4 ms·

This is a non story. Product leaks have a massive business impact. Hence Apple's culture of extreme secrecy. Google is somewhere in between

by SA500 9y ago

wyldfire 9y ago
It doesn't seem that simple. It sounds as if the scope includes more than just products. > The lawsuit alleges that Google’s leaks policy covers essentially all company information and prohibits reasonable discussion about company activities. ... > One policy allegedly even prevents employees from writing a novel about working for a large Silicon Valley corporation — like, for instance, Dave Eggers’ dystopian novel, The Circle — without first getting final draft approval from Google. John Doe v. Google, Inc [1]. [1] https://www.scribd.com/document/334736972/John-Doe-vs-Google-Inc#from_embed https://www.scribd.com/document/334736972/John-Doe-vs-Google...
- lostboys67 9y ago
  Not sure that would be Justiciable on first amendment rights alone
  - greenyoda 9y ago
    Google is not bound by the First Amendment - only the federal, state and local governments are (and institutions they run, such as state universities).
    - lostboys67 9y ago
      Banning employees from discussing pay /conditions etc is illegal in the USA
jancsika 9y ago
From Google's internal investigator's memo: > If you’re considering sharing confidential information to a reporter—or to anyone externally—for the love of all that’s Googley, please reconsider! Not only could it cost you your job, but it also betrays the values that makes us a community. So the question is-- what constitutes "confidential" at Google? Let's say a bad apple-- coworker or boss-- is abusing their power in a way that affects a particular class of employees, and the employee has exhausted the proper internal channels without success/resolution. Is that information "confidential" according to the typical contract Google employees sign?
- zitterbewegung 9y ago
  Your example would actually be part of a different mailing list . See https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-23/at-google-an-employee-run-email-list-tracks-harassment-and-bias-complaints https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-23/at-google...
  - jancsika 9y ago
    To essentially repeat the question: what happens if the employee cannot resolve a problem that affects a class of employees using this internal mailing list? Is the employee's account of such an abuse of power considered "confidential" according to the terms of their contract? I'd really like to hear an answer from a current or former Google employee, and preferably a yes/no answer.

This is a non story. Product leaks have a massive business impact. Hence Apple's culture of extreme secrecy. Google is somewhere in between

by SA500 9y ago

This is a non story. Product leaks have a massive business impact. Hence Apple's culture of extreme secrecy. Google is somewhere in between

wyldfire 9y ago

It doesn't seem that simple. It sounds as if the scope includes more than just products. > The lawsuit alleges that Google’s leaks policy covers essentially all company information and prohibits reasonable discussion about company activities. ... > One policy allegedly even prevents employees from writing a novel about working for a large Silicon Valley corporation — like, for instance, Dave Eggers’ dystopian novel, The Circle — without first getting final draft approval from Google. John Doe v. Google, Inc [1]. [1] https://www.scribd.com/document/334736972/John-Doe-vs-Google-Inc#from_embed https://www.scribd.com/document/334736972/John-Doe-vs-Google...

lostboys67 9y ago
Not sure that would be Justiciable on first amendment rights alone
- greenyoda 9y ago
  Google is not bound by the First Amendment - only the federal, state and local governments are (and institutions they run, such as state universities).
  - lostboys67 9y ago
    Banning employees from discussing pay /conditions etc is illegal in the USA

jancsika 9y ago

From Google's internal investigator's memo: > If you’re considering sharing confidential information to a reporter—or to anyone externally—for the love of all that’s Googley, please reconsider! Not only could it cost you your job, but it also betrays the values that makes us a community. So the question is-- what constitutes "confidential" at Google? Let's say a bad apple-- coworker or boss-- is abusing their power in a way that affects a particular class of employees, and the employee has exhausted the proper internal channels without success/resolution. Is that information "confidential" according to the typical contract Google employees sign?

zitterbewegung 9y ago
Your example would actually be part of a different mailing list . See https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-23/at-google-an-employee-run-email-list-tracks-harassment-and-bias-complaints https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-23/at-google...
- jancsika 9y ago
  To essentially repeat the question: what happens if the employee cannot resolve a problem that affects a class of employees using this internal mailing list? Is the employee's account of such an abuse of power considered "confidential" according to the terms of their contract? I'd really like to hear an answer from a current or former Google employee, and preferably a yes/no answer.