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[wandering]

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/...ity-manifesto-goes-internally-viral-at-google

At least eight Google employees tweeted Friday about a document that was circulated within the company calling for replacing Google's diversity initiatives with policies that encourage "ideological diversity" instead. The document, which is the personal opinion of one senior software engineer, was shared on a company mailing list but has since gone "internally viral," according to a Google employee who spoke with Motherboard.

Motherboard has not viewed the full document, but a screenshot we reviewed shows it's titled "Google's Ideological Echo Chamber." Descriptions of its contents were tweeted publicly by Google employees, and it was described in detail to me by a Google employee, who requested anonymity because of the company's notoriously strict confidentiality agreement. (A lawsuit against the company was filed in a San Francisco court last year over the company's "spying program" to prevent leaks.)

The person who wrote the document argued that the representation gap between men and women in software engineering persists because of biological differences between the two sexes, according to public tweets from Google employees. It also said Google should not offer programs for underrepresented racial or gender minorities, according to one of the employees I spoke to.

The document's author also wrote that employees with conservative political beliefs are discriminated against at Google and lamented about how "leftist" ideology is harmful. They argue that the company should have a more "open" culture where their viewpoint would be welcomed. The document said that improving racial and gender diversity is less important than making sure conservatives feel comfortable expressing themselves at work.

While the vast majority of Google employees did not support the document's arguments, some did. According to Dogan, who works on the company's Go programming language, the document's author was emboldened by some of the positive responses he got. "The author is now in contact with me explaining why he received *supportive* response," she tweeted. "If HR does nothing in this case, I will consider leaving this company for real for the first time in five years," she wrote in a threaded tweet.

"It's not worth thinking about this as an isolated incident and instead a manifestation of what ails all of Silicon Valley," the employee I spoke to who detailed the document's contents told me.

Google is currently wrapped up in a dispute with the Department of Labor over what an agency official testified are "systemic compensation disparities against women pretty much across the entire workforce." Another official told The Guardian in April that it had discovered "compelling evidence of very significant discrimination against women in the most common positions at Google headquarters."

 

[excelsiorlef]

"It's more important for me to be able to express my hatred of women and minorities than it is for women and minorities to have a place here"

 

[emag]

"It's more important for me to be able to express my hatred of women and minorities than it is for women and minorities to have a place here"

It's about ethics in diversity? I don't even know how to respond to such bald faced rhetoric.

 

[excelsiorlef]

Also if Google does nothing it's basically allowing for a hostile work environment for women and minorities because other employees will feel emboldened by Google's to also express their bigotry.

 

[darklin0]

Google better be dropping his ass soon.

 

[Surface of Me]

Hope Google lights a fire under this clown's ass.

 

[Cosmo Clock 21]

The document said that improving racial and gender diversity is less important than making sure conservatives feel comfortable expressing themselves at work.

Damn, what a tool.

 

[PantherLotus]

"ideological diversity" is my new favorite "christians / whites / males / conservatives are suppressed" meme. We see you, fuckers.

 

[Bronx-Man]

Silicon Valley is a real piece of work.

 

[Zeyphersan]

Ah yes, conservatives. The REAL people who are discriminated against.

This is why the War on Christmas had so many casualties

 

[Metalingus5150]

Ah the whole "How can you care about diversity but not diversity of ideas?" bullshit that conservatives like to spill.

 

[Bedameister]

Don't be evil my ass

 

[kirblar]

"ideological diversity" is my new favorite "christians / whites / males / conservatives are suppressed" meme. We see you, fuckers.

It can sometimes be a legit thing in Academia.

It's not a thing here. This is just someone upset that they're unable to be a giant asshole.

 

[Valhelm]

I'm shocked, shocked that a Silicon Valley corporation gives a platform to reactionary scumsuckers

 

[Rur0ni]

Don't be evil my ass

?

 

[cdyhybrid]

Tech industry in general has a lot of issues.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

The document said that improving racial and gender diversity is less important than making sure conservatives feel comfortable expressing themselves at work.

This is how a lot of racists/bigots feel and they rely on people who will defend all speech to promote these garbage ideas.

