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A number of soylentils have written in to let us know that Google is opening up the possibility of being evil by eliminating it from their code of conduct. You've been warned.
"Don't be Evil" Starting to Disappear From Google's Code of Conduct
Google Removes 'Don't Be Evil' Clause From Its Code of Conduct
Google's unofficial motto has long been the simple phrase "don't be evil." But that's over, according to the code of conduct that Google distributes to its employees. The phrase was removed sometime in late April or early May, archives hosted by the Wayback Machine show.
[...] The updated version of Google's code of conduct still retains one reference to the company's unofficial motto—the final line of the document is still: "And remember... don't be evil, and if you see something that you think isn't right – speak up!"
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Google to eliminate the "don't be evil"
According to Gizmodo, Google will remove it's "Don't Be Evil" from its code of conduct.
Google's unofficial motto has long been the simple phrase "don't be evil." But that's over, according to the code of conduct that Google distributes to its employees. The phrase was removed sometime in late April or early May, archives hosted by the Wayback Machine show.
"Don't be evil" has been part of the company's corporate code of conduct since 2000. When Google was reorganized under a new parent company, Alphabet, in 2015, Alphabet assumed a slightly adjusted version of the motto, "do the right thing." However, Google retained its original "don't be evil" language until the past several weeks. The phrase has been deeply incorporated into Google's company culture—so much so that a version of the phrase has served as the wifi password on the shuttles that Google uses to ferry its employees to its Mountain View headquarters, sources told Gizmodo.
Based on TFA, I think I would venture a guess that the new WiFi password is "be evil" ?
Previously I wasn't confused. Google wasn't evil, because they said they weren't evil. And they wouldn't lie because they are not evil. I know they are not evil, because they say so, and they wouldn't lie about it.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @12:58AM (9 children)
The inclusion of the 'don't be evil' motto was an empty platitude to begin with.
>> "And remember... don't be evil, and if you see something that you think isn't right – speak up!"
Let us know how that goes when an employee brings up the topic of the company's data collection and massive invasion of privacy as something he or she does not think is right.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @01:09AM
Don't be evil = Don't be microsoft. At that they excelled.
But apparently 'evil' is subjective and only something someone else does.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @02:24AM (4 children)
That Damore guy is the poster boy for how that will go.
(Score: -1, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @04:34AM
posterboi for being evil, indeed
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @05:49AM (2 children)
Oh no! Somebody mentioned Damore without making an unsubstantiated claim that he is bigoted sexist. Quick, someone call the parent poster an alt-right nazi! This challenge to the narrative must not stand.
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Wednesday May 23 2018, @10:30PM (1 child)
Trust me, we can tell it's you, Aristarchus.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 24 2018, @08:00AM
That sounds exactly like something aristarchus would say to redirect suspicion away from oneself. Nice try aristarchus!!
-------
tl;dr NO U
(Score: 4, Insightful) by PartTimeZombie on Monday May 21 2018, @02:31AM
It's no different to the way the huge multi-national I work for keeps exhorting us to "be more customer focused" and how they also tell us how important we are to the whole business.
Of course every year we are expected to make more cost savings which means fewer staff (so worse service to our customers) and of course those people who lose their jobs can't have been very important after all.
It turns out the only people who really matter are the shareholders.
I see no reason why Google wouldn't lie either.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @03:38AM
It's not that empty if they have to remove it :).
It seems like a few of their employees believed that empty platitude... So they spoke up. And not long after this empty platitude was removed.
There's a difference between spying on people and helping the US military kill people.
Anyway maybe this is also part of their journey back into China:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_China#Attempts_to_come_back_to_mainland_China [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @04:35PM
ok, don't be illegal is what you are talking about.
dont worry about ethics and morals are something else.
evil is supposed to be really black and white. the info you just complained about can track alzeimer patients and lost puppies. the fact that the military uses it to snipe specific people in a crowd is secondary and doesnt affect the puppies, unless the assinationed person was holding the puppy. then that person is a terrorist using a harmless puppy as a shield.
