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> Instead of a nice friendly “campus” we see a Google farm for harvesting Kreuzberg’s brains and talents, or a Google mine in which ideas and data will be extra
by tzakrajs 8y ago
> Instead of a nice friendly “campus” we see a Google farm for harvesting Kreuzberg’s brains and talents, or a Google mine in which ideas and data will be extracted out of Berlin
It's simply not a zero sum game. Google will bring culture and resources with it that could enhance Berlin.
- toomuchtodo 8y agoThat’s up to the people of Berlin to decide, not a faceless American tech company.
- ryanworl 8y agoIs that actually even true? Google already has an office in Berlin. They can just buy more buildings. Even if some local politician decides to block a construction plan, I’m not sure how they would stop Google from just buying existing stuff nearby their old office like Amazon does. Google in Manhattan bought a building the size of an entire block essentially. It isn’t even what I would call a campus there either.
- toomuchtodo 8y agoBerlin’s council can prevent additional real estate acquisitions by Google. They’re already taking measures to keep housing affordable with government intervention. Germany is not broken how America is, so it’s easier to put people ahead of corporations there.
- make3 8y ago..yes indeed the German people can decide not to go work at the campus..
- mseebach 8y agoAfter all, democracy is the idea that the people know what is best for them, and deserve to get it good and hard. I prefer Munich anyway.
- BurningFrog 8y agoDo some companies have faces? Does the city of Berlin?
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- have_faith 8y agoWhat culture could Google bring to Berlin?
- tzakrajs 8y agoThere are tons of books written about Google's culture, but my favorite is ”How Google Works” by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg.
- aw3c2 8y ago> Jonathan Rosenberg is the former Senior Vice President of Products at Google and current advisor to Alphabet Inc. CEO Larry Page. > Eric Emerson Schmidt is an American businessman and software engineer. He is known for being the Executive Chairman of Google from 2001 to 2017 and Alphabet Inc. from 2015 to 2017. That book surely will paint a fair and objective view.
- tzakrajs 8y agoIt is a subjective account by people who were and are very close to Google. Thank you for pointing out the bias for people who may have missed it.
- knuththetruth 8y agoSo we’ve reached the point where hagiography of corporations is now the same thing as culture? In that case, I hope Google doesn’t bring its “culture” of colluding with competitors to fix wages to Berlin.
- ForHackernews 8y agoWhat "culture and resources" will Google bring that will benefit anyone except Googlers?
- tzakrajs 8y agoThere are tons of books written about Google's culture, but my favorite is ”How Google Works” by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg. With regard to resources, Google has by far has the most sophisticated access to future tech (quantum, ML for example), the most infrastructure (GGC, oceanic fiber, DC/pops), and their incredible scale comes with great advantages.
- ForHackernews 8y agoWell, that's an appropriately non-responsive answer. Thanks!
- tzakrajs 8y agoI edited my answer. Sorry for the lag time.
- kuschku 8y agoSo even more research becoming only possible at companies, and not at public universities? Even more research that will be kept secret? Even more infrastructure that is only available to the Google monopoly? No thanks.
- Bizarro 8y ago"harvesting brains?" What is this zombie apocalypse?
- EdwardDiego 8y ago> Google will bring culture and resources with it that could enhance Berlin. Like what? Berlin has a vibrant and energetic tech scene, what is Google going to bring that Kreuzberg is lacking?
- pyvpx 8y agocoffee that is even more expensive. restaurants and cafes that only Google salary expendable income can afford. and....nothing else.