4 ms·
I don't know if Horvath is right or not, but this is nice case study how PR works. I would say this statement is a very clever move from GitHub side. I guess t
by piokoch 13y ago
I don't know if Horvath is right or not, but this is nice case study how PR works.
I would say this statement is a very clever move from GitHub side. I guess they have skilled PR people working on the issue.
At first look, the cited article seems to admit to everything. As a result, it will be sort of last news on the topic - if they admitted Horvath is right and they even put on leave a founder and the programmer and founder's wife will not be allowed to enter office, then what's more can be said or written? Github did everything it could to resolve the issue.
The point is that they did not admitted anything. The only paragraph that contains actual content is paragraph no 2., the rest is just speaking how Github grows and how they liked Horvath, how sad it is that Horvath is sad, etc.
So we have:
"We know we have to take action and have begun a full investigation. While that’s ongoing, and effective immediately, the relevant founder has been put on leave, as has the referenced GitHub engineer. The founder’s wife discussed in the media reports has never had hiring or firing power at GitHub and will no longer be permitted in the office."
So they have started "full investigation", just that. After two months when everybody will forget about the issue, the founder with his wife and the programmer might be back at Github (who knows what the investigation is going to prove - Horvath will not take part in it - she's no longer an employee). Whatever happens nobody will pay attention. No media will investigate the issue further because "Github admitted Horvath is right", so the topis is closed and no longer "hot".
I guess GitHub cannot publicly admit that Horvath is right or not, their lawyers would be mad, it is much better for them to keep all statements fuzzy and sounding good.
- infinity0 13y agoIt's possible that things will be brushed under the carpet as you say. But I'm not convinced that this is a "clever PR move" as you suggest. What else can GitHub do at this point? Fire the people involved without even investigating?
- goldmar 13y agoI think that it's the way the PR statement is written that is 'clever'. By putting the founder on leave and banning his wife from the office they haven taken pro-active action (which was not mandatory). As has been noted, it might seem that they have admitted some wrong-doing when in fact they have not. But it's enough food for the media to drop the issue...
- dhimes 13y agoBut you at least have to allow for the possibility that they are doing the right thing here. Perhaps they respect Julie enough to take her claims seriously and correct the obvious wrongs (gf in the offices) while doing what every other organization does in putting the person under investigation on leave. Yes, perhaps they are bullshitting. But this is also what the PR release would say if they were trying to do the right things by all parties but don't have the information they need or the time they need to figure out exactly what the repercussions should be.
- LanceH 13y agoThey could have done it wrong; denied everything, counter-accused her and kept the flames burning.
- maxcan 13y agoIts an established precedent that anyone accused of any sexual impropriety - from harassment to assault and worse, is prima facie guilty, deserves no presumption of innocence, and should be punished immediately.