(Score: 2) by idiot_king on Monday May 21 2018, @01:05AM (5 children)
I don't remember it ever actually being a part of their conduct, but maybe that's because I can remember things.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @01:11AM (3 children)
Interesting I remember it very clearly. It was even part of their marketing to pick up talent in the industry. But *IF* you want to see for yourself there is always archive.org. Which shows it clearly. I would say your memory is at fault here. Sorry dude. Goto the Mandela effect board and report it :)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @01:17AM (1 child)
OP said "conduct", not "code of conduct". Reading comprehension is a good life skill.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @03:28AM
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/pedantic [dictionary.com]
Try that 'reedin' on for size.
(Score: 4, Touché) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday May 21 2018, @01:22AM
"Don't be evil" while running around all over The Googleplex.
That suggests to me that google has _always_ been evil, and that this optimistic chap was trying to do something about it.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday May 21 2018, @01:43PM
I can remember things too. The best things. Back when things were simple. You could trust Google. Because Google wasn't evil. You could be assured Google wasn't evil because Google said they weren't evil. Google wouldn't lie about not being evil because they are not evil, and lying would make them not be "not evil".
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by aristarchus on Monday May 21 2018, @01:08AM (24 children)
Was it not something along the lines of "Don't be the TMB", and "If you see roadkill, that is no excuse to molest it." Something like that. I know TMB loves hisself some CoC, lol!
(Score: 4, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday May 21 2018, @01:32AM (21 children)
Redundant "the".
And, yeah, they're very little like me up at Google. They lurve them some censorship, collectivism, bigotry, and treating those who contribute to their sites as slaves rather than a community of which they are only a small part.
If you want to know the truth of an ideology, look to the actions of the people who claim it. I have zero fear of a libertarian ever losing out to a progressive in a contest of goodness given how the champions of each conduct themselves.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by Ethanol-fueled on Monday May 21 2018, @02:26AM (5 children)
They're the same fucking hipsters you see everywhere.
For example, During a bout of Simpsons Trivia we saw at a local bar recently, there were girls who wore glasses that had no corrective index: in other words, fake hipsters. Rich kids with fake glasses who are jacking up our property costs.
Fuck Them
(Score: 5, Funny) by TheGratefulNet on Monday May 21 2018, @03:06AM
who wore glasses that had no corrective index
fake views!
lol
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @03:16AM (1 child)
And pray tell how do you know they were fake? They let yiu get within 20'???
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @11:37AM
20' = 20 feet
20" = 20 inch
both are reasonable distances for a sideways glance and tell if the lens is skewed.
(Score: 4, Funny) by c0lo on Monday May 21 2018, @03:30AM
Let me guess... there were two of them and you were past half into the bottle of tequila, right?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Funny) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday May 21 2018, @04:52AM
Her sister told me Thant she did that so she would appear intelligent
It must have worked: she married some stick up his ass old money
They're divorced now
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @04:40AM (14 children)
considering most of the libertarians here are *literal actual* neo-nazis (ironically) , i doubt that bet would go well for you
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by khallow on Monday May 21 2018, @05:16AM (7 children)
If you're so ideologically confused that you mistaken libertarians for neo-nazis, then you need to get a better class of ideology.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @05:37AM (2 children)
Your disagreement has just triggered the snowflake, and it must now retreat to a safe space echo chamber that has been purged of all wrong-think.
Your words of dissent have now outed you as an Alt-Right-Nazi-Misogynist-Racist-Fascist-Islamophobe®. Please report in to Social Justice Re-Education camp at 9:00 am for your mandatory
lobotomytraining.(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @01:40PM (1 child)
>Alt-Right-Nazi-Misogynist-Racist-Fascist-Islamophobe
all but two of these are actually called for.
Can you even guess which ones ? (or did you copy-paste your retort like a good little boy)
Also: i find it hilarious that someone who, judging the proverbial hill you choose to die on, is a National Socialist (at at the very least one of their scumbag sympathizers too cowardly to step forward and claim the identity themselves) chooses to paraphrases a Socialist's book on what will go _wrong_ if fascists OR socialists get in power.
You just don't *get* how much of an imbecile you guys make yourself look every time you pull that stunt. (and it is _stale_ as well, copy some NEW talking points off of 4chan, will you? )
Fucking love it you incel cucks.
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by khallow on Tuesday May 22 2018, @01:07AM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @08:17AM (3 children)
Reading comprehension, your Achilles heel!
