I disagree with GitLab on this one, but that title is one crazy leap in logic... "Blood money is fine with us, says GitLab"
Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work
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Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work
#82Earlier quoted context omitted.
Those are great questions. But please omit the flamebait. (Edit: dvt kindly took the flamebait out—see below.) If flames take over, only the people who enjoy flaming will remain in the debate. That's a strict loss for thread quality, which is one reason for the guideline I asked everyone to remember above: " Comments should get more thoughtful and substantive, not less, as a topic gets more divisive. " https://news.y…
Or, reworded: "Please put 300 weasel words to sneak it past the Civility Detector 3000"
The GP comment can be made better simply by removing words, not adding any.
Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work
#83I guess they can't talk about anything then.
Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work
#84I think this sounds very reasonable for the kind of tool that is being produced. Joel Spolsky has a great article on Big Macs vs Naked Chef https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2001/01/18/big-macs-vs-the-na... In there, he talks about bespoke development vs mass market products, using McDonald's Big Macs vs a chef. I think this provides a reasonable framework for approaching the present controversy. For example, if McDonal…
I think that the point is McDonalds doesn't empower $villain to do $badstuff (that is, unless he is literally starving - in which case it would be inhumane to not give him food). However, technology empowers us to do things that would not be possible without it.
Sometimes, a company can not choose who uses their tools - e.g. if it is open source, you can hardly prevent $villain from using it. This is similar to a hammer: If $villain buys a hammer at a hardware store, the hardware store is not to blame if $villain smites people (unless maybe $villain is known to be villainous, but that's not the point right now).
On the other hand, if a known $villain comes to you, and asks you to help him commit $atrocities: You can make the decision not to help.
(So, to put it short: I think your analogy is bad).
Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work
#85FYI: If you say you don't care about politics and you ban political speech in your workspace - that on its own is a political statement that you're fine with the status quo.
Is it? You can not be fine with the status quo but still have a multitude of reasons to ban political speech in your workspace:
- you think political speech isn't useful for changing the status quo
- you think the political speech that will probably take place will lead to a world worse than the status quo, in the opposite direction of which you want it to go (this doesn't just mean "I think my coworkers are of the wrong party" but also "I think the world should be less politically divided")
- you think political speech will change the world for the better, but you also just hate political speech even more than you hate the status quo
Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work
#86I'm sure everyone who has to earn a living to support their family will appreciate this move. Nothing is worse than politics at work, where you may lose your paycheck if you don't align with the correct factions.
I'm well aware I'm in a very privileged position, but I've tried to make a very strong effort throughout my career to live below my means. Maybe I'm pessimistic about losing my job or my company going under, but the freeing thing is if I'm unhappy for whatever reason I have options for leaving.
I try hard not to assume or expect this from others, but I very strongly encourage it.
Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work
#87Reminds me of Peter Handke's recent Nobel prize in literature, where the committee were/are heavily criticized for judging only by literature, and not by Handke's political viewpoints. Maybe politics doesn't need to be involved in every single part of society, only the political aspects of it.
> Maybe politics doesn't need to be involved in every single part of society, only the political aspects of it.
Sure, but when the "political aspect" involves denying a known genocide that's something that many of us aren't willing to ignore.
And I say that as someone who has enjoyed Handke's work.
Sorry, but he shouldn't get a pass for what he said in the 90's. He, of all people, should have known better.
Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work
#88Earlier quoted context omitted.
Whenever you have reasonable adults working together? I think I’ve, on appropriate occasion, discussed politics with friends and colleagues at every workplace I’ve ever been at. [Edit: some senior leadership] openly supports the DNC and has commented to that effect at town halls. To pretend that people are apolitical or to ban all political discussions because some people can’t seem to handle disagreements in a profe…
Someone in tech who openly supports a left leaning party? How truly unique and brave of him.
Had a coworker who openly supported Trump. Didn't affect my relationship with him or how we worked together, despite not respecting Trump at all. We had some good conversations as well. I may not agree with him politically, but I don't need to agree with someone on everything to be friends, or at least respectful.
So yeah, any place that has functioning adults, or, better, mature people, can have mature discussions. But then it takes two to make this work. For example, if you belittle or insult people freely or mock those who you might not agree with, you aren't going to ever see that mature environment.
Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work
#89A society that has decided to become unforgiving is halfway to becoming a police state. The intent to arrest is the same.
Re: Gitlab: don't discuss politics at work
#90When was it ever okay to discuss politics at work?
Back when it was possible to have a conservative viewpoint on social issues without being subject to public shaming by a disruptively loud minority. It wasn’t that long ago either.
Most people spend more time at work than with their actual families. This leads to all kinds of conversations, in the office, in the break room, or at a bar. Not everything is appropriate for every setting but pretending differing opinions don’t exist is ludicrous.