Slashdot Mirror
As Christmas Bonus, Google Hands Out "Dogfood"
theodp writes "You know times are tough when the best place to work in America replaces holiday bonuses with a request for unpaid labor. Blaming the economic crisis, Google management has canceled the traditional cash holiday bonus — reportedly as much as $20K-$30K per Googler — and substituted an unlocked Google Android cell phone, retail price $400. An accompanying email calls for employees to celebrate the 'chance for us to once again dogfood a product and make it even better!'" Update: 12/23 01:09 GMT by KD : A reader pointed out that comments to the article note a couple of inaccuracies: the Android phone being offered is an unlocked dev model, which goes for $400; and the reporter may have confused holiday bonuses with performance bonuses. The former have traditionally been in the range of $1,000, according to two comments.
Laws of economics apply to Google, despite last 7 years of them denying tech bubble had already burst.
Wonder how many of these will end up on eBay.
...is the UK. Here, a $180-dollar value bonus is worth considerably more than it was last year!
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something" - Plato
Just to be pedantic, the retail price of an unlocked G1 is $400 not $150.
Is this suppose to be a "don't be evil" article or something? Thousands of people have become unemployed and you people are bitching about a Christmas bonus, pathetic.
Google has been cutting back on perks all year. They haven't had any layoffs yet, but only because they've been canceling contractors. There's a reasonably chance they'll have to reduce employee head count next year.
Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.
and substituted an unlocked Google Android cell phone, retail price $180.
Everywhere I have seen Google's unlocked Android phone it was for $399. Not $180 which is the price of one that is locked to T-Mobile's network and a 2 year contract. http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/05/sim-hardware-unlocked-android-dev-phone-1-surfaces-for-399/ http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Google-Releases-SIMunlocked-Android-Phone-For-399/ http://code.google.com/android/dev-devices.html all give the $399 price point.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
Information Week has an internal email sent by Google management:
Q: Can I resell my phone?
Googlers should not resell any item given to them by Google. Please review our Personal Transactions policy [removed].
reportedly as much as $20K-$30K per Googler
Hey. I google therefore I am a googler. Where is my $30K bonus?
Seriously, have Google in the past given Christmas bonuses worth that much? I think I am in the wrong line of work...
Hey. If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, fore-fleshing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is. Hallelujah. Holy shit. Where's the Tylenol?
I know it's no $20-$30k, but I wouldn't be upset over an unlocked smartphone. It's a hell of a lot better than many past employers gave me.
Kudos to Valleywag for taking a non-issue and trying so valiantly to spin it negative. And a tip of the hat to the submitter for managing to paraphrase without getting in the way of the spin.
This story demonstrates the need for some type of public relations filter on Slashdot stories. Too often, a company's PR statements are taken as fact. Here, perhaps the people who run google may have been wanting to end yearly bonuses for a long time. Fearing employee backlash, they needed a plausible cover story. The economy is easy to blame. Look, I know that it's entirely possible their motivations are accurately stated in the press release. I contend, however, that it is equally likely that the economy gives Google the opportunity to change its bonus program without suspicion. Given past violations of the "don't be evil" rule, this wouldn't be surprising.
How the hell is this interesting? Because the economy is catching up to Google? Last year or the year before, everyone clamored because they were charging more for day care services. That they did not have to give any way. Are you referring to the dog food comment? That's just, or should be, common practice. You don't wanna see someone that writes a piece of software and use a competing product.
That which does not kill me only postpones the inevitable.
The thing is many google employees/job candidates probably factor in the expected Christmas bonus when deciding to work for Google.
Google's salaries are reportedly lower than most competitors, but they make the difference with bonuses and other perks.
Now if the bonus disappear, its going to be easier for googlers to do a fair comparaison...
Hey, if google wanted to hire me, I'd totally take it.
You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
A *lot* of companies used the media mass hysteria as cover to take such actions, long before many of them had felt any measurable impact at all. I.e. companies that still reported profit still said the economy impact was such they simply had to take drastic measures.
