Good for the Goose, But Not for the Google

“We believe that information is good,” [Google] executives told employees in the memo. But, they added, government regulators or competitors might seize on words that Google workers casually, thoughtlessly wrote to one another.

To minimize the odds that a lawsuit could flush out comments that might be incriminating, Google said, employees should refrain from speculation and sarcasm and “think twice” before writing one another about “hot topics.” “Don’t comment before you have all the facts,” they were instructed.

The technology was tweaked, too. The setting for the company’s instant messaging tool was changed to “off the record.” An incautious phrase would be wiped the next day.

How Google Spent 15 Years Creating a Culture of Concealment, The New York Times

Share the Post:

Latest Posts

Dear Neighbor: An Open Response to Raj Bhakta

In response to a ‘Dear Neighbor’ letter from a local millionaire, I’m setting the record straight. As we approach our annual town meeting, he is using misinformation to pressure the town into action. My open letter challenges his claims and highlights the truth.

Read More

Executive Orders: A Skeptic’s View of the President’s Actions

[Post updated on Mar 28, 2025] In January, I tried to track Trump’s executive actions, but a handy website beat me to it. But with a new authoritarian at the helm, banal summaries don’t cut it. So now I’ve set up a ChatGPT task to do the heavy lifting: provide a brief analysis of each week’s presidential orders from a radical left perspective. No blind trust, no propaganda—just a bullshit detector for the modern age.

Read More