While I enjoyed the article, and I appreciate you posting it, one quibble: it's off-putting whenever anyone mentions a number they got on a test as evidence for intelligence. If you write intelligently, I'll happily consider you intelligent.
Things I've learned at Google so far
41–50 of 197 posts
Re: Things I've learned at Google so far
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
Bullshit. For example, do you honestly think that Android UI was done in a data-driven way from the scratch without designers? Google uses data to tweak experience of their existing products like Search UI. That's it. Designing interfaces for new products or features is done by designers (or in some case, like many Google Labs products, by developers).
You're right, I should have qualified that. That said, there are a lot of people working as designers in Google, but in my experience they are essentially user interaction designers. The more woolly aspects of design -- like picking a different font just because of how it "feels" -- Google's pretty hostile to that. There's a default concept of "Googliness" which everyone understands to be a kind of high-energy, prima…
Heaven forfend one should use an attractive font on a Google product.
Seeing the incredible engineering innovations going on at Google, and the incredible UI innovations going on elsewhere, makes me a little sad - never the twain shall meet, and instead they're redeemed to making shallow copies of each other and never quite hitting the spot. Over-designed and under-engineered, or vice versa.
Adding design-led products or hiring more designers, however, would kind of change what Google is about IMO. Can engineers be taught design? ;)
Re: Things I've learned at Google so far
#43This article really made me want to go work for Google. Is it possible to get tours and meet real employees?
If you know someone that works there, tell them you might be interested and ask them to take you to lunch. They'll be happy to as we're trying to find more people. The Irvine office just had an open house. It was the first time we've done one and I don't know of any more scheduled, but if anyone's in the area I'd be happy to let you know if we have another in the future. If those aren't options, then just apply anyway. We always take candidates to lunch when they interview. Worst case is you decide it's not for you and you have to turn down an offer, but I've been very happy there.
Re: Things I've learned at Google so far
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
The answer is that I'm engaging in satisficing behavior, not optimizing behavior. When I wanted to start a blog it was there and free. I've seen lots of other people use it. And so far it has been good enough for my needs. If I was a serious blogger I'd likely find things I didn't like about it and look for something better. But until some obvious shortcoming irritates me, it isn't worth the effort for me to find som…
Ok, so you freely admit that there are (probably) things that are wrong with it if you looked hard enough. ...So why isn't it better? EDIT TO ADD: You know, this is really part of the bigger problem. Google has a fair amount of side services that just barely scoot by and it's pretty stupid. Example: Google is a search engine company, but their Chrome Extension Search page HAS NO SEARCH FEATURES .
Responding to "It could probably improve, but I haven't looked closely" with "Why isn't it better?" is nonsensical to me. He just said he hadn't analyzed it - and that he didn't feel the need to.
Re: Things I've learned at Google so far
#45Hi there. I was a Noogler in 2005 or so, but it sounds like things haven't changed much, at least on that side. Regarding the stuff you're not supposed to talk about, there are three stages: 1. Amazement at how it all works; wanting to go run and tell all your friends. 2. Fear that talking about Google's advantages would undermine the company (or your position in it) 3. Recognition that nobody would believe you anywa…
Do you think entrepreneurs would be happy there? After all, many compelling ideas would not fair well with Google's data-driven evaluation (at least in the short term).
Re: Things I've learned at Google so far
#46While I enjoyed the article, and I appreciate you posting it, one quibble: it's off-putting whenever anyone mentions a number they got on a test as evidence for intelligence. If you write intelligently, I'll happily consider you intelligent.
I normally don't do that. However for perspective I really wanted to give an idea of how intelligent I consider myself to be, and giving that relatively objective number sounded like the least assholish way I had to convey that to people who don't know me.
You'll note that immediately upon giving the number I pointed out that there are issues with that method of measurement and gave an honest self-assessment whose upper range was well below what the number said.
Re: Things I've learned at Google so far
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've only met two googlers in real life. One past, one present. Both talk about google like its a great place, but both seem slightly spent/burnt from the place.
Oh... I was referring to the fact that the author just completed his first month at Google... It's hard to judge a company just in one month especially when some people might spend their first week (or two) doing company orientation.
Agreed. I don't doubt that it's an amazing place to work, but every job has its honeymoon phase and the author is definitely in that.
I'd be eager to hear an honest assessment from him after a year though. There has to be a reason why brilliant and motivated people leave Google, after all.
Re: Things I've learned at Google so far
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
The answer is that I'm engaging in satisficing behavior, not optimizing behavior. When I wanted to start a blog it was there and free. I've seen lots of other people use it. And so far it has been good enough for my needs. If I was a serious blogger I'd likely find things I didn't like about it and look for something better. But until some obvious shortcoming irritates me, it isn't worth the effort for me to find som…
Ok, so you freely admit that there are (probably) things that are wrong with it if you looked hard enough. ...So why isn't it better? EDIT TO ADD: You know, this is really part of the bigger problem. Google has a fair amount of side services that just barely scoot by and it's pretty stupid. Example: Google is a search engine company, but their Chrome Extension Search page HAS NO SEARCH FEATURES .
All software could be better. No matter how good it is you can find things to improve about it.
As for Google's software, a lot of people at Google fully agree with the startup idea that you should release something fast then iterate. That means that we release a lot of stuff that (quite deliberately) doesn't have a lot of corporate spit and polish. And things that don't come to our attention as seriously needing improvement are liable to remain unimproved.
If you think that something particularly needs improvement, send feedback.
Re: Things I've learned at Google so far
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ok, so you freely admit that there are (probably) things that are wrong with it if you looked hard enough. ...So why isn't it better? EDIT TO ADD: You know, this is really part of the bigger problem. Google has a fair amount of side services that just barely scoot by and it's pretty stupid. Example: Google is a search engine company, but their Chrome Extension Search page HAS NO SEARCH FEATURES .
All software could be better. No matter how good it is you can find things to improve about it. As for Google's software, a lot of people at Google fully agree with the startup idea that you should release something fast then iterate. That means that we release a lot of stuff that (quite deliberately) doesn't have a lot of corporate spit and polish. And things that don't come to our attention as seriously needing imp…
I don't care about initial spit and shine. Really I don't. As soon as Chrome came out I downloaded it and used it even when it didn't have Adblock.
But Blogger has been out for a looooong time.
Re: Things I've learned at Google so far
#50While I enjoyed the article, and I appreciate you posting it, one quibble: it's off-putting whenever anyone mentions a number they got on a test as evidence for intelligence. If you write intelligently, I'll happily consider you intelligent.
I normally don't do that. However for perspective I really wanted to give an idea of how intelligent I consider myself to be, and giving that relatively objective number sounded like the least assholish way I had to convey that to people who don't know me. You'll note that immediately upon giving the number I pointed out that there are issues with that method of measurement and gave an honest self-assessment whose up…
That's a fairly common thing to do though. "My IQ is 200, but I don't believe in IQ tests. By the way did I mention my IQ was 200?"
(Joking aside, I think you conveyed it pretty well, though I have no real clue what a GRE score of nearly 20 years ago means relatively speaking, or how you can convert it into a measure of intelligence at all...)