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday May 21 2018, @02:33PM (2 children)
(Score: 3, Insightful) by aristarchus on Tuesday May 22 2018, @12:15AM (1 child)
I believe khallow has been insulted! He is in no way a Nazi, except for the fact that certain races seem to not be able to budget or entreprenerate, or become rich. And he is not someone who argues in good faith, instead he is an argument dispenser, kind of like those machines you see in some men's rooms that dispense prophylactics. And his arguments, like the products from the other machine, usually entail someone getting screwed.
I try to disperse khallow's dispensing as soon as it emerges, and they I hit the "money return" button as quick as possible, so that some times I get my 2-bits back.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday May 22 2018, @12:59AM
I fear you are correct. What has the internet become that random people on the internet now insult other random people on the internet?
Ok.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday May 21 2018, @10:31AM (5 children)
Yeah, um, Nazis were and are recognized as having an overabundance of desire to control their fellow man. Ditto modern progressives and to a lesser extent conservatives. That's kind of the opposite of what libertarians are known for. Thanks for playing You Don't Have a Clue though.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @01:31PM (4 children)
You failed to notice the words "ironically", i see. (ironically?)
>That's kind of the opposite of what libertarians are known for.
Actually, *no*. I was referring to the people HERE and their ACTUAL behavior and pointed out the (ironic) hypocricy. Not some theoretical Spooner-light entity that doesn't exist in real life.
I suspect you 're not actually stupid enough to miss that, and as a moderator know full well the bile some people post here.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday May 21 2018, @01:50PM (2 children)
Sorry, I don't speak hipster.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @02:13PM (1 child)
Ok, so you ignored it on purpose. got it.
So you know full well the overlap between (people who claim to be) libertarians and nazis *on this site*
Perhaps (you wrongfully?) consider yourself one. ... of either .... or both ?
And apparently to be hipster is to make argument-based logical assertions. That, i admit, is news to me.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday May 21 2018, @02:32PM
Point one out to me so I know what you're talking about. Either I've utterly missed them or we have a very different definition of what a Nazi is. See, I see Nazis as authoritarian, collectivist fuckwads (which they were). This fits most progressives and a fair chunk of conservatives perfectly. It is the exact opposite of what libertarian means though. Libertarians are by definition anti-authoritarian individualists. By all means, if you see one engaged in actual demographic-based bigotry, feel free to call them out as holding a collectivist (bigotry is by definition collectivist) belief in direct contradiction with their stated ideals.
No, being a hipster means you abuse the fuck out of the word "irony" to the point that it doesn't remotely fit its meaning in English, among many other things.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday May 21 2018, @02:39PM
And you failed to provide a reason why we should care about the alleged "failure". I think here the only failure is a failure to communicate.
Which is relevant if that hypocrisy exists and irrelevant if it doesn't. If words in themselves were reality, things would look a lot different today.
That's an awful lot of bullshit to dump just because you added the word "ironically" to a previous post. Don't quit your day job.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @05:24AM (1 child)
No thanks, that giveaway is on the same level of undesirability as "free AIDs" or "free pancreatic cancer".
You could not even pay me to take it. I have standards and must decline your offer.
(Score: 3, Funny) by aristarchus on Tuesday May 22 2018, @12:21AM
THAT'S IT! No aristarchus for you! Step out of the line!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday May 21 2018, @01:26AM (8 children)
I've been to a few onsite interviews in Mountain View. The main reason I wanted to work there was their lunch rooms: they have many of them, each specializing in a different kind of food. My favorite was their Spanish Tapas.
All the work-area fridges kept stock with sushi were appealing too.
But I eventually concluded that Google really _is_ evil. I still get solicited to apply by their HR people but I simply do not reply.
I won't apply to Amazon either. Never have, never will.
Presently I'm avoiding burning bridges by simply not replying to any of their solicitations. But I'm increasingly tempted to reply with a manifesto. I'll write such a manifesto sometime soon then put it on my website so I can get some feedback...
