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I don't fully understand the controversy and so take neither side. However, as I started in IT in in 84, it is curious to me that workforce culture has changed

I don't fully understand the controversy and so take neither side. However, as I started in IT in in 84, it is curious to me that workforce culture has changed so. I recall the dourly suited IBM guys, all in lockstep, sharing identities, so to speak. One's role was well understood, and conforming to that role -conduct, performance, behavior- was very circumscribed and universally understood. Criticizing one's employer was possible within very defined circumstances, and always privately, but doing so in a public square was a sure route to termination. This seemed reasonable at the time. Has the relationship of employee/employer changed so?

temp667 6y ago
I think part of this is the FAANG companies have so much money they can afford to hire these huge quantities of folks to fight the company while getting paid by the company. No one else could afford to do this because it just wouldn't work business / productivity wise. The only other example is perhaps the govt which generally does fund people who then sue the govt around policies the govt adopts.
swalsh 6y ago
I think post WW2, there was this unwritten social agreement. The company took care of you, and you took care of the company. At some point that agreement was severed. Companies stopped being loyal to employees, and slowly employees have learned to stop being loyal to companies.
pseudalopex 6y ago
Do you consider an internal mailing list a public square? Researchers are used to having more freedom. IBM didn't pretend to be egalitarian and fun. And part of the controversy is Google firing her but characterizing it as accepting her resignation.
- lsaferite 6y ago
  Out of curiosity, if someone says "I quit unless you do X", and you reply with "Ok, I accept your resignation", has that person been fired?
  - pseudalopex 6y ago
    Someone has been fired if they give notice and you tell them their employment is terminated immediately because they sent an unprofessional email.

temp667 6y ago

I think part of this is the FAANG companies have so much money they can afford to hire these huge quantities of folks to fight the company while getting paid by the company. No one else could afford to do this because it just wouldn't work business / productivity wise. The only other example is perhaps the govt which generally does fund people who then sue the govt around policies the govt adopts.

swalsh 6y ago

I think post WW2, there was this unwritten social agreement. The company took care of you, and you took care of the company. At some point that agreement was severed. Companies stopped being loyal to employees, and slowly employees have learned to stop being loyal to companies.

pseudalopex 6y ago

Do you consider an internal mailing list a public square? Researchers are used to having more freedom. IBM didn't pretend to be egalitarian and fun. And part of the controversy is Google firing her but characterizing it as accepting her resignation.

lsaferite 6y ago
Out of curiosity, if someone says "I quit unless you do X", and you reply with "Ok, I accept your resignation", has that person been fired?
- pseudalopex 6y ago
  Someone has been fired if they give notice and you tell them their employment is terminated immediately because they sent an unprofessional email.