Of course, it's all a negative feedback loop. It was bad enough as was, but with the media saying "great depression" over and over again, consumer confidence took a dive and companies started either panicking or taking advantage, which certainly doesn't help matters.
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
My Christmas bonus was a reduction in pay.
My ex's Christmas bonus was a reduction in work days.
My friend's Christmas bonus was a pink slip.
You'll forgive me if I fail to care that Google game their employees a smaller than expected bonus.
http://downwithpants.org Overthrow the tyranny of your pants
Q: Can I post this internal email on the Internet?
A: Hell yes!
How can they extract revenue from companies if those companies source of income dry up? Or even if they don't, a lot of companies are sort of going into hibernation, keeping core staff to maintain their curent efforts, but holding off on growth sorts of moves. I think companies facing diminishing income due to the economic state aren't believing that increased advertising budget is going to be the answer right now.
Makes me wonder if the number of google ads presented to people has decreased or will decrease in the near future. The whole fundamental nature of an economy is that things are interconnected. Particularly being a public company, they are practically obliged to panic in accordance with shareholder panic. Private companies will act on different whims, for better or worse (I know one private company in my area that has actually accelerated some hiring, to secure low price, grateful (loyal) workforce, since they know they can still afford to).
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
Typical of the post dot-com environment. People need to start looking at what the phrase total compensation means, and take it to mean "salary + bonuses + stock" Take your cash incentives (salary, bonuses) add in HR benefits (health/dental/optical) plus all the other discounted benefits (daycare, gyms, educational reimbursement etc..) and then the stock purchase plans (either awarded options or ESPP) and 401k.
Well, Google's stock isn't doing too well this year (from $716 down to $300), so there are quite a few people that are thinking, "The stock needs to triple before my options are above water...". Now if the choice from senior management is either no bonuses, or layoffs; most people will take no bonus rather than no job.
I do think giving a phone is just a form of lip service and is a slap in the face. Can you imagine Cisco giving out Linksys routers instead of bonuses? Apple giving out $200 worth of iTunes songs? HomeDepot giving out a free Ryobi drill set?
What really blows my mind is that most people choose their phone because of features/functionality and service provider. The actual cost of the phone itself usually isn't a factor since the service providers often give them away at a severely discounted price.
"eating your own dog food" is an old tech industry expression, it means the company uses their own products internally, as a testbed and to build up expertise.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eat_one's_own_dog_food
its NOT cute and your employees are not children.
'googlers'. sigh.
That's why I call all my employees minions!
(My wife prefers the title "Mistress of Minions".)
Never confuse movement with action. --Hemingway
'cute pet names' for employees went out the window years ago.
You've never been to a strip club haven't you?
Make SELinux enforcing again!
This is a non-story.
Is: "Google gives employees 400$ google phone for christmas instead of 1000$ cash bonus",interesting at all?
You've never been to a strip club haven't you?
You skipped 3rd grade grammar, didn't you?
What the fuck are you talking about? The dogfood comment is about what you use in house. Do you think Oracle uses mysql in house? Maybe I should have been more specific. You don't want to see a company that produces a piece of software that would be used, like say, a help desk ticket program, use a competing program. What ever you use at home is what you use at home. They don't have to use the G1 phone if they don't want to. They're giving the G1, the phone they make, as a perk. Would you expect them to give a HTC Fuze or LG Incite? But now we're getting completely off track here from the actual story post.
I also said writes a piece of software, not use a particular OS or tool. But way to take my words out of context.
That which does not kill me only postpones the inevitable.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
That this e-mail is now public makes me weep for my species. Google's famous tight-lippedness to outsiders is a direct consequence of its slightly less famous wide-openness to employees, which is a critical part of Google's internal culture.
