Deep in Mordor where the shadows lie: Dystopian tales of that time when I sold out to Google – elilla & friends’ very occasional blog thing
Deep in Mordor where the shadows lie: Dystopian tales of that time when I sold out to Google
I remember 2007, when I got a gmail account and thought it was a much better alternative to whatever I had before.
Google used to nurture an image of being the “good one” among megacorps; they championed open standards (except when they didn’t), supported open source projects (until they backstabbed them), and used language that corporate wasn’t supposed to use, like “don’t be evil” (until they, infamously and in a true dark comedy move, retracted that motto).
my main job was to fix boring bugs on the Ruby on Rails internal user accounting system that someone else had developed. When I complained that this was a far cry from the academia-like, exciting research environment I had been promised, and asked to be assigned to a more challenging project, I was told the following rationale against it: “no”. Moreover the deadlines and expectations were such that even if I worked (unpaid) overtime every day, I was still was at risk of a performance review. Making actual use of the “20% time” felt like a pipe dream.
And all that with wages well below even the local market in our crumbling Third World economy.
Like most employees I blamed myself for not working hard enough to get good compensation—or to have time to exercise my right of 20% free time… Until I saw in the “Googlegeist” statistics that some 95% of employees never use their “20% time” at all, being trapped under the same pressures as I was.
When she dared bring it up, this was the reaction - and I know this scenario all too well though I never worked at Google:
The result of this was my boss having a fit over me “backstabbing” him. See, me complaining about the unfulfilled recruiter promises marked me as an Unhappy Googler. And Google, if you remember, was the Best Place To Work.
I said, “But the issue is real and not my fault, don’t you agree? I just used the data to bring it to attention. Didn't you say we operate under 'radical transparency'?” (I was young and believed in this kind of slogan. Yes, I was a sitting duck and didn’t stand a chance.)
Boss replied, "Radical transparency doesn't mean you get to say negative things."
edit: the article is barely getting started at this point and I'm still reading with great interest. Please give this blog a click even if they say they don't care about it.
Yes, great article! Well worth the read! It reminds me very much of my time at (different)big Tech as well...🤑
Honestly, I am a peaceful guy. I will fight to protect my family, but otherwise, I trap and release bugs for Christ sakes.
But every single person director level and above needs to be slapped in the face 4 times a day with fucking trout. To remind themselves that they are simply assholes who will crumble at the slightest real world issue. ALL c suite and most directors, are fucking overpaid, underworked and ass kissed by people better than them. Every fucking one
Directors aren't a monolith though. Many, are a merely titles given to what we used to call team leads. But if they have real power ? They didn't earn it. None of them did not one.
I have worked for some of the biggest digital companies on earth in my. 55++ years ,And I am not joking.
Every single executive I met was an immoral liar.
You expressed it better than I ever could. I feel the same way!
Hey @mirrorwitch@awful.systems, your blog post really seems to be making the rounds now!
Edit: not sure why the downvote. It was originally posted by mirrorwitch, of the awful.systems instance, on the tech takes community there. Direct link: https://awful.systems/post/4558700
It also got noticed by Hacker News, which is funny to me given that the original community it was posted to is incredibly anti-HN. Also that roughly half of the comments are people who were unable to follow how it was written (funny given HN's overwhelming elitist slant). Link: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44200773
If mirrorwitch doesn't want the shoutout, just say so or send me a private message and I'll take this comment down.
At first, I thought I would settle for just the AI summary posted by a commenter on this thread. But then I felt intrigued and decided to skim through the blog. I didn't read it all for lack of time.
And now I feel compelled to enter another comment to say this blog is so beautifully written - and likely conveys ideas that many of us can relate to. I'm very impressed.
Thank you, OP!
It's short, and worth the read! Battle through the short-form video content dopamine-hit addiction.
AI summary? 😲
I don't really care about this person's life story.
Why read it then? And if you didn't read it, why did you comment?
It was very boring.
TL;DR;AS(AI Summary):
Title: Deep in Mordor where the shadows lie: Dystopian tales of that time when I sold out to Google
The blog post "Deep in Mordor where the shadows lie: Dystopian tales of that time when I sold out to Google" details the author's disillusionment with Google after working there in 2007. Initially drawn to Google’s progressive image, they experienced overwork, underpayment, and a stifled culture that belied its promises – particularly regarding “20% time.” Attempts to voice employee dissatisfaction were met with management backlash, exposing a stark divide between full-time staff and exploited temps/contractors. This experience sparked a political awakening, revealing the inherent cruelty of capitalism and the moral compromises of working for a company built on surveillance and profit. The post critiques Google’s practices and, more broadly, systemic injustice, detailing a personal journey of realizing and resisting exploitation.
Thank you for posting this AI summary.
