Comment by simias | Hacker News Reader

Comment by simias | Hacker News Reader

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In general I agree with you, clearly not everybody has the luxury of being able to quit their jobs if it doesn't align with their values, especially when the problem is so relatively benign in the grand scheme of things. I'm not trying to downplay Google's decision here, I invite everybody to stop using Chrome, but it's not like they're enslaving people or something. I can imagine that most people wouldn't risk hurting their families or losing their houses for something like that.

That being said, is it really a concern for the average Google engineer? I mean sure, if we're talking about Google's cleaning staff I can imagine that leaving their jobs can be risky but software devs? Even assuming that they have multiple children and a huge mortgage, surely they can easily find other well paying job without much difficulty?

You won't have me believe that the majority of Google's engineers is financially unable to quit their job.

>Some have social anxiety and find job hunting an impossibly scary prospect.

I'm sure that can be a factor but does it really justify anything? As far as looking for a job is concerned we have it super easy. If you can't stand for your values because of "social anxiety" then maybe you don't value your values that much?

And I realize that I sound like I'm on a high horse right now and I am, but I'm talking out of experience. I've been in that situation in the past, doing a job that I found morally questionable but finding myself excuses. Don't make my mistake, it's not worth it. There's more to life than working full time tricking people into watching ads.

> If you can't stand for your values because of "social anxiety" then maybe you don't value your values that much?

I’m not going to downvote you, but if you don’t suffer from social anxiety, you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. As someone who is affected by it, I can tell you it’s soul crushing when it prevents you from making a move out of a bad situation. It’s completely paralyzing.

I mean yeah, if you have a medical condition obviously it's different but that's not really what I was getting at. I'm sure a few Googlers have genuine reasons for being stuck in their jobs and maybe that's one of them but I'm sure it's not the case for most of them.

My overall point is basically: if Google engineers can't justify quitting their jobs on moral grounds, then who can? We're utterly privileged compared to 99% of job sectors. If we are willing to give them a pass then we really can't complain about, say, people working for PRISM or military personnel in the drone programs, because I'm sure many of these people are in a much more precarious situation than your average Google engineer.

The thing I would add is that Google's whole thing about "bringing your whole self to work" and providing food and amenities to keep you at the office as long as possible leads to some unfortunate effects: Many Googlers social circles are heavily filled with other Googlers, and a Googler may rely on Google for a lot more than just the paycheck.

If someone's spending say 14+ hours a day on a Google campus, leaving can be a lot harder than just "finding a new job".

Even some of those publicly protesting Google's behavior or pushing for a union will turn around and help promote their friends' products or encourage people publicly to apply to join Google.

So I'd point out they've successfully made it as hard as possible, socially, to quit.

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