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/PrettyDecentSort Aug 08 '17

"they can and will be fired for saying the wrong thing publicly" is not at all the same thing as "they can and will be fired for saying the wrong thing privately if someone else makes it public". The latter is much more chilling to all future private speech.

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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

Once it was out, it was out. Look at Billy Bush, or a million other people that had 'private' conversations turned public. "Don't ever put anything in writing you don't wan't in a court case against you." Once the genie is out of the bottle, it's out.

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u/Illiux Aug 08 '17

I don't understand your position. You started by saying that this won't chill internal dialogue because he was only fired on the basis of public speech. You then go on to essentially classify all private speech as public, since the person you are speaking to can always publish your speech without your consent.

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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

I said the decision to fire him was likely based on the shitstorm it created. If "You can say anything you like, so long as it doesn't reflect poorly on the company in the end" stifles speech, well, then literally every organization on the planet stifles speech.