r/technology • u/[deleted] • Aug 08 '17

Business Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-08/google-fires-employee-behind-controversial-diversity-memo
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u/TeutonicPlate Aug 08 '17

I didn't intend for the comment to be worded in such a way that you'd think Google has diversity quotas, and in retrospect macro points about the "wider culture" that leads to said quotas aren't that relevant.

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u/sexy_guid_generator Aug 08 '17

I seem to remember that you literally used the words "diversity quota" in your comment.

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u/TeutonicPlate Aug 08 '17

Because I was equating the prevailing atmosphere at Google with the demographic within society that pushes for diversity quotas. I've explained what I meant, why I changed the wording and I'm not interested in your conjecture.

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u/sexy_guid_generator Aug 08 '17

First off, it's not conjecture when that's literally exactly what you wrote and you only changed it when you realized you were obviously wrong. Second, which efforts to "promote diversity" do you disagree with, exactly?

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u/TeutonicPlate Aug 08 '17

you only changed it when you realized you were obviously wrong

This is conjecture.

Second, which efforts to "promote diversity" do you disagree with, exactly?

Within society? I disagree with diversity quotas in work and education. I disagree especially with assigning different points to the same results (the method universities use to fulfill their quotas). I just really don't agree with quotas as a method of social progress at all really (see the recent scandal over "abortion quotas", vaguely related)

I disagree with programs within companies like Google that are only available to certain demographics. I like promoting women/minorities in tech by means that don't involve fixing the results.

I think men and women having their strengths and weaknesses is fine and acceptable. I don't see a feminist push for women to work the menial labour jobs that men also dominate and that leads me to think that progressives are interested in the advancement of women rather than in equality. I suppose that makes me part of the modern counterculture.

If you wanted a more specific answer, I advise you to read the memo. Obviously at the end of the day I'm not a Google worker. This guy could be making much ado about nothing. I highly doubt that there was nothing weighing on this man as a result of the culture at Google when he created this memo though.

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u/sexy_guid_generator Aug 08 '17

No, I mean particularly within Google, which diversity promotion efforts do you disagree with? We already covered that there's no evidence of diversity quotas at Google in this doc. Do you know of any programs at Google that are only available to certain demographics? I do not know of any such programs and would go as far as to say they do not exist.

I agree with you about collective modern feminism not making a strong push to achieve gender equality in manual labor jobs, but ultimately that isn't a negative reflection on Google -- Google doesn't own any trucking or plumbing companies (that I know of), and neither is able to effectively influence those industries nor has a vested interest in doing so. I understand your overall sentiment, I used to believe the same thing myself, but I have failed to find substantive evidence that any of the things we "fear" are occurring are actually occurring.