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If Heather Adkins endorses the message that these employees were terminated for sharing internal Google data to the outside, then that was probably the case. I

If Heather Adkins endorses the message that these employees were terminated for sharing internal Google data to the outside, then that was probably the case. I don't think we have to care who these employees were or why they did what they did; they severely broke policy. But I'm absolutely sure there's an element of "rules for thee but not for me".

WilTimSon 7y ago
I mean, it is pretty ironic to have Google fire someone for intruding on someone's privacy... Quite a turnaround. I don't know if I fully believe their side of the story but not sure if there's much reason to think otherwise. Does Google have a long history against unions or something?
- GuB-42 7y ago
  > I mean, it is pretty ironic to have Google fire someone for intruding on someone's privacy... Not ironic at all. I remember seeing a Googler commenting that misusing personal data was one of the most serious violation there. And it makes sense because of all the data they collect. For now, they have been no significant leaks or incidents of that kind. And people trust them with their data for that reason. A leak would have disastrous effects, with loss of trust and lawsuits costing billions. Considering Google scale, it may even affect politics.
- 0x262d 7y ago
  they're just starting that long history. unions come up because companies have to increase profits and eventually, after other growth slows, that comes at the expense of their employees. the recent spate of activism against google is a symptom of that. it will only get worse as they clamp down.
bogwog 7y ago
So in your eyes a senior Google executive is a trustworthy and unbiased person in this controversy?
- theincredulousk 7y ago
  Bias maybe unavoidable, but trustworthy is an earned personal attribute. Context doesn’t affect it. Some people have integrity and have earned their credibility. This exact kind of situation is when that matters.
- thu2111 7y ago
  Adkins has been around a long time and is well known internally. She has always played it straight as far as I know. She isn't some faceless Voice of Google, she has her own reputation to consider and one she has built. Now let's look at the people on the other side: a nobody who has been describing her own employer as literally evil in public, to anyone who will listen, but who mysteriously failed to leave of her own accord. Google isn't actually evil or even close to it, only someone seriously mentally unstable could believe that, and would such a person harass political opponents by leaking their private lives onto the internet (presumably to somewhere they hoped would cause those employees problems?). Absolutely they would. Googlers already have form in leaking screenshots of internal sites to highlight political disagreements.
  - bogwog 7y ago
    > Google isn't actually evil or even close to it, only someone seriously mentally unstable could believe that Personally, I think anyone who "trusts" a corporation as large as Google is mentally unstable. There are very clear, well-documented instances of Google being objectively evil, and there's no sign of this changing. Maybe you don't follow that news? > She isn't some faceless Voice of Google, she has her own reputation to consider and one she has built. So you're telling me that if her boss instructed her to read a prepared statement or be fired, she'd give up her position atop a mountain of gold just to appease some random fanboys on the internet? > and would such a person harass political opponents by leaking their private lives onto the internet (presumably to somewhere they hoped would cause those employees problems?). Absolutely they would. Now you're assaulting the character of a person you don't know for no good reason.
    - thu2111 7y ago

WilTimSon 7y ago

I mean, it is pretty ironic to have Google fire someone for intruding on someone's privacy... Quite a turnaround. I don't know if I fully believe their side of the story but not sure if there's much reason to think otherwise. Does Google have a long history against unions or something?

GuB-42 7y ago
> I mean, it is pretty ironic to have Google fire someone for intruding on someone's privacy... Not ironic at all. I remember seeing a Googler commenting that misusing personal data was one of the most serious violation there. And it makes sense because of all the data they collect. For now, they have been no significant leaks or incidents of that kind. And people trust them with their data for that reason. A leak would have disastrous effects, with loss of trust and lawsuits costing billions. Considering Google scale, it may even affect politics.
0x262d 7y ago
they're just starting that long history. unions come up because companies have to increase profits and eventually, after other growth slows, that comes at the expense of their employees. the recent spate of activism against google is a symptom of that. it will only get worse as they clamp down.

bogwog 7y ago

So in your eyes a senior Google executive is a trustworthy and unbiased person in this controversy?

theincredulousk 7y ago
Bias maybe unavoidable, but trustworthy is an earned personal attribute. Context doesn’t affect it. Some people have integrity and have earned their credibility. This exact kind of situation is when that matters.
thu2111 7y ago
Adkins has been around a long time and is well known internally. She has always played it straight as far as I know. She isn't some faceless Voice of Google, she has her own reputation to consider and one she has built. Now let's look at the people on the other side: a nobody who has been describing her own employer as literally evil in public, to anyone who will listen, but who mysteriously failed to leave of her own accord. Google isn't actually evil or even close to it, only someone seriously mentally unstable could believe that, and would such a person harass political opponents by leaking their private lives onto the internet (presumably to somewhere they hoped would cause those employees problems?). Absolutely they would. Googlers already have form in leaking screenshots of internal sites to highlight political disagreements.
- bogwog 7y ago
  > Google isn't actually evil or even close to it, only someone seriously mentally unstable could believe that Personally, I think anyone who "trusts" a corporation as large as Google is mentally unstable. There are very clear, well-documented instances of Google being objectively evil, and there's no sign of this changing. Maybe you don't follow that news? > She isn't some faceless Voice of Google, she has her own reputation to consider and one she has built. So you're telling me that if her boss instructed her to read a prepared statement or be fired, she'd give up her position atop a mountain of gold just to appease some random fanboys on the internet? > and would such a person harass political opponents by leaking their private lives onto the internet (presumably to somewhere they hoped would cause those employees problems?). Absolutely they would. Now you're assaulting the character of a person you don't know for no good reason.
  - thu2111 7y ago