Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore • Hacker News Board

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

#81

Post by Geeek » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 4:44 PM UTC

lostgame wrote: post #25

DannyBee wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your attempt to argue this is somehow vague or a slippery slope is silly - most workplaces seem to have not a tremendous amount of trouble with this, even though it is not rigorously defined.

Agreed. I am transgender, lesbian, asexual and polyromantic, and none of these things have I ever had so much as a discussion about at my office, nor have they sparked any 'political' discussion. (I work at one of the major 5 banks in Canada).

Serious question, how does being lesbian (sexual attraction description) go along with being asaxual, which I understand to mean the lack of sexual attraction to others?

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

#82

Post by maxaf » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 4:44 PM UTC

webwielder2 wrote: post #59

It's funny how we pigeonhole "things that actually matter" as "politics" and that those things are somehow taboo. I mean, what's MORE worth talking about than human rights, the environment, history, etc.?

Not every place where groups of people participate in shared activities must become a forum for political battles.

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

#83

Post by abeisgreat » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 4:44 PM UTC

gtirloni wrote: post #73

webwielder2 wrote: post #59

It's funny how we pigeonhole "things that actually matter" as "politics" and that those things are somehow taboo. I mean, what's MORE worth talking about than human rights, the environment, history, etc.?

At work? A lot of other things.

Not if your work directly impacts these things as Google's often does.

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

#84

Post by cameronbrown » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 4:45 PM UTC

arcticbull wrote: post #52

refurb wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. If I'm working on a team that is rolling out a new Google drive feature, I really don't need to hear you talk about why drinking straws are a phallic symbol and used by the patriarchy to keep woman down. We have work to do.

I'm sure the oppressed party in your example feels the polar opposite and don't want to hear your whining about how feminism doesn't matter in modern society because it's good enough as is. And I think that's the point :)

I assume you're being sarcastic/exaggerating, but even so.

This is just a perfect example of how polarised politics is today. Society just needs to calm down and evaluate itself instead of bickering over nonsense.

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

#85

Post by sgspace » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 4:45 PM UTC

kranner wrote: post #26

scarface74 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In most professional settings, it’s considered a norm not to talk about sex, politics, and religion unless your business is dealing with one of those areas specifically.

But do most professional settings go to this extent to police their employees: > creating a team of moderators to monitor conversations on company chat boards

In my experience this is pretty common. My last company I used to get warnings for using swear words in private messages.

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

#86

Post by jonbronson » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 4:45 PM UTC

webwielder2 wrote: post #59

It's funny how we pigeonhole "things that actually matter" as "politics" and that those things are somehow taboo. I mean, what's MORE worth talking about than human rights, the environment, history, etc.?

Precisely. These aren't "merely" politics. These are the issues that shape peoples lives, for now and for future generations. One of the greatest cons of all time was the casting of Climate Change as a "political" issue. It's our lives we're talking about. Our very existence.

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

#87

Post by dunkelheit » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 4:45 PM UTC

ceejayoz wrote: post #54

theplague42 wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which politicians?

As an example: https://twitter.com/Pinboard/status/1120320958382755840 @Pinboard has collected a bunch of these. https://twitter.com/search?q=from%3Apinboard%20PAC

The sums in question are for some reason ridiculously small. Seriously, $2500 donation? That is some serious political spending from Google!

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

#88

Post by dvtrn » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 4:45 PM UTC

gtirloni wrote: post #73

webwielder2 wrote: post #59

It's funny how we pigeonhole "things that actually matter" as "politics" and that those things are somehow taboo. I mean, what's MORE worth talking about than human rights, the environment, history, etc.?

At work? A lot of other things.

Even if your place of work has a hand and a demonstrably relevant position in a lot of global political discussions?

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

#89

Post by rhacker » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 4:45 PM UTC

I fully expect their next product to enable our webcam, take pictures of us naked all the time, threaten us with blackmail that they will post it on the internet, unless we buy YouTube Premium, and somehow all of it will be "agreed to" ahead of time by their privacy policy.

And because politics are non-discussable, no employee will be able to stop this.

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

#90

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 4:45 PM UTC

scarface74 wrote: post #7

moresocialism wrote: post #4

The problem is that what constitutes politics? Guns shouldn't be political, who you have sex with shouldn't be political...but in our current climate, they are both considered political. ..and no debating? Most people at Google are shades of left. It sounds like they are just trying to drown out dissenting views once again.

Why do you feel the need to talk about sex at work or guns?

[deleted]