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Google's Insular Nature

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the hard-nut-to-crack dept.

stockpicker_dude_78 writes "Robert Cringley has written a thought-provoking article on Google's insular nature, and compares them to the similar environment at Microsoft." From the article: "Google is secretive. This started as a deliberate marketing mystique, but endures today more as a really annoying company habit. Google folks don't understand why the rest of us have a problem with this, but then Google folks aren't like you and me. The result of this secrecy and Google's 'almighty algorithm' mentality is that the company makes changes -- and mistakes -- without informing its customers or even doing all that much to correct the problems."

3 of 188 comments (clear)

  1. Another problem with Google - hiring by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    Their hiring practices are getting in their way. It's real difficult to get in as a contractor. Which means that they end up shutting out on a key segment of talent.

    I took a look into getting a gig over at Google recently. What a pain in the rear. It looks like I'd have to go in through an agency, which adds about 10-20% to the rate. That's IF you can find a contracting position. All the openings I saw were labeled as "temps". Screw that.

    Yes, I know that some of the big companies prefer to treat contractors through agencies as temps, and not real contractors. But not all; it's quite possible at some to come in as a real contractor (although there's some paperwork). Dunno about Google; it's certainly not apparent from their website. So screw it; I ain't a Kelly Girl. I was quite happy with a different direct gig elsewhere.

    So, this is just a "heads up" to Google. If you want to really attract good talent, you might consider making it more appealing to get that talent to apply. Especially when it's hard to find good talent in the Valley.

  2. Tagging with wrong spelling by PontifexPrimus · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    So, now that this story has a tag with "cringley", a misspelling of the author's name, do have to wait for someone to notice that and change it in both the tags and the text, or do we just search for the wrong tags in the future?

    --
    -- Language is a virus from outer space.
  3. Google toolbar/input colors by bw-sf · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    It seems like a trivial thing, but it makes a difference and it highlights Google's attitude. Google has a toolbar thingie that you can install in various browsers. It decides that certain fields -- "Name", "E-mail address", etc. -- should be a pale yellow colour. When I've gone to some trouble to coordinate my work with what the design team wants and what various browsers are capable of, I really, really object to having Google randomly decide to break everything and screw everything up and make me use a confusing and inappropriate { !important } CSS declaration to make the page render as it should. I complained. It is, apparently, a feature.