4 ms·

Should people who have never worked on ads or with user data in any significant capacity have to disclose that too? "I want to say that Google is unethical and

Should people who have never worked on ads or with user data in any significant capacity have to disclose that too? "I want to say that Google is unethical and ads are evil, but I've never actually worked on ads and actually don't know what data means in this context"

ekianjo 5y ago
It does not matter whether you worked on ads or not. The fact that you have many friends at Google and spent years there has already shaped you as an employee to believe that whatever Google does is "probably not evil". This is not specific to working at Google, by the way, we all rationalize what our workplace(s) does.
- mgraczyk 5y ago
  I've been at Google for ~5 months and can comfortably say I have no friends here who I didn't know before joining. Is it really so hard to believe that some people don't agree with you on this point because they've seen different evidence than you have?
  - ekianjo 5y ago
    5 months? your resume is saying you also worked there between 2014 and 2016.
killingtime74 5y ago
Only engineers can think about ethics? What about philosophers, ethicists and lawyers? How about law makers?
- mgraczyk 5y ago
  I'm okay with anyone thinking about ethics, as long as they don't call themselves an "ethicist" :P I'm just pointing out that we all have our biases. As somebody who understands how targeted advertising works from the "inside" I see a lot of commentary that is factually inaccurate and conceptually off base.
  - ds206 5y ago
    Go on... I'm listening ;) Do you think the fact that no one on the "outside" knows how it works may be the reason for that? Also, do you think that if we did know how it works from the inside that we would agree with you?
threatofrain 5y ago
Not working on ads isn't a conflict of interest — there's no metaphorical paycheck for dodging Google. As you point out, it could predict more ignorance, but it doesn't predict financial incentives flowing to their direction. Also, would you morally expect your doctor to disclose that they're on the payroll of the company that develops the medications you've been prescribed to take? Regardless of the answer, disclosure here isn't about whether or not a doctor is capable of their own opinion, or whether or not they are speaking in any official capacity for other companies. Ethical appearance is part of professional ethics. Similarly, it doesn't matter if a judge is capable of independent opinion while having financial interests tied to the cases they preside over. The mere appearance of financial entanglement can stink up professional credibility. It would also be quite silly for a judge to respond with, "But I've only recently been receiving paychecks. I hardly know anyone at the company."

ekianjo 5y ago

It does not matter whether you worked on ads or not. The fact that you have many friends at Google and spent years there has already shaped you as an employee to believe that whatever Google does is "probably not evil". This is not specific to working at Google, by the way, we all rationalize what our workplace(s) does.

mgraczyk 5y ago
I've been at Google for ~5 months and can comfortably say I have no friends here who I didn't know before joining. Is it really so hard to believe that some people don't agree with you on this point because they've seen different evidence than you have?
- ekianjo 5y ago
  5 months? your resume is saying you also worked there between 2014 and 2016.

killingtime74 5y ago

Only engineers can think about ethics? What about philosophers, ethicists and lawyers? How about law makers?

mgraczyk 5y ago
I'm okay with anyone thinking about ethics, as long as they don't call themselves an "ethicist" :P I'm just pointing out that we all have our biases. As somebody who understands how targeted advertising works from the "inside" I see a lot of commentary that is factually inaccurate and conceptually off base.
- ds206 5y ago
  Go on... I'm listening ;) Do you think the fact that no one on the "outside" knows how it works may be the reason for that? Also, do you think that if we did know how it works from the inside that we would agree with you?

threatofrain 5y ago

Not working on ads isn't a conflict of interest — there's no metaphorical paycheck for dodging Google. As you point out, it could predict more ignorance, but it doesn't predict financial incentives flowing to their direction. Also, would you morally expect your doctor to disclose that they're on the payroll of the company that develops the medications you've been prescribed to take? Regardless of the answer, disclosure here isn't about whether or not a doctor is capable of their own opinion, or whether or not they are speaking in any official capacity for other companies. Ethical appearance is part of professional ethics. Similarly, it doesn't matter if a judge is capable of independent opinion while having financial interests tied to the cases they preside over. The mere appearance of financial entanglement can stink up professional credibility. It would also be quite silly for a judge to respond with, "But I've only recently been receiving paychecks. I hardly know anyone at the company."