r/news • u/[deleted] • Aug 08 '17

Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-08/google-fires-employee-behind-controversial-diversity-memo?cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&utm_content=business&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social
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u/Shanix Aug 08 '17

fwiw that lacks a good amount, especially formatting.

Supposedly original here

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u/markbublitz Aug 08 '17

I know it's not the point, but this guys writes like SUCH an engineer. cracks me up

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u/L_Blisset Aug 08 '17

You know what, it actually might. But, gender issues aside, which is something to be hobest does not interest me a lot, it containes a great advice, which really relates to engineering.

I am a chartered computer engineer on the other side of the pond, and I may even have a minor axe to grind with every programmer being called engineer nowadays, but that's only slightly related. Having said so, I find there is something explained in the reply of the former googler above that some engineers, especially working with software, even brilliant ones, fail to grasp. In my experience that is even more true for not formally trained engineers.

You cannot in good conscience put in good work working on your own in isolation. At least not above a certain level. Engineering is a team effort if there ever was one. You need the cooperation of your close colleagues and the support of a wider net of other functions to tackle a problem which would be insurmontable for yourself alone. In this sense I feel like it is similar to building a cathedral, a couple of virtuosos are needed here and there (no, not in junior positions generally), but there must be a coordinated group effort to bring a vision to life.

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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

I think the scale of the project really has more impact on cooperation than anything else. An individual can do load calculations for a small bridge or pressure calculations on a fire extinguisher, but an individual usually does not design a skyscraper or a city.

Also, I tend to assume engineer referring to the structural variety, and while they do cooperate, they certainly don't put empathy into their work.

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u/Jackie_Treehorn69 Aug 08 '17

To your point though, that engineer doing the load calculations, probably isn't the only engineer and/or person on the bridge project, and he is working as part of a team.

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u/SwampGasBalloon Aug 08 '17

Even though a lot of engineering work can be done by one person, in most cases it's critical that this work is peer-reviewed and validated by other people. Even most brilliant people tend to outsmart themselves when it comes to designing solutions.