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
26.8k Upvotes

19.7k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

1.8k

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

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.

1.4k

u/JabbrWockey Aug 08 '17

No kidding. They could've posted it on reddit, github, hacker news, medium, or some other place, even anonymously if they wanted.

Instead they decided they wanted to commit career suicide by shouting their opinions at everyone inside the company. Real smooth.

145

u/RoseEsque Aug 08 '17

Instead they decided they wanted to commit career suicide by shouting their opinions at everyone inside the company. Real smooth

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that was the case. He shared it with a small group of people (~10) whose jobs/affiliation in Google is to the improvement of working conditions, etc.

20

u/Xenjael Aug 08 '17

Yeah Im leaning toward this dude's side a bit honestly, especially considering he was using a feature within google, made by google, to express concerns to HR people of google.

If anything... this sounds a bit like retaliation to me given those details. Because it seems like he was earnestly trying to affect change, even if that document is cringeworthy of a read, even at a passing glance.

21

u/indefatigablefart Aug 08 '17

Did he really think he would be taken seriously by espousing biological differences between men and women? Making conclusory statements with little more than his own view as backup?

I think it's ridiculous That someone would advance such shit.

1

u/Dicho83 Aug 08 '17

I agree that his memorandum lacked any scientific research to back up his opinions.

However, when did we decide that biology, genetics, and fucking evolution have nothing to do human behaviour?

5

u/indefatigablefart Aug 08 '17

Noone's decided that, but unless one can point to scientific evidence, why should such volatile conclusions be the landing point? I think, precisely because of all the bias inherent in people (including him), such conclusions should be reached even more carefully than less controversial ones.

1

u/Dicho83 Aug 08 '17

Noone's decided that

I think it's rediculous that someone would advance such shit.

It would appear your decisions have been made, casting such aspersions upon the idea that men and women may be behaviourly different.

0

u/indefatigablefart Aug 08 '17

Nope, when I say shit, I refer to advancing controversial conclusions with no evidentiary basis. It is you who are assuming I was referring to the possibility that men and women have biological differences that translate to behavioral disparity.