I can't even imagine what went through the mind of the person who leaked this. Whining about getting a $400 smartphone instead of $1000 cash — in the midst of an economic crisis that might or might not impact Google's bottom line in the coming year — is perhaps, maybe appropriate on an internal mailing list (if over-the-top and coming off as a spoiled brat). But it's not a f***ing whistle-blow against wrongdoing, worthy of phoning the news media — or, for that matter, ridiculous rumor mills like Valleywag.
($20K in physical paper cash? Where the hell did they get that number? I want to find Valleywag's parallel universe and work for that Google! ... except that I suspect the Google in that universe has a goatee, so maybe not.)
Range Voting: preference intensity matters
I get the impression I'm either missing an incredibly funny joke, or I hang out online with a bunch of losers. ...
"The cup is in turn designed for holding hot or cold liquids, and has an open rim and closed base." --US Patent #5425497
Dogs are made out of protein too.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
The thing is, most people can't work that way. You spend an awful lot of your life at work, and most people like to think that their employer appreciates the work they do.
That appreciation(when sincere) generally has a greater impact on workplace morale than would a higher salary and is, generally speaking, cheaper for the employer over the long term.
I highly doubt that google paid their employees 20-30k as a Christmas bonus(that's a huge amount for anything not tied to some sort of performance metric and would be the kind of devastating loss which would cause mass resignations.) It's been posted by others that the Christmas bonuses are closer to 1k, which is far more reasonable.
That said, even though a free phone is better than a lot of people get, this is a fairly major policy shift for Google, even if the normal amount is only around a grand. Google generally hires only the best(by whatever subjective version of the best they choose to use) and they expect an awful lot of work hours out of their employees. They make up for this mainly through perks as opposed to salaries, and cutting those perks could have a major impact on their business model.
Yes and no.
Its ok with all bailouts you are allowed to prefix the word "America" with the word "Soviet"
he was a the stripclub you insensitive clod
I rather doubt Google signed any contracts stating that each employee is due a HUGE bonus at the end of the year. It's a "bonus".
"We made a shit-pot of money this year, and you contributed a lot. Here's part of the shit-pot, thanks."
"We didn't make a shit-pot of money this year, you contributed a lot though. Here's a nice new phone, maybe next year if you and several others write something really cool with it, we'll have a shit-pot of money to give you part of."
I don't need a million points of light, just two points of multi-mode fiber and a 10 Gig-E router.
As I recall, that comment was in relation to switching HotMail from FreeBSD to Windows NT 4. This migration failed and was reverted. They later migrated it to Windows 2003 (I think), but it kept running FreeBSD for a long time after they bought it. I wonder how long Yahoo! would have kept running (and contributing to) FreeBSD if Microsoft had bought it...
Inside the rest of Microsoft, they always used Windows (and DOS before then). They originated the 'eating your own dogfood' line, because it's their policy for developers to have to run the latest nightly build. This makes developers who commit code without testing very unpopular.
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
Personally, I am very happy to receive the dev G1 phone... It wasn't something I would have purchased for myself (tough economic times ahead yadda yadda yadda) nor was it something that I would have asked anyone else to get for me. It gives me the opportunity to play with it and maybe develop a few stupid little applications, just for fun: It will be a much appreciated toy for Christmas.
Will it replace my old phone? Don't know yet. It is a lot bulkier than my Samsung Trace. For now, I'm giving it a test-drive.
In any case, this is the most valuable Christmas bonus that I have received in recent years - so I kinda feel that anyone complaining about it are kinda being ungrateful. I am used to getting perhaps a company-branded backpack, shot glass, towel or USB pen drive as a Christmas bonus from my previous employer so this phone gift is positively extravagant by comparison. Even considering that I occasionally worked long hours and was key in developing a few features which formed the foundation of my then-CEO's promise, I appreciated the small token gifts and I still enjoy using them today.
I never expected, nor did I ever receive, a large bonus from my previous employer.
I never expected any bonus from Google this year, especially considering the current economy.
Just my 2c opinion..
No sig. Move along - nothing to see here.