... and so I can convince my fellow coders not to apply to amazon or google themselves.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @01:42AM (4 children)
The best way to damage something is from the inside.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @08:02AM (2 children)
That's naive reasoning. What happens is they'll stick to you some sabotage accusation in whatever legal form is required if they can, or fire you if for some reason previous option wasn't an option. They might be evil, but not necessary dumb.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Monday May 21 2018, @02:49PM (1 child)
The last one in particular is very risk-free. Including more people in decision-making processes is easy to justify, particularly when the consequences of the resulting indecision accrue to some hapless coworker.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by infodragon on Monday May 21 2018, @05:37PM
As I read the 3 points you quote above I had a feeling of dread as memories of GM rose to the surface! I worked there all of 6 months, 1998. It was the Auburn Hills MI facility in which we were starting the design of software to model the manufacturing process in the attempt to automate as much as possible.
The more someone shined the more complaints they had against them.
Everybody attempted to work slowly, *EVERYBODY* Consultants even more than most!
It took 20+ people to make a decision and only one to kill that same decision. 20 was the smallest group I saw, others were much bigger and only groups could make a decision that affected more than one person.
I watched them send a PhD on a training trip and while he was gone reorged his group and terminated him when he got back. Doesn't matter if it was justified or not the impact on moral was extremely negative due to the means in which someone was treated!
Don't settle for shampoo, demand real poo!
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @03:45PM
Yeah, the social justice types are already working on dismantling Google.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @03:22AM (2 children)
Here is what you send them
"Thank you for reaching out to me please remove me from any further solicitations, Thank you"
There done.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday May 21 2018, @04:47AM (1 child)
They never find me through their own records. Always it's through my website
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @06:26AM
Maybe feature a prominent "I dont want to work for you if... section?
(Score: 1) by mrkaos on Monday May 21 2018, @02:02AM
You can't discriminate against evil people after all. It's just not fair!!**
**This post contains sarcasm, please note that sarcasm is to primary purpose of this post.
My ism, it's full of beliefs.
(Score: 3, Troll) by realDonaldTrump on Monday May 21 2018, @02:18AM (8 children)
Believe me, everybody has a story she tells herself. And tells us. A very special story. And in that story she's not crooked. She’s really a great woman, a terrific woman. She’s somebody that’s very special. She’s popular, she’s brilliant, she’s a wonderful woman, fantastic. And she keeps telling herself that. Google, they stopped telling us that story. Good for them. But maybe they still tell it to themselves!!!
(Score: 3, Funny) by Ethanol-fueled on Monday May 21 2018, @02:32AM
I see you have been dating online. I guess even rich people like you have to do that. Well, tell us all how it goes! HAhahahahahhehehehhoooooooooo!
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @03:01AM (6 children)
You're such an incel, Mr. Trump.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @03:13AM (2 children)
Been a big month for "incels". Attacks in Toronto, Santa Fe, and probably many more to come. Clearly the spirit of Elliot Rodger is at work, empowering his involuntarily chosen people. One can only hope that Rodger's emissaries will stop the SJWs from executing their evil plan for taking over Silicon Valley by gassing the quiet and nerdy techies, allowing them to take control of the whole internet thru Google, Cloudflare, and AWS.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @03:19AM (1 child)
Incel parent comment already knows we're planning to gas them. Incels are a menace. I think we need to move the timetable forward. Just shoot any men who are incels on sight.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @06:29AM
It's hard to shoot them /on sight/, they don't go outside.
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Monday May 21 2018, @04:45AM (2 children)
Don't believe the Fake News @NBCNews [twitter.com], @BBCNews [twitter.com], @ABC [twitter.com], @CBS [twitter.com], @CNN [twitter.com], @Univision [twitter.com] & failing @nytimes [twitter.com]. .@FLOTUS [twitter.com] has her own bed in her own room. But it's in the SAME BUILDING. She's back from the hospital and we're having an incredible time right now. Believe me. Remember those Ricola ads? I'm the horn and Melanie is the blower!!
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Monday May 21 2018, @08:22AM (1 child)
After reading that last line, many of us will require some eyebleach to assist in removing that image from our minds.
You're welcome.
Kittens http://www.eyebleach.me/kittens/ [eyebleach.me]
Dogs http://www.eyebleach.me/dogs/ [eyebleach.me]
Chicks http://www.eyebleach.me/babes/ [eyebleach.me]
Hmmm, just noticed the new scandal, who the fuck is Melanie? Now we know what you were doing while Melania was in the hospital!
