Google is not run or influenced by tech workers or engineers.
Its run by financial engineers, as are all multi-national corporations these days, as survival and scale doesn't depend purely on tech or its quality, but on leverage of cross border differences in interest rates/tax rates/forex rates/regulations/subsidies/energy costs/labor costs/property costs/rent and now tariffs. Plus market capture games through sheer money power.
What influence do tech workers have on any of these things? Zero.
So if you want influence on how modern large corps behave, you need the majority of the finance dept on your side or own the majority of the companies shares.
All other strategies and tactics are superficial and unsustainable, as the last 2-3 decades have already demonstrated.
tromp•9mo ago
If 10% of Google tech workers go on strike to demand changes, Can Google afford to fire them all?
Ekaros•9mo ago
At this point probably. I believe there is 10% extra capacity everywhere. And that 10% would not prevent recruiting replacements.
ben_w•9mo ago
Depends what they do exactly.
If they're all people who invent new products that Google kills after a few months or years, nobody will care.
If they're all SRE's, that may cause problems.
os2warpman•9mo ago
>Can Google afford to fire them all?
Google can't afford to not fire them all.
Anything that hinders or even questions the moneymaking machine is evil.
If Google was a single, conscious, self-aware living entity it would consider dissent among the humans who make up its cells to be a cancer.
For every employee that is fired, or quits, there are ten people carving "FAANG FAANG FAANG" into their chest with a knife as some form of ritual summoning, hoping their wounds heal before the interview so they don't get blood on the white seats of the white Model S they're going to buy after getting hired.
conartist6•9mo ago
If the people who mattered left and announced their loss of faith, Google would die like any other company.
amitport•9mo ago
Independent thinking is a trait of those who truly matter. Google would greatly benefit if those who believe there is a genocide in Gaza were to leave
amazingamazing•9mo ago
They’re sickened, but not before they make their money.
owebmaster•9mo ago
They are sickened of being laid off. The loss of identity and negativity only comes after they are not part of it anymore.
amitport•9mo ago
You are free to discuss things and even protest, without disrupting others' work or violating company's policies, but if your behavior is harmful for the company, you should be fired. It is really not complicated. Never pay salary to people who are not aligned with your company. Just common-sense business and cyber security.
lwo32k•9mo ago
Its run by financial engineers, as are all multi-national corporations these days, as survival and scale doesn't depend purely on tech or its quality, but on leverage of cross border differences in interest rates/tax rates/forex rates/regulations/subsidies/energy costs/labor costs/property costs/rent and now tariffs. Plus market capture games through sheer money power.
What influence do tech workers have on any of these things? Zero.
So if you want influence on how modern large corps behave, you need the majority of the finance dept on your side or own the majority of the companies shares.
All other strategies and tactics are superficial and unsustainable, as the last 2-3 decades have already demonstrated.
tromp•9mo ago
Ekaros•9mo ago
ben_w•9mo ago
If they're all people who invent new products that Google kills after a few months or years, nobody will care.
If they're all SRE's, that may cause problems.
os2warpman•9mo ago
Google can't afford to not fire them all.
Anything that hinders or even questions the moneymaking machine is evil.
If Google was a single, conscious, self-aware living entity it would consider dissent among the humans who make up its cells to be a cancer.
For every employee that is fired, or quits, there are ten people carving "FAANG FAANG FAANG" into their chest with a knife as some form of ritual summoning, hoping their wounds heal before the interview so they don't get blood on the white seats of the white Model S they're going to buy after getting hired.
conartist6•9mo ago
amitport•9mo ago