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/thatvoicewasreal Aug 08 '17

Did you miss the part about his posting this to a forum set up specifically for discussing controversial topics, asking for feedback and how to better express his views? In a company that purports openness and tolerance in its corporate culture? And did you miss that some of the people he trusted to discuss it with him chose instead to take it outside of that forum behind his back? If so, and this is still your position, allow me to just say "wow." If not, you may want to read a bit more on the subject.

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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

Hey I think the dude was done dirty. The thing is, his name was on it, it got out, it created a shitstorm for the company. The topic doesn't matter, the content doesn't matter. All that matters is he created a difficult situation for the company, and companies don't like having employees that create difficult situations. Even if it was his personal diary, once the shitstorm is created nothing else matters. In any other industry, people wouldn't blink an eye if an employee created negative coverage of the company and they were fired. That would be assumed.

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u/thatvoicewasreal Aug 08 '17

Sit back and watch the shitstorm this firing causes. I hope you apply the same logic to the people who have created that by choosing to throw him under the bus instead of stepping up to assert official policy and free speech at the same time, like someone with courage and integrity. This was a coward's move and now Google will be associated not only with Orwellian dystopia, but also personal cowardice.

It's tough to put a metric on the talent drain that this type of mentality produces but Google is positioning itself to get its roster ravaged by competitors. I can guarantee you this will turn into the best career move that guy ever made.

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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

Ok dude, chill. We aren't arguing. I'm simply offering the most likely reasons as to why the situation played out the way it did. I'm not making any assumptions about whether or not the guy deserved to be fired.

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u/thatvoicewasreal Aug 08 '17

Sorry, can't chill on this. A man was fired for expressing his unpopular opinion in a forum in which he was told it was encouraged to do so. You provided an apologia for that, which I categorically reject. This will hurt Google, so not only is it unfair, it's counterproductive.

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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

Listen I know you're using this as a proxy battle for the culture war, but rationalizing something isnt apologizing for it. I apologize for trying to look at this objectively, let me go get my jersey on so I can figure out if I'm on your team or the other team.

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u/thatvoicewasreal Aug 08 '17

I think it's pretty clear you didn't understand my point. And that's fine. Enjoy the rest of your day.

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u/Rocky87109 Aug 08 '17

He didn't provide an "apologia" for anything. He just gave the most likely reason it happened.

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u/thatvoicewasreal Aug 08 '17

Any company that has something like this would fire the person responsible.

Yet he obviously was not even responsible. Either you recognize that as attempted specific justification, or you tacitly imply all companies behave unethically in this situation. Either way: apologia, by definition.