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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!!
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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.