Be careful when you leap to the defence of someone's right to say whatever the fuck they want.

 

[PSqueak]

?

"Don't be Evil" used to be Google's actual motto.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Can you spot the Alt-Right? I hope they stomp this initiative

 

[rokkerkory]

fire his ass

 

[hydrophilic attack]

found the guy in charge of youtube recommendation algorithms

 

[watershed]

Of course every conservative is a persecuted snowflake. Also "ideological diversity" as in a continuation of the ideology that has dominated western civilization since it's inception to now.

 

[cameron]

The document said that improving racial and gender diversity is less important than making sure conservatives feel comfortable expressing themselves at work.

I've heard this song before.

 

[shockthrill]

I mean isn't Silicon Valley already quite diverse in a way

I remember hearing that it's mostly Indians and East Asians and isn't this all-white utopia



but still the guy is a complete loser and needs to get fired from Google. Alt Right ideology is definitely a problem in SV

 

[Akronis]

I mean isn't Silicon Valley already quite diverse in a way

I remember hearing that it's actually mostly Indians and East Asians and isn't this all-white utopia



but still the guy is a complete loser and needs to get fired from Google

The amount of alt-right shit that comes out of Silicon Valley consistently lends to a much greater issue in tech culture. This isn't an isolated incident.

 

[PSqueak]

I mean isn't Silicon Valley already quite diverse in a way

I remember hearing that it's mostly Indians and East Asians and isn't this all-white utopia



but still the guy is a complete loser and needs to get fired from Google. Alt Right ideology is definitely a problem in SV

Sillicon Valley is still to this day incredibly sexist.

 

[Ri'Orius]

Don't be evil my ass

Google has some conservative individuals. But as the article says, the majority of the company's employees (and the company's leadership) don't support this dude.

They aren't even giving him a platform, really: it's an internal mailing list.

 

[excelsiorlef]

The amount of alt-right shit that comes out of Silicon Valley consistently lends to a much greater issue in tech culture. This isn't an isolated incident.

I mean it's no coincidence that gaming is the only place this alt-right nonsense gained any footing.

 

[commedieu]

I wish we could just call conservatives bigots and racists. That way they wouldn't have to use code.

Their views are counter to fellow tax paying citizens rights. Whites are not persecuted. The mere idea to help out minorities is such a threat to their way of life, that's always been #1. Which is why white men make more money than even white women.

"Respect my freedom to make rules that work specifically against you, based on bigotry and no data." - conservatives. That's not just an opposing point of view. It's disgusting.

 

[shockthrill]

Sillicon Valley is still to this day incredibly sexist.

so it's fair to say Silicon Valley has more of a gender problem then a racial problem

 

[Widdle Puppy]

Silicon valley: republicans that believe in climate change

 

[Linkstrikesback]

Google has some conservative individuals. But as the article says, the majority of the company's employees (and the company's leadership) don't support this dude.

They aren't even giving him a platform, really: it's an internal mailing list.

Well he has a platform now, since it's leaked. If I sent/recieved a email to my internal work list of this nature, I'd expect at least a serious disciplinary hearing, but would hope the person responsible got outright fired. It's u

It's not acceptable and had better be the case here too. Every single person who ever said anything like

argued that the representation gap between men and women in software engineering persists because of biological differences between the two sexes

should be fired and specifically replaced with the gender they're complaining about if I had my way.

 

[Hubbl3]

Whoa, someone needs to escort this man to the nearest doctor. Based on the tone of this manifesto and the specific phrasing, I can assure you this man has a mental illness.

It's possible he may be a tad bit racist and sexist too, but it's hard to tell.

Spoiler

/s if you couldn't tell

 

[excelsiorlef]

Google has some conservative individuals. But as the article says, the majority of the company's employees (and the company's leadership) don't support this dude.

They aren't even giving him a platform, really: it's an internal mailing list.

He's still employed after sending a memo that said women are biologically less capable to work in tech.


This leaked probably because Google has remained silent.

Silence is tolerance. Tolerance of this nonsense is hostile towards women and minorities.

