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Google employees told to avoid certain words which make it clear they are a monopoly


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2020 Aug 7, 8:50am   680 views  8 comments

by Patrick   ➕follow (55)   💰tip   ignore  

https://themarkup.org/google-the-giant/2020/08/07/google-documents-show-taboo-words-antitrust

As Google faces at least four major antitrust investigations on two continents, internal documents obtained by The Markup show its parent company, Alphabet, has been preparing for this moment for years, telling employees across the massive enterprise that certain language is off limits in all written communications, no matter how casual.

The taboo words include “market,” “barriers to entry,” and “network effects,” which is when products such as social networks become more valuable as more people use them.

“Words matter. Especially in antitrust law,” reads one document titled “Five Rules of Thumb for Written Communications.” ...

One part of the presentation, subtitled “Communicating Safely,” advises employees on which terms are “Bad” and “Good.”

Instead of “market,” employees may say “industry,” “space,” “area,” or simply cite the region, according to the presentation.

Instead of “network effects,” the presentation suggests “valuable to users.”

And instead of “barriers to entry,” substitute “challenges.”

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1   tanked   2020 Aug 7, 10:01am  

I'm going to do something rare and disagree with you on this one Patrick.

Looking at the words they don't want used, versus the words they do want used, they are saying the same thing, but in a fresher way that is less cliche.

Which to me is smart. And fully within the rights of a corporation to do in guiding itself.

Has Google done and do bad things? Absolutely, I just don't see this as one of them.
2   MisdemeanorRebel   2020 Aug 7, 10:33am  

Google, Amazon, Walmart must be broken up into at least 3 different entities.
3   tanked   2020 Aug 7, 10:39am  

APOCALYPSEFUCKisShostakovitch says
GOOGLE MUST MERGE WITH AMAZON AND FACEBOOK AND TAKE TOTAL CONTROL OF EVERY MIND IN THE WORLD IF AMERICA IS TO SURVIVE OBAMA!


Don't forget Apple and Netflix. The FAANGs. (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google)
4   Ceffer   2020 Aug 7, 10:55am  

They are the guiding beacons and appropriate censors of the Great Socialist Paradise, cleansing our minds of thought contamination, and serving us by removing the predatory Great Orange Threat!
They will give us comfort and succor in the coming weeks before the elections, assuring that mind beams are properly focussed on what is holy and correct!
5   zzyzzx   2020 Aug 7, 11:06am  

NoCoupForYou says
Google, Amazon, Walmart must be broken up into at least 3 different entities.


Why WalMart?
6   tanked   2020 Aug 7, 11:06am  

Ceffer says
They are the guiding beacons and appropriate censors of the Great Socialist Paradise, cleansing our minds of thought contamination, and serving us by removing the predatory Great Orange Threat!
They will give us comfort and succor in the coming weeks before the elections, assuring that mind beams are properly focussed on what is holy and correct!


you're like a pro-Trump version of ApocolypseFuck. it's great.
7   tanked   2020 Aug 7, 11:10am  

zzyzzx says
NoCoupForYou says
Google, Amazon, Walmart must be broken up into at least 3 different entities.


Why WalMart?


Why ever do Antitrust? Often they earn their monopoly position by being the very best. But the idea is to encourage more competition from smaller companies and reduce price gouging. You can make the same argument for Walmart that Microsoft did - that their dominant position is good for consumers. Perhaps it's true.

Antitrust was never a morality question per se, it was about what is good for the nation. Which of course is subjective.
8   MisdemeanorRebel   2020 Aug 7, 11:28am  

zzyzzx says

Why WalMart?


Help domestic manufacturing and hurt China. Walmart squeezes manufacturers and insists they move to China, they push and even assist them in doing so.

Snapper refuses to sell at Walmart because they'd lose their more advantageous relationships with landscapers and smaller hardware/garden stores, and put their customer service reputation at risk, by going for the cheapest cost and damn service.

They also need more competition. Wouldn't it be great to have Walmart, Walmart2, Walmart3, and Target? May the battle of the fabric softener and TV promotions begin!

We have fewer department stores than 40 years ago, but 25% more people.

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