4 ms·

When I joined Google in 2006, the message was "don't write anything in an email you don't want to see in a NYT headline". Good advice for all digital communica

When I joined Google in 2006, the message was "don't write anything in an email you don't want to see in a NYT headline". Good advice for all digital communications. You have to assume the authorities, and others, are listening.

mistrial9 5y ago
"You have to assume the authorities, and others are listening" doesnt this seem sort of outrageous to an outsider, since Google pioneered the practice of searching every user's emails? like, they dish it out but also hide their own ? Secondly the extreme and secretive legal agreement not to talk about your work, even years after leaving the company.. it seems Google got away with a lot, by virtue of "superpowers" that is objectionable for good reason, for the business community in general.
- zdragnar 5y ago
  It seems more like they applied to everyone the same standard that was applied to them.
  - mistrial9 5y ago
    non-private email is a cynical mouse trap then, eating your customers privacy for your billions in ad profits.. how is that for "standard"?
Barrin92 5y ago
>You have to assume the authorities, and others, are listening. Given that Google is a publicly traded company and thus has to follow federal securities laws and keep much business communication on the books anyway I don't know why we're framing this as 'the government may be listening'.
wiz21c 5y ago
"don't write anything in an email you don't want to see in a NYT headline" If I got something like that, I sure want to tell the NYT...
- navbaker 5y ago
  But there is nothing suspicious or sensational about that advice! It's a short, concise way of warning employees of really any business that electronic communication never goes away and to be mindful of how they communicate.
- BurningFrog 5y ago
  Believe it or not, during my years at Google, I was never part of anything remotely illegal. I was part of a fair amount of silly jokes and occasional gossip that, out of context, could have looked pretty bad.
  - wiz21c 5y ago
    I don't have any doubt that none of what Google does is illegal. Same goes for 99% of the employers I had. But illegality is not the only reason things end up on NYT. For example, my former boss was clearly using his positions in various nationwide institutions to make sure things were discussed the way he wanted to. Depending on the institutions (for example being in an audit one as a "consultant" and another one being audited as a "chief-whatever-officer" is not illegal but it's downright suspicious) I never said anything about it but the newspapers caught up...

mistrial9 5y ago

"You have to assume the authorities, and others are listening" doesnt this seem sort of outrageous to an outsider, since Google pioneered the practice of searching every user's emails? like, they dish it out but also hide their own ? Secondly the extreme and secretive legal agreement not to talk about your work, even years after leaving the company.. it seems Google got away with a lot, by virtue of "superpowers" that is objectionable for good reason, for the business community in general.

zdragnar 5y ago
It seems more like they applied to everyone the same standard that was applied to them.
- mistrial9 5y ago
  non-private email is a cynical mouse trap then, eating your customers privacy for your billions in ad profits.. how is that for "standard"?

Barrin92 5y ago

>You have to assume the authorities, and others, are listening. Given that Google is a publicly traded company and thus has to follow federal securities laws and keep much business communication on the books anyway I don't know why we're framing this as 'the government may be listening'.

wiz21c 5y ago

"don't write anything in an email you don't want to see in a NYT headline" If I got something like that, I sure want to tell the NYT...

navbaker 5y ago
But there is nothing suspicious or sensational about that advice! It's a short, concise way of warning employees of really any business that electronic communication never goes away and to be mindful of how they communicate.
BurningFrog 5y ago
Believe it or not, during my years at Google, I was never part of anything remotely illegal. I was part of a fair amount of silly jokes and occasional gossip that, out of context, could have looked pretty bad.
- wiz21c 5y ago
  I don't have any doubt that none of what Google does is illegal. Same goes for 99% of the employers I had. But illegality is not the only reason things end up on NYT. For example, my former boss was clearly using his positions in various nationwide institutions to make sure things were discussed the way he wanted to. Depending on the institutions (for example being in an audit one as a "consultant" and another one being audited as a "chief-whatever-officer" is not illegal but it's downright suspicious) I never said anything about it but the newspapers caught up...