6 ms·

The timing of his change of heart seems politically motivated so I’d take a lot of what’s he saying with a grain of salt. He doesn’t disclose that he’s running

by sk55 7y ago

The timing of his change of heart seems politically motivated so I’d take a lot of what’s he saying with a grain of salt. He doesn’t disclose that he’s running for Congress in the article and it seems very convenient to share these opinions as soon as he’s running for office.

sounds 7y ago
I disagree. Running for Congress is consistent with his stated goal at the end of the article: "No longer can massive tech companies like Google be permitted to operate relatively free from government oversight. As soon as Google executives were asked by Congress about Project Dragonfly and Google’s commitment to free expression and human rights, they assured Congress that the project was exploratory and it was subsequently shut down." If he ended the article with, "Vote for me! Maine 2020!" It would sound highly self-serving. I believe he simply doesn't see his campaign as relevant to what he's writing here. This is his retrospective on his time at Google. He may post other things that combine the two, but this one is clearly focused on the things he experienced while working for one of the largest corporations in the world.
- akhilcacharya 7y ago
  He's running for Senate specifically. At this point Sara Gideon is going to win the nomination easily.
- kinkrtyavimoodh 7y ago
  Let's not fall into the populist trap of painting everything corporations do with the worst intentions while offering no skepticism to someone trying to get our vote. Both need to be evaluated critically.
- cabaalis 7y ago
  > No longer can massive tech companies like Google be permitted to operate relatively free from government oversight. It seems to me that if the actions you take are legal, it doesn't matter your size. Who is the government to decide what's too big to operate without their input?
klyrs 7y ago
> The timing of his change of heart seems politically motivated so I’d take a lot of what’s he saying with a grain of salt. Nowhere in this article do I see evidence of a "change of heart." He didn't suddenly quit to run for office. He fought for what he believed in, putting human rights above profits, until the culture changed so much as to axe him. It sounds like he's taking his wealth and prestige to the place he thinks he will have the most power: senate

by sk55 7y ago

sounds 7y ago

I disagree. Running for Congress is consistent with his stated goal at the end of the article: "No longer can massive tech companies like Google be permitted to operate relatively free from government oversight. As soon as Google executives were asked by Congress about Project Dragonfly and Google’s commitment to free expression and human rights, they assured Congress that the project was exploratory and it was subsequently shut down." If he ended the article with, "Vote for me! Maine 2020!" It would sound highly self-serving. I believe he simply doesn't see his campaign as relevant to what he's writing here. This is his retrospective on his time at Google. He may post other things that combine the two, but this one is clearly focused on the things he experienced while working for one of the largest corporations in the world.

akhilcacharya 7y ago
He's running for Senate specifically. At this point Sara Gideon is going to win the nomination easily.
kinkrtyavimoodh 7y ago
Let's not fall into the populist trap of painting everything corporations do with the worst intentions while offering no skepticism to someone trying to get our vote. Both need to be evaluated critically.
cabaalis 7y ago
> No longer can massive tech companies like Google be permitted to operate relatively free from government oversight. It seems to me that if the actions you take are legal, it doesn't matter your size. Who is the government to decide what's too big to operate without their input?

klyrs 7y ago

> The timing of his change of heart seems politically motivated so I’d take a lot of what’s he saying with a grain of salt. Nowhere in this article do I see evidence of a "change of heart." He didn't suddenly quit to run for office. He fought for what he believed in, putting human rights above profits, until the culture changed so much as to axe him. It sounds like he's taking his wealth and prestige to the place he thinks he will have the most power: senate