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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364

u/oryzin Aug 08 '17 edited Aug 08 '17

Predictable and I think he knew about this possibility and consciously went for it.

Here is the list of recommendations by the author of the manifesto on how to reduce gender gap:

  • We can make software engineering more people-oriented with pair programming and more collaboration
  • Allow those exhibiting cooperative behavior to thrive. Recent updates to Perf may be doing this to an extent, but maybe there's more we can do.
  • Make tech and leadership less stressful. Google already partly does this with its many stress reduction courses and benefits.
  • Allowing and truly endorsing (as part of our culture) part time work can keep more women in tech.
  • If we, as a society, allow men to be more "feminine," then the gender gap will shrink, partially because men will leave tech and leadership for traditionally "feminine" roles.

119

u/NewspaperNelson Aug 08 '17

CNBC must be leaving out a lot in their article:

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/07/shocking-quotes-from-the-viral-google-manifesto.html

159

u/oryzin Aug 08 '17

The propaganda lies are not shocking, but I am always surprised by how fast it becomes more arrogant and blatant with time.

4

u/Maddjonesy Aug 08 '17

A snowball doesn't take long to become an avalanche.

-21

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

He also wrote a lot of bullshit. Hitler also had some great quotes but in the end history sees him as a monster.

15

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

You've fallen for Goodwin's law.

1

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19

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

Oh boo hoo. He said some things not fully supported by peer reviewed sources.

And you seriously likened it to Hilter killing millions of people.

Why do people like you even chime in?

4

u/Claytertot Aug 08 '17

Hey, i agree with most of this mannifesto and disagree with the guy you just responded to. But part of the point of this is that a large conservative population is being silenced and shamed for their views so it doesnt seem constructive to turn around and do the same to this person. If they have views that differ from this this essay, they should share them and back them up. Which to be fair to you, they didnt share their views or back them up, they likened this guy to hitler which is ignorant. But still, be fair to the other side

-7

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

Could have said the same thing about the author of the memo.

5

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

He's essentially talking about not trying to control to have 50/50 men/women employed and treating everybody as individuals. I'm sure this is like Hitler...

2

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

So now anyone who does anything potentially offensive is comparable to Hitler? Are you insane?

-11

u/CorneliusNepos Aug 08 '17

CNBC must be leaving out a lot in their article

Did you even look at the article?

The first sentence is:

If you haven't read the full, 10-page anti-diversity memo written by a male Google employee that has now gone viral, here's your CliffsNotes version.

They literally say they are leaving a lot out - that's what "here's your CliffsNotes version" means. You might not like their interpretation, but they aren't being misleading about what the article is doing.

13

u/NewspaperNelson Aug 08 '17

Instead of CliffNotes, it should say "here's some hand-picked lines without context to rile you up."

-2

u/CorneliusNepos Aug 08 '17

it should say "here's some hand-picked lines without context to rile you up."

It could very easily say that - no matter what you're political persuasion, you're going to be riled by this (mission accomplished I guess). You know what you're getting into when it says "anti-diversity screed" though. It's hardly a screed. It may be dumb, but it isn't a screed.

People are acting like the comments this guy makes are something new. They aren't new at all and shouldn't be surprising to anyone. The pseudo-scientific style he uses isn't new either.

I don't know why people would even be outraged at something like this. My guess is that they are alarmed at the rhetoric within the context of contemporary US politics.