 

[Valhelm]

so it's fair to say Silicon Valley has more of a gender problem then a racial problem

por que no los dos

 

[Somnid]

Google's not paying you the big bucks for your political viewpoints. You have the pick of places to work, so if you don't like it then they can show you the door and I won't be sad.

 

[Burt]

Okay, Shitty Jerry Maguire

 

[PSqueak]

so it's fair to say Silicon Valley has more of a gender problem then a racial problem

Yes, but usually attacking diversity includes attacking hiring of women even if there is a focus on attacking race, it's linked, both happen.

 

[O Canada Our Home and Native Land]

This one guy is complaining that his conservative political views are not appreciated in Google's corporate environment. Isn't that a good thing?

 

[Spyder_Monkey]

Ideological diversity isn't a thing.

 

[curiouscharles]

Q: What does Convervatism stand for?

A:

"It's more important for me to be able to express my hatred of women and minorities than it is for women and minorities to have a place here"

 

[Linkstrikesback]

This one guy is complaining that his conservative political views are not appreciated in Google's corporate environment. Isn't that a good thing?

Them not being appreciated is a good thing, yes.

What is not good is the scumbag can apparently send mass internal emails to both insult the ability of people simply based on gender or other stereotypes and appears to have not been reprimanded for it at all yet.

 

[Angelus Errare]

"It's more important for me to be able to express my hatred of women and minorities than it is for women and minorities to have a place here"

Conservative ideology in a nutshell really. Like seriously, if there was ever any one sentence that succinctly describes it, this is it.

 

[excelsiorlef]

Conservative ideology in a nutshell really.

Yup

 

[j_k_redtail]

The document said that improving racial and gender diversity is less important than making sure conservatives feel comfortable expressing themselves at work.

Ah, there it is.

Don't be evil my ass

Even though it went viral internally, I wouldn't take that as an endorsement. I mean, I kind fo want to read it, though I disagree pretty strongly with the contents described.

 

[sphagnum]

so it's fair to say Silicon Valley has more of a gender problem then a racial problem

It has a racial problem in the sense that due to its meritocratic nature it tends to hire people who tend to have more resources to go into that kind of field, which tends to be white, Asian, and South Asian. It's not like Google is sitting there thinking of ways to not hire black people, but the structural racial problems in the US mean less black people go into that field, so they are underrepresented there.

This in turn allows a festering alt right ideology among some people there because they get to go SEE I WORKED HARD FOR MY JOB, WHY ARE THEY TRYING TO TO HIRE LAZY _(INSERT RACE HERE)_S?

 

[Stinkles]

Google used to hire only Ivy League graduates as a matter of policy even for relatively meaningless roles (as far as Ivy League credentials go) like sales and marketing.

That alone would create an absolutely toxic ideological lack of cultural diversity.

Not sure if that's still true but it certainly created a foundational monolithic credo, ignoring political leanings for the moment.

 

[Angelus Errare]

Google used to hire only Ivy League graduates as a matter of policy even for relatively meaningless roles (as far as Ivy League credentials go) like sales and marketing.

That alone would create an absolutely toxic ideological lack of cultural diversity.

Not sure if that's still true but it certainly created a foundational monolithic credo, ignoring political leanings for the moment.

Yea their hiring for software engineers has expanded quite a bit now. As long as you can problem solve you can get a position (Their whiteboard questions aren't easy by any means). But as you said the foundations for a toxic ideology have already been cemented.

 

[Shauni]

found the guy in charge of youtube recommendation algorithms

It's funny, because it's probably fucking true

 

[shockthrill]

It has a racial problem in the sense that due to its meritocratic nature it tends to hire people who tend to have more resources to go into that kind of field, which tends to be white, Asian, and South Asian. It's not like Google is sitting there thinking of ways to not hire black people, but the structural racial problems in the US mean less black people go into that field, so they are underrepresented there.

This in turn allows a festering alt right ideology among some people there because they get to go SEE I WORKED HARD FOR MY JOB, WHY ARE THEY TRYING TO TO HIRE LAZY _(INSERT RACE HERE)_S?

so why is right wing ideology famous among asians and south asians?