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You're a Google employee, and you're vociferously defending Google's use of a tracking header in Chrome. Others deserve to know your conflict of interest so tha

You're a Google employee, and you're vociferously defending Google's use of a tracking header in Chrome. Others deserve to know your conflict of interest so that they can read your arguments in the right context.

joshuamorton 6y ago
I disclosed that in the comment this user was commenting in response to, before they commented. In other words, they accused me of shilling in reply to a comment where I openly and willingly clarified my relationship with Google. It is possible to ask someone to, or disclose for someone, a conflict of interest, without breaking the HN guidelines. The comment did neither.
- 0xy 6y ago
  Do you work primarily on ads or DoubleClick at Google? Would you stake your own reputation on this tracking ID not being using in any behavioral, group or user tracking algorithm at DoubleClick or any other ad system at Google?
  - dang 6y ago
    You've overdone it in this thread and now you're breaking the site guidelines, which explicitly ask you not to cross-examine other users. We're here for curious conversation. Please don't harangue. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
    - 0xy 6y ago
      The OP explicitly invited questions about conflict of interest, which I took to mean beyond his employer (which he already established). I also didn't accuse him nor do I believe he is a "shill". I disagree with this characterization based upon the parent comment but I'll stop as asked.
      - dang 6y ago
        It's possible that I misread things because I didn't see the entire thread. If so, I'm sorry. It's unfortunately a hazard because we can't come close to reading all the comments, and certainly not as closely as I (or at least my conscience) would like.
      - joshuamorton 6y ago
        > The OP explicitly invited questions about conflict of interest, FWIW, I don't think I did, at least not intentionally. I certainly disclosed mine, but it's not clear that that's intentionally inviting more questions. That said, to your first question, no I don't work on chrome, or ads or anything related, and I don't proclaim to have any particular insider knowledge thereof (if anything, the opposite). To your second question, while I'd prefer to be able to answer you, responding to that kind of question is the kind of thing that I believe could put me in hot water, whether my answer was a "yes" or "no". Ultimately while I think the risk of answering is small, so is the perceived value (I don't think a "yes" would change your opinion, and a "no" would just embolden you), and it's mostly moot anyway since, again, I'm not working off of any particular knowledge beyond Google's already public statements. I'll add that I originally had a bit more in this response, but I removed it because I don't think it would be used as anything but an additional way to attack me and my character, which is unfortunate.
        0xy 6y ago
        This thread is tired at this point and I don't think we're going to get anywhere, but the reason I asked is because I was trying to imply that just because you work for Google that doesn't mean you necessarily have knowledge of how data is used in other departments, and I suspect Google isn't a moral singularity from my perspective (meaning some departments really care about user privacy and security and others are far more 'open-minded' with data). I never attacked your character, and I don't think you're a shill at all -- nor would I ever use any of your posts against you except in the spirit of genuine debate. Not everyone is a vengeful ideologue. Work anywhere you want.

joshuamorton 6y ago

I disclosed that in the comment this user was commenting in response to, before they commented. In other words, they accused me of shilling in reply to a comment where I openly and willingly clarified my relationship with Google. It is possible to ask someone to, or disclose for someone, a conflict of interest, without breaking the HN guidelines. The comment did neither.

0xy 6y ago
Do you work primarily on ads or DoubleClick at Google? Would you stake your own reputation on this tracking ID not being using in any behavioral, group or user tracking algorithm at DoubleClick or any other ad system at Google?
- dang 6y ago
  You've overdone it in this thread and now you're breaking the site guidelines, which explicitly ask you not to cross-examine other users. We're here for curious conversation. Please don't harangue. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - 0xy 6y ago
    The OP explicitly invited questions about conflict of interest, which I took to mean beyond his employer (which he already established). I also didn't accuse him nor do I believe he is a "shill". I disagree with this characterization based upon the parent comment but I'll stop as asked.
    - dang 6y ago
      It's possible that I misread things because I didn't see the entire thread. If so, I'm sorry. It's unfortunately a hazard because we can't come close to reading all the comments, and certainly not as closely as I (or at least my conscience) would like.
    - joshuamorton 6y ago
      > The OP explicitly invited questions about conflict of interest, FWIW, I don't think I did, at least not intentionally. I certainly disclosed mine, but it's not clear that that's intentionally inviting more questions. That said, to your first question, no I don't work on chrome, or ads or anything related, and I don't proclaim to have any particular insider knowledge thereof (if anything, the opposite). To your second question, while I'd prefer to be able to answer you, responding to that kind of question is the kind of thing that I believe could put me in hot water, whether my answer was a "yes" or "no". Ultimately while I think the risk of answering is small, so is the perceived value (I don't think a "yes" would change your opinion, and a "no" would just embolden you), and it's mostly moot anyway since, again, I'm not working off of any particular knowledge beyond Google's already public statements. I'll add that I originally had a bit more in this response, but I removed it because I don't think it would be used as anything but an additional way to attack me and my character, which is unfortunate.
      - 0xy 6y ago
        This thread is tired at this point and I don't think we're going to get anywhere, but the reason I asked is because I was trying to imply that just because you work for Google that doesn't mean you necessarily have knowledge of how data is used in other departments, and I suspect Google isn't a moral singularity from my perspective (meaning some departments really care about user privacy and security and others are far more 'open-minded' with data). I never attacked your character, and I don't think you're a shill at all -- nor would I ever use any of your posts against you except in the spirit of genuine debate. Not everyone is a vengeful ideologue. Work anywhere you want.