Google’s Macho Memo Man Fired, Say Reports
8th August 2017
I won’t be blogging about most of the discussion of this situation because of its tedious repetition, but I found the following reaction interesting:
The Register understands that Pichai’s memo mentions section 1.5.II of the company’s code of conduct, which states “We are committed to a supportive work environment, where employees have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. Googlers are expected to do their utmost to create a workplace culture that is free of harassment, intimidation, bias, and unlawful discrimination.”
Google’s alleged decision to fire Damore has sparked wide debate about freedom of speech. It’s not hard to see why, as section 1.5 of Google’s code of conduct says “Any time you feel our users aren’t being well-served, don’t be bashful – let someone in the company know about it. Continually improving our products and services takes all of us, and we’re proud that Googlers champion our users and take the initiative to step forward when the interests of our users are at stake.”
At the core of Damore’s document is his belief that Google’s diversity programs are hurting users. Yet Pichai seems to be pointing out that Google has limits on the diversity of opinions it is willing to tolerate.
Grab some popcorn. This one’s far from over.
This is actually one of the few times I’ve seen somebody connect the dots between the supposed policy that Google’s management is allegedly enforcing and the actual case to be made that they are, in fact, violating that policy. ‘All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.’