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Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

bloomberg.com

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Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#721

Post by pazimzadeh »

ed312 wrote: post #608
fortran77 wrote: post #553

This is an eye opener. > [Google] employees discussed at length [on internal message boards] whether Trump’s win meant it’s time for a violent revolution. “How do people cope with this?” one employee wrote. “I’ve never been part of a military or war effort before. … I don’t know how useful I’ll be.” It's about time Google tells people to take their political revolution talk somewhere else other than company internal…

Also, that's just plain old sedition because you don't like who won the democratic election.

How long will it be until everyone's vote is weighed equally in the US?

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#722

Post by Judgmentality »

sametmax wrote: post #685
ivan_gammel wrote: post #643

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Within current historical and cultural context, legal and technology frameworks etc the dataset is big enough to give some confidence that better structures won’t be found tomorrow or in the next 5 years.

Somebody probably said that just before an innovation is made. Many times.

For every time someone said it and was wrong, I bet there were a hundred times someone said it and was right.

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#724

Post by biomcgary »

einhverfr wrote: post #655
Consultant32452 wrote: post #633

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also vote anti-war. Would you mind sharing some tangible examples of how it's affected your life? I'm not looking for a debate, I'm genuinely curious.

A few ways the wars have affected my life: 1. I was commuting between Sweden and Denmark when the refugee crisis (people fleeing our efforts at proxy civil war in Syria, and our efforts at direct war in Iraq and Afghanistan) caused the Swedes to have to close their borders. This was not controversial. Migrationverket could not house the number of refugees who showed up and so refugees were sleeping on the street in S…

I'm sorry that your kids have been harassed. It's very hard to watch it happen to them. My son is 6 years old, non-verbal, and diagnosed with autism. In my son's case, how do I explain bigotry (and he clearly feels it)? In your kids' case, they may understand the explanation, but still struggle to reconcile the feeling.

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#725

Post by einhverfr »

stcredzero wrote: post #357
ashwinaj wrote: post #133

Finally common sense prevails! Get to work on time, eat your free lunch, work, go home. To those of you who disagree; if you want to "make a difference" take a cue from Gandhi, Mandela, Martin Luther king Jr. etc. Mahama Gandhi didn't work for the East India company while simultaneously fighting for freedom. If you are serious about it put your money where your mouth is and stop being empty vessels.

if you want to "make a difference" take a cue from Gandhi, Mandela, Martin Luther king Jr. etc To elaborate the examples/options: 1) Become a lawyer -- Real change can be enacted through legislation and litigation. Knowing how the law works is power in this context. 2) Be involved in politics -- Again, real change can be enacted through legislation. This doesn't just mean running for office. One of my ex-girlfriends'…

As an aside, I came to Gandhi's views on nationalism while living in Indonesia. Gandhi was a genius there and his views on the rightful place of nationalism have shaped a continent for the better.

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#726

Post by Aeolun »

LordFast wrote: post #466
jgunsch wrote: post #448

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I worked there for a similar length of time, but more recent (2012 - early 2019). The internal political discourse over that time definitely mirrored the rest of the world: becoming increasingly heated and divisive during 2016 and largely escalating since. On the whole, it felt like it pushed the company in a positive direction --- internal discussions mirroring #metoo led to more visibility of sexual harassment and…

Disclaimer: my comment below is directed at the culture of Google, and following in the train of thought from your comment. It's not directed at your comment or you. Reading this comment just makes me feel baffled. How much arrogance does it take for a bunch of Googlers to assume the belief that they know what is "just" for the rest of the world? An organization(in this case, a for-profit company) created to deliver…

> How much arrogance does it take for a bunch of Googlers to assume the belief that they know what is "just" for the rest of the world?

Not very much? Doesn’t everybody think like this in one way or another? I certainly know what is better for the world than the majority of the US.

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#727

Post by Aeolun »

duxup wrote: post #570
derefr wrote: post #504

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd maybe participate if it was some kind of... workplace-internal 4chan. An anonymous forum, but only available through an Enterprise SSO gateway. Otherwise, yeah, that seems crazy.

Many moons ago I worked for a company that did some outsource work for another company who asked for responses to an anonymous survey. So I responded. 1. I shouldn't have gotten the survey as I didn't work for the company who sent it, but nobody at either company was very smart or careful because it went to everyone. 2. I misread the email and didn't notice it wasn't my company asking for responses it was the company…

I believe saying ‘this survey is anonymous’ should be illegal if it really isn’t.

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#728

Post by JabavuAdams »

refurb wrote: post #662
lreeves wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I understand your perspective but I'm honestly very surprised given your example. I'm in Canada and the things Trump does and says are still present in conversations nearly every day.

I believe it. I was always amazed that Canadians seemed more interested in US politics than their own politics.

We're bombarded with it 24/7. It also seems weirder and therefore more notable. Canadian politics is boring by comparison.

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#729

Post by golemiprague »

einhverfr wrote: post #655
Consultant32452 wrote: post #633

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also vote anti-war. Would you mind sharing some tangible examples of how it's affected your life? I'm not looking for a debate, I'm genuinely curious.

A few ways the wars have affected my life: 1. I was commuting between Sweden and Denmark when the refugee crisis (people fleeing our efforts at proxy civil war in Syria, and our efforts at direct war in Iraq and Afghanistan) caused the Swedes to have to close their borders. This was not controversial. Migrationverket could not house the number of refugees who showed up and so refugees were sleeping on the street in S…

That's not how war affected your life, that's how immigration policy affected your life, nobody forced Sweden to accept those people. The UK has the same problems and most of the immigrants there are not from those wars. Hungary doesn't have those problems because they don't let in immigrants. You just want to be anti mass immigration but too afraid to admit it so you say you are anti war.

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#730

Post by wilg »

einhverfr wrote: post #630
ed312 wrote: post #608

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, that's just plain old sedition because you don't like who won the democratic election.

It is protected discussion under the US Constitution since Yates v. United States hamstrung sedition prosecutions over the government going after dissidents, particularly Communists. Mind you I sat the last election out because I was so thoroughly disgusted with Hillary's anti-immigrant record and Trump's promise to try to be even worse (and while he is trying, I am not sure he is succeeding as bad as it is, and it i…

Why would you sit out the election instead of voting for the option you know is better?
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