Comment by _xhok | Hacker News Reader

Comment by _xhok | Hacker News Reader

Social justice fundamentally needs an economic basis to stand on. If you want to stop sexual harassment, install a financial penalty.

* The internet was supposed to democratize this stuff. People like Balaji Srinivasan say the FDA should be replaced with Yelp for drugs. Why isn't Glassdoor more effective? Why wasn't Uber's toxic work culture public knowledge, gorgeously pinned to the top of Google's search results?

* When people like Mike interrupt meetings to tell his subordinates not to be a "whiny little bitch," presumably it makes all the quiet, thoughtful people in the room teem with unease. Ideally every instance of this adds a quantum of incentive for them to leave the company. How can that be encouraged?

* Do unions offer any protections to a group of Uber engineers who decided tomorrow to just walk out together?

> * The internet was supposed to democratize this stuff. We have people like Balaji Srinivasan saying the FDA should be replaced with Yelp for drugs. Why isn't Glassdoor more effective? Why wasn't Uber's toxic work culture public knowledge, gorgeously pinned to the top of Google's search results, long before Susan or Amy started interviewing?

"The internet" as a decision making body rewards the loudest, most obnoxious, easiest to use, quickest to strong arm someone into joining its network. Not the most just, or best for its own well being.

A very good set of prompts, thanks for taking the time to think of them. - On Glassdoor: I assume it's mostly-anonymous replies are an issue. Has anyone verified what is posted there, say comparing it to official data or something? You're of course right that it's a place to start. I'm more troubled by the lack of sleuthing done before accepting an offer to uncover the blindingly obvious problems.

-How to encourage others to call out bad behavior? I don't see an easy answer there. The power differential is still there. If a VP humiliates a subordinate, another subordniate may not have the power to change behavior. Ideally a complaint goes up to the VP level and a discussion is had there (or higher).

- On unions: I've heard this passed around for years, most famously when Steve Jobs's posthumous testimony was in that hiring/collusion lawsuit. I think it's mostly an academic issue at this point similar to other pre-union industries: it's a challenge getting highly-paid employees to favor organizing (and possibly a lower wage) for the benefits.

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