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @05:07PM
how's your cpu use after visiting that site? it seems that coin-hive needs bleach of its own.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Mykl on Monday May 21 2018, @02:21AM
They could have saved themselves 2/3 of the effort (plus the inevitable future change they'll make) by just removing the word "Don't".
(Score: 5, Insightful) by crafoo on Monday May 21 2018, @04:42AM (2 children)
Code of Conduct documents are pure PR. What companies say about how they conduct business and how they actually conduct business are not the same.
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Monday May 21 2018, @12:27PM (1 child)
Sometimes the Submitters & Editors put Previous Stories. The links for Previous Stories. And sometimes they don't. Not everybody knows how. They didn't put the links this time. But, many stories about James Damore. Look at the stories, if you can find them. And if you like to read about something TERRIBLE. Fired from Google because of the code of conduct. They said it was because of the code of conduct. But maybe it wasn't. I don't know. Nobody really knows. Maybe they're changing the code of conduct so James can work there again. Or maybe the code of conduct wasn't the problem. Maybe they didn't like what James had to say. Like a certain person doesn't like what I have to say. And called me an "ass hat." Which isn't even a thing. Believe me, I know more about hats than anyone. Because I sell more hats than anyone. Have you ordered yours? MAGA!!!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 21 2018, @04:39PM
I can’t tell if you’re pro- or anti- drumpf, but you make a lot of sense. I’d vote for you in a heartbeat.
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Monday May 21 2018, @02:22PM
The motto missed at the very beginning on several different fronts.
"Don't Be Evil" may be functionally equivalent to uphold the ethical value of nonmaleficence (do not do harm). However, there is no corresponding compulsion to Do Good (beneficence.) Google may therefore walk a line which isn't actively harming anyone, but is not making good appear in proportion to its size (or profits) either.
But it also may not be functionally equivalent. The difference between "don't be evil" and nonmaleficence: Harm can be pointed to, or what is potentially harmful may be described. You can say, "hey, that act caused harm!" It may be debated, or a greater purpose may come from the harm. But what "evil" is... It may be described as the opposite of good. But one has to select what actions or qualities are either good or evil to truly understand what they are. Google has not literally killed anybody (as in, held an execution on their campus grounds).... so are they good, then? What if I choose that any entity possessing resources greater than necessary for the survival of the organism is evil? Harm is a much more definable subject than evil.
And it is interesting if they forget to not be evil, well now I suppose that's forgivable then? But the notion to speak up if something isn't right actually works in Google's favor, for the employee who speaks up about something "not right" that the company doesn't agree is wrong can be marked much more easily than someone harboring virtues secretly and acting in accordance with them. And if the employee who speaks up about something not right is agreed with the company's values are advanced. It's win-win for the company, unless the right to speak up even when wrong is protected to some degree (i.e. where's a safe harbor for a whistleblower?) - just curious.
This sig for rent.
(Score: 1) by Kalas on Monday May 21 2018, @03:34PM (1 child)
Is there anyone who didn't see this coming years ago?
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Monday May 21 2018, @06:16PM
Years ago? You mean, two decades ago.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 3, Funny) by darkfeline on Monday May 21 2018, @07:26PM (1 child)
I can't help but feel that the quality of journalism is falling so fast that not only has it reached rock bottom, but it's accelerating past that and affecting even SN.
1. Gizmodo is hardly a high quality news source.
2. They didn't even remove the phrase from their code of conduct. They just moved "don't be evil" from the top of the page to the bottom of the page: "don't be evil" to "don't be evil".
3. This is even mentioned in the article.
4. This is even mentioned in the summary.
5. Even if Google removed "don't be evil" from its code of conduct, what exactly is that supposed to imply? Let's pretend to be more intelligent than a five year old for a moment. Assuming that Google is evil and that they have "don't be evil" as their motto, why would they stop using it as their motto? They're evil, right? Why would they stop lying? That would almost seem to imply that Google is being LESS evil, because building a profile of every single person is a little evil, but lying about their motto is SUPER evil. "Good heavens, we can't have that, can we? We're only a little bit evil!"
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Monday May 21 2018, @07:29PM
For what bloody reason are angle brackets stripped instead of being escaped? The second item should be:
2. They didn't even remove the phrase from their code of conduct. They just moved "don't be evil" from the top of the page to the bottom of the page: "don't be evil blah blah blah" to "blah blah blah don't be evil".
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!