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If something fishy indeed goes on in a large company, it must be on a need-to-know basis. But the higher access you get, higher the penalties of sharing compan
by faeyanpiraat 6y ago
If something fishy indeed goes on in a large company, it must be on a need-to-know basis.
But the higher access you get, higher the penalties of sharing company secrets go.
Snowdens come into the picture every once in a while, but most average programmer Joes wouldn’t risk being internationally manhunted for whistleblowing questionable business practices.
So I do not think your argument is valid.
- _alex_ 6y agoSnowden is running from the government, not from a corporation.
- sudosysgen 6y agoI'm not saying Google would do this, but people that leaked such corporate secrets have met suspect deaths before.
- maroonblazer 6y agoYour comment is irresponsible. You're saying "I'm not saying it could happen here, but it could happen here" Conversely, a corporate whistleblower at the level we're discussing is in for a payday from media/book deals, etc.
- sudosysgen 6y agoMy statement isn't irresponsible. Corporations are universally amoral. If it was in Google's interests to do it, they would. But I think that, right now, those interests don't exist. That being said, someone that is in that situation, if the stakes are high enough, might be dissuaded just knowing that such things happen.
- ethbr0 6y agoPeople make decisions. At some point, all corporate decisions go through people. Would you (reader) want to bet your life against a conference room full of people with $1M+ worth of stock options you're about to negatively impact? Where a bad outcome for you only requires their silence? There are many people in the world who value morals over money. There are a few who value morals over lots of money. But that's not a bet I'd take.
- sudosysgen 6y agoMe neither. It's a very small likelihood, but I highly value my life. Just knowing about that possibility would chill me to the bone.
- whoisthemachine 6y agoGoogle is a client of the Pinkertons, a very old union busting company with a history of brutal tactics [0]. One of their employees was recently charged in a murder during riots in Denver [1]. [0] https://newrepublic.com/article/147619/pinkertons-still-never-sleep https://newrepublic.com/article/147619/pinkertons-still-neve... [1] https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/juliareinstein/security-guard-denver-protest-matthew-dolloff-murder?origin=web-hf https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/juliareinstein/security...
- ashtonkem 6y agoIt’s not really the same organization anymore; they got bought by Securitas in 1999.
- daniellarusso 6y agoThat is factually incorrect regarding the the classification of the aforementioned person as an employee of Pinkerton’s. Pinkerton sub-contracted this person.
- whoisthemachine 6y agoMy apologies, thanks for correcting me.
- ashtonkem 6y agoWhile it’s possible for companies to keep secrets, most companies lack the secrecy and paranoia required to really keep big secrets for long periods of time. These companies tend to leak, both because people move around a lot, and because unlike governments they lack the ability to throw leakers in jail. If google was actually futzing about with the auctions like that, we’d probably find out eventually.