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It sounds to me like an operation intended to employ some skilled engineers in order to keep them away from working on Google's competitors. I don't see a lot
by px1999 9y ago
It sounds to me like an operation intended to employ some skilled engineers in order to keep them away from working on Google's competitors. I don't see a lot of outreach or organisational support, but maybe it is there and my cursory glance just hasn't turned any up.
It looks like they're doing the Google equivalent of Microsoft Research - which as far as I can tell revolves around hoping something cool comes of the projects, but mostly just trying to keep their competitors from getting top talent.
- ghostly_s 9y agoThat would be truly nefarious (which fits in perfectly with Google's M.O.). Do you know of any precedent for companies operating in this way? I guess the NSA probably operates on similar principles?
- durgiston 9y agoWhy is this nefarious? Nothing is forcing these allegedly top employees from staying at Google. They get to work on something cool and get paid presumably a disgusting amount of money, and Google gets to maybe have a groundbreaking technology at the end of it, and their competitors don't get the allegedly top guys. If those employees would feel more fulfilled working somewhere else, and many do end up leaving, they can.
- ghostly_s 9y agoWhat the OP described is removing talented people from the labor pool and directing them towards efforts which have no expected application in the market. I'm not suggesting it's the individuals who choose this arrangement who are losing out, it's society at large.