Google employee fired for comment/controversy about women and tech, what role did autism play

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have any of your read the actual document that he wrote. It was a fairly well reasoned, nuanced discussion of Google, their diversity policies, the latest in behavioral science research, psychology and such. It wasn't a woman hating, racist, alt-right type screed.

Now, was it wise to bring up these topics while working for google in ultra-liberal, uber-PC California? Of course not.

+1.

It's amazing how so many folks are addicted to faux outrage

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He is right in speaking out.

Quit lynching people who are brave to speak the truth.

He is a rare human who has any brain cells left.

Not only was he not right, he was incorrect. Sure, he can speak out - but he put his current and future employment at risk by doing so. He's still unemployed. You're entitled to your opinion but you're also entitled to the blowback that comes with your unpopular views.

Unpopular =/= deserved to be lynched or wrong

You going by popularity to live lives is the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have any of your read the actual document that he wrote. It was a fairly well reasoned, nuanced discussion of Google, their diversity policies, the latest in behavioral science research, psychology and such. It wasn't a woman hating, racist, alt-right type screed.

Now, was it wise to bring up these topics while working for google in ultra-liberal, uber-PC California? Of course not.

+1.

It's amazing how so many folks are addicted to faux outrage

+1. Thank you both for being honest and fair to fellow humans. This mad world still has hope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have any of your read the actual document that he wrote. It was a fairly well reasoned, nuanced discussion of Google, their diversity policies, the latest in behavioral science research, psychology and such. It wasn't a woman hating, racist, alt-right type screed.

Now, was it wise to bring up these topics while working for google in ultra-liberal, uber-PC California? Of course not.

+1.

It's amazing how so many folks are addicted to faux outrage

+1. Thank you both for being honest and fair to fellow humans. This mad world still has hope.

I read it closely. I have experience reading scientific literature closely, and I thought it was poorly-written and badly supported. His level of scientific understanding is embarrassing for somebody is apparently so bright. It was pseudo-scientific nonsense that showed a wild exaggeration of the science involved. Essentially, misogynist trash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He is right in speaking out.

Quit lynching people who are brave to speak the truth.

He is a rare human who has any brain cells left.

Not only was he not right, he was incorrect. Sure, he can speak out - but he put his current and future employment at risk by doing so. He's still unemployed. You're entitled to your opinion but you're also entitled to the blowback that comes with your unpopular views.

Unpopular =/= deserved to be lynched or wrong

You going by popularity to live lives is the problem.

He didn't get '"lynched." He got fired.

Getting along in the workplace is important. If he had concerns as a manager, there might have been an appropriate to bring them up. But he actually rashly, rudely, and stupidly.

[Anonymous]

He took requests for honest feedback too literally they should have counselors working with employees like that in big corporations, as these employees also bring a lot of talent to the company.
Now I think his only option is to get hired by a foreign company I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He took requests for honest feedback too literally they should have counselors working with employees like that in big corporations, as these employees also bring a lot of talent to the company.
Now I think his only option is to get hired by a foreign company I think.

You are probably right. Our loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He took requests for honest feedback too literally they should have counselors working with employees like that in big corporations, as these employees also bring a lot of talent to the company.
Now I think his only option is to get hired by a foreign company I think.

My ASD kid does the same thing. Very hard to explain why people make up rules they don't intend to be followed. Also hard to explain that if you do want to give honest feedback, there are more socially acceptable ways than sending a poorly considered critique to thousands of people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...back to the original question...

This is a conversation long overdue, and I'm grateful it's happening.

I guess Demore is autism's "canary in the coal mine".

Most big companies give diversity training to everyone. Autistic people might need additional training or a different type of training.

No they don't. The IT companies are focused on their products, not diversity training.

[Anonymous]

Any good books or articles out there about dealing with employees on the spectrum or spectrum-like (in case they do not have a diagnosis)?

I have a colleague who is high IQ/low EQ who has been promoted beyond her EQ and she is now a falling star. She is part of a team I am on so it is very definitely in our interest to do what we can to help her be more successful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...back to the original question...

This is a conversation long overdue, and I'm grateful it's happening.

I guess Demore is autism's "canary in the coal mine".

Most big companies give diversity training to everyone. Autistic people might need additional training or a different type of training.

No they don't. The IT companies are focused on their products, not diversity training.

Google does it
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2017/08/15/google-diversity-training-slides-prohibit-debate-promote-secrecy.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any good books or articles out there about dealing with employees on the spectrum or spectrum-like (in case they do not have a diagnosis)?

I have a colleague who is high IQ/low EQ who has been promoted beyond her EQ and she is now a falling star. She is part of a team I am on so it is very definitely in our interest to do what we can to help her be more successful.

Yes, send her to as many seminars as possible to focus on EQ skills. They can be taught. It will not turn her into a social star, but it can be make the difference between falliing star and surviving star.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel very sorry for the guy. He seemed to understand things literally and when there was no response to his memo (really, no one could tell him in private the memo wouldn’t fly?!), he started to be nervously aggravated like some people on the spectrum tend to be when things don’t go as planned.
He then was taken advantage of by various people... he is naive.
He should have a press secretary. Hopefully he will understand he needs to run his views and opinions by someone before making them public.’

The article says he has a girlfriend who is apparently willing to provide him with the perspective that he cannot figure out on his own, and he refuses her help. This is the "he isn't learning" part--he should have learned after the Harvard incident to get an outside perspective. I don't know if that is related to HFA or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel very sorry for the guy. He seemed to understand things literally and when there was no response to his memo (really, no one could tell him in private the memo wouldn’t fly?!), he started to be nervously aggravated like some people on the spectrum tend to be when things don’t go as planned.
He then was taken advantage of by various people... he is naive.
He should have a press secretary. Hopefully he will understand he needs to run his views and opinions by someone before making them public.’

The article says he has a girlfriend who is apparently willing to provide him with the perspective that he cannot figure out on his own, and he refuses her help. This is the "he isn't learning" part--he should have learned after the Harvard incident to get an outside perspective. I don't know if that is related to HFA or not.

It really doesn't matter. Not everyone is made for management. He's probably great at what he does, but put him in a management position and its a disaster as he was younger and never trained properly. Most IT is like that. You either have people who manage who have no idea the technology or people who know the technology and are amazing at it but lousy with managing. Many of those companies have managers both working and supervising which is complete overload as they cannot be committed to either one (and even worse for those who travel a lot). He's an adult. He's quirky. Many IT folks are quirky. Most don't go around saying that stuff. And, no, most aren't running to diversity trainings. They may offer them but they need to keep up with the technology.

[Anonymous]

The fact that most people would violently reject any viable ideas that are different from their tripe tells us the world is full of idiots who fancy themselves "highly educated."