4 ms·

After the Google walkout, key organizers reflect on the risk to their careers

14 points by emptybits 7y ago

say_it_as_it_is 7y ago
The pendulum has reversed itself away from extremely liberal activism. The long march through the cultural institutions has resulted in an entire generation convinced that its activism is moral, pure, and justified. Yet, the reality is that students were misinformed. Disrespecting colleagues due to political differences is unacceptable. Disrupting operations to protest a political agenda isn't what you've been hired for. Your employment is a privilege, not a right. You've lived in a filter bubble created by your employer. You thought it was a safe space but it was a space designed for worker productivity. You are replaceable and you will be. Welcome to reality. Don't let the filter bubble door hit you in the ass on your way out.
- ggm 7y ago
  I don't agree. They acted on their beliefs and expected more from a company which claimed once to have a moral compass but apparently misplaced it. I agree they paid a price. This is not a bubble story.
  - ThrowawayR2 7y ago
    The key word is "claimed". I was amazed and amused at the time that Google rolled out its "Don't be evil" slogan at how many otherwise intelligent and world-wise (i.e. cynical) developers uncritically lapped it up, even though it was clearly just marketing pablum. A moment of thought should've told them that Google was being buoyed up by being at the forefront of a technology trend and once they reached the limits of that and started having to, y'know, actually compete for business like every other big company does, they'd start acting like every other big company does but their fanboys kept denying it for years. Well, people can't say I didn't warn them.
- salawat 7y ago
  And? Your post doesn't detract from anything they stood for. Silence does nothing but perpetuate the status quo. If you truly wish to fire employees for daring to exercise political thought during the prime of their lives instead of shutting up and getting back to work like the good wage slaves employers seem to wish them to be, then you are part of the problem. I'm not saying that it's always right, but politics is part of the human animal as engaged in collective action. If you don't want political uproar as a possibility in your workplace, don't work on politically energizing things. As it turns out, that's surprisingly hard. If there is a filter bubble, the filter bubble exists at the level of the employer. Workers are expected to be apolitical, while the management is free to use their profits and corporate shell to engage in whatever politics they desire with little or no effect being possible from the worker besides voting with their feet. Before you go demonizing people for speaking their mind, you may want to make sure they don't have a point first.

14 points by emptybits 7y ago

The pendulum has reversed itself away from extremely liberal activism. The long march through the cultural institutions has resulted in an entire generation convinced that its activism is moral, pure, and justified. Yet, the reality is that students were misinformed. Disrespecting colleagues due to political differences is unacceptable. Disrupting operations to protest a political agenda isn't what you've been hired for. Your employment is a privilege, not a right. You've lived in a filter bubble created by your employer. You thought it was a safe space but it was a space designed for worker productivity. You are replaceable and you will be. Welcome to reality. Don't let the filter bubble door hit you in the ass on your way out.

ggm 7y ago
I don't agree. They acted on their beliefs and expected more from a company which claimed once to have a moral compass but apparently misplaced it. I agree they paid a price. This is not a bubble story.
- ThrowawayR2 7y ago
  The key word is "claimed". I was amazed and amused at the time that Google rolled out its "Don't be evil" slogan at how many otherwise intelligent and world-wise (i.e. cynical) developers uncritically lapped it up, even though it was clearly just marketing pablum. A moment of thought should've told them that Google was being buoyed up by being at the forefront of a technology trend and once they reached the limits of that and started having to, y'know, actually compete for business like every other big company does, they'd start acting like every other big company does but their fanboys kept denying it for years. Well, people can't say I didn't warn them.
salawat 7y ago
And? Your post doesn't detract from anything they stood for. Silence does nothing but perpetuate the status quo. If you truly wish to fire employees for daring to exercise political thought during the prime of their lives instead of shutting up and getting back to work like the good wage slaves employers seem to wish them to be, then you are part of the problem. I'm not saying that it's always right, but politics is part of the human animal as engaged in collective action. If you don't want political uproar as a possibility in your workplace, don't work on politically energizing things. As it turns out, that's surprisingly hard. If there is a filter bubble, the filter bubble exists at the level of the employer. Workers are expected to be apolitical, while the management is free to use their profits and corporate shell to engage in whatever politics they desire with little or no effect being possible from the worker besides voting with their feet. Before you go demonizing people for speaking their mind, you may want to make sure they don't have a point first.