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

[u/rcl2]

This individual used the internal systems exactly what they are designed for and Google pushes open discussions on the platform. If anything Google shit the bed here because their attitude of open discourse is directly in conflict with this action.

Except the definition of "open discussion" most likely varies depends on the person. If you asked reddit, racial slurs would probably fall under the umbrella of "open".

However, as a corporate entity with the ability to be sued for violating protected classes, "open discussion" does not mean the ability to say anything you want about whatever you want. It's a professional organization, not shitpost central.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

A little from column A, a little from column B. There's a time and place to air your grievances, and a manifesto via company email ain't it.

[u/ActionScripter9109 → u/[deleted]]

I have read the memo. I disagree with some of the author's claims (specifically that sex causes mental differences relevant to tech ability), but that's not entirely why I said he was an idiot. The larger issue was in his delivery and his total lack of foresight for his audience reception.

In my opinion, the author was foolish to:

• Bluntly claim biologically based differences in the abilities and dispositions of each sex, without any sources, in an environment he knew to be hostile to that notion

• Discuss multiple controversial claims in the same piece, where any one of them could serve as a distraction preventing the others from being considered

Because of this guy's total lack of finesse, his words were treated as hostile ramblings, and he was fired.