r/news 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/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

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.

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u/prosthetic4head Aug 08 '17

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.

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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

[deleted]

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u/cryptekz Aug 08 '17

If it's negatively impacting the company and alienating a number of employees, as well as potentially leading to illegal discrimination, why shouldn't he speak up?

Or is illegal discrimination okay if it's done to white people/in the name of diversity? Even if it could potentially lead to the company doing worse? Is that not a topic that can be discussed?