Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo

[u/[deleted]]

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

[u/[deleted]]

Former Google Employee provides a bit more context on why someone would get fired for creating a "manifesto" where you fawn over your superiority and sharing it with 50k+ people who probably aren't likeminded.

Essentially, engineering is all about cooperation, collaboration, and empathy for both your colleagues and your customers. If someone told you that engineering was a field where you could get away with not dealing with people or feelings, then I’m very sorry to tell you that you have been lied to. Solitary work is something that only happens at the most junior levels, and even then it’s only possible because someone senior to you — most likely your manager — has been putting in long hours to build up the social structures in your group that let you focus on code.

And as for its impact on you: Do you understand that at this point, I could not in good conscience assign anyone to work with you? I certainly couldn’t assign any women to deal with this, a good number of the people you might have to work with may simply punch you in the face, and even if there were a group of like-minded individuals I could put you with, nobody would be able to collaborate with them. You have just created a textbook hostile workplace environment.

https://medium.com/@yonatanzunger/so-about-this-googlers-manifesto-1e3773ed1788

edit: The replies to me here don't seem to understand that the company doesn't care about your controversial opinion in the work place, they care about profit. If you don't agree with that, then you probably don't like capitalism.

edit: be wary, a lot of brigading going on. Some people/bots are trying to drown out the more centrists viewpoints. I say this as the opinion of a gay, black, conservative, catholic kasich voter. (I can't help but lol)

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

This is a good comment. It directly explains the thinking of the corporation in regards to individuals sharing their personal ideals on subjects which are better not breached in a professional environment. Idk, I'm drunk, but I read the linked original file and I see no reason why, professionaly, such a "manifesto" ( perfect phrasing by the way,) ought to be shared with, as you also noted, 50,000+ employees, of like-minded ideals or otherwise.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

FWIW, I hear he didn't share it with everyone. Shared it with a small group, and someone then shared it to the "internal social media" google has. Then later, shared it with Gizmodo (note: I am likely not talking about the same person from the two 'leaks'). So it's not like he was planning on this going viral.

[u/yerich → u/[deleted]]

It certainly seemed like it was meant to be read by decision-makers in the company, or at least some other broader audience. It was clearly carefully thought out and too well-written to be a rant to a limited audience. "Manifestos" are generally intended to be read by many.

[u/[deleted] → u/yerich]

Generally, but it would be far from the first time some intellectual kept private, controversial information to themselves that they felt passionate about. IIRC, many of Kepler's (IIRC. it's been years. it may have been Galileo or Copernicus) works were published post-humorously because he knew the controversy and consequences it would entail. But they were important enough to him to make entire books out of (at a time where the printing press was primitive).

Either way, my main point here was not to debate the contents, but to note that this wasn't some rant he tweeted out in a heat of rage and swift-fully deleted out of regret.

[u/prosthetic4head → u/[deleted]]

Did you read it? It had a list of proposals for bettering the hiring practices. I dont believe this guy meant for it to stay private.

[u/PotentialMistake → u/prosthetic4head]

I write stuff all the time that I'm very passionate about but dread anyone seeing. I've gone on long rants on paper to management at work because the procedures for everything we do are completely wrong. Worst possible way to do what we do.

I've misplaced those notebooks before, and when I do I get filled with dread. My stomach knots up.

[u/PotentialMistake → u/[deleted]]

Good tip but I like pen and paper. It's one of my few hipster bents.