier quoted context omitted.
Google spent decades selecting for these "moralizers" and is now reaping what it sowed; "don't be evil" was a cultural slogan that carries consequences if it attracts a particular kind of mindset. And in a few cases, yeah; HR is shitting bricks because it's losing people who built the underlying fabric of the system (which anyone who has built a large system will tell you increases risk to the entire software company…
>Google spent decades selecting for these "moralizers" and is now reaping what it sowed; "don't be evil" was a cultural slogan that carries consequences if it attracts a particular kind of mindset. And apparently that mindset drove an enormous amount of profit and, at least in the beginning, gave the company some sort of social conscience. It's amazing that you can be so against these things
A cog in the machine did not drive an enormous amount of profit - it's the higher echelon of the company that does it. The cog spent years thinking it's a moral paragon and an example to be looked up to, all the while it's been spinning the greatest spying machine man kind has ever known.
Re: On Resigning from Google
#288I currently work at Google, but I am a newbie, i.e less than 5 years at Google. I frequently run in to people who are: 1) always been at Google and enjoyed the fruits of its rise or at another similar environment 2) never had to deal with frugality or lack of funding for anything 3) see themselves are superior to everyone else - in terms of how enlightened they are, how they know whats best for everyone 4) feel that…
Honestly, Im inclined to agree with their general worldview but their arrogance and elitism disgusts me, especially as someone valued at a fraction by the fair labor market.
Your inferiority complex on every Google post is quite disgusting too. No one from Google has said anything to you or done anything to detriment your career. If you don't like your current job move to a more "elite" place instead of projecting.
Re: On Resigning from Google
#289Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your analysis isn't entirely incorrect, but you're kind of missing the point. Oil and gas companies one day were necessary and provided more value than destruction (as far as we knew). At this point though, it's clear that oil and gas will one day be a thing of the past, and these massive industries are desperately trying to cling on in the face of this. Evidence of this is present in the lobbying efforts funded to t…
Do you know of an energy source that can completely replace oil an gas today? It is very much not only a thing of past, but necessary for our survival today.
Solar/Wind/Nuclear can easily replace Oil today.
Re: On Resigning from Google
#290Earlier quoted context omitted.
Honestly, Im inclined to agree with their general worldview but their arrogance and elitism disgusts me, especially as someone valued at a fraction by the fair labor market.
Your inferiority complex on every Google post is quite disgusting too. No one from Google has said anything to you or done anything to detriment your career. If you don't like your current job move to a more "elite" place instead of projecting.
> No one from Google has said anything
I mean, I think you have...on literally every post I make...saying people like me aren't smart so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
> If you don't like your current job
I like it fine, I just don't like people implying I'm lesser.