“We might not be a good fit.”
Microsoft fires employee protestor who called AI boss a ‘war profiteer’
Submitted 11 months ago by tonytins@pawb.social to technology@lemmy.world
https://www.theverge.com/news/644769/microsoft-fires-employee-protestor-war-profiteer
Comments
LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 11 months ago
jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 11 months ago
Should’ve Luigi’d the boss.
Words aren’t likely going to change minds anymore.
supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 11 months ago
Fuck you Microsoft, if I wasn’t already done with you for completely enshittifying your operating system, I would DEFINITELY be done with you for this.
Fuck off and continue to become a Kodak or Yahoo or other still existing washout company that totally lost the plot.
ccdfa@lemm.ee 11 months ago
What happened to Kodak?
supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 11 months ago
Kodak went from being a major player in the photography industry to being completely blindsided by digital photography.
technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
There is no such thing as “free speech” under capitalism.
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
sounds like you don’t know what free speech is
SasquatchBanana@lemmy.world 11 months ago
It doesn’t seem they are using free speech in the same sense as the American first amendment (they may not be from the USA). But i would argue that if companies want to play politics, run countries, and be that integrated in people’s lives then free speech as a concept should extend to companies.
Gonzako@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Yeah, about not being sent to a gulag for criticising the goberment
DontMakeMoreBabies@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Shhhhh… Get out of here with your nuance. Let them screech about the bad private company violating the First Amendment.
It makes the monkeys feel better.
Shardikprime@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Well, what did they expect?
technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
They probably expected their employer not to promote genocide.
What a dummy, right?!?! \s
elbarto777@lemmy.world 11 months ago
It was about sending a message.
RowRowRowYourBot@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
What message was that? They work for Microsoft a company that has had DOD contracts for at least the last 25-30 years.
They were a war profiteer when this worker got their gig. Why is it a problem now?
anarchiddy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
As enraging as this whole story is, I don’t think there’s any coming back from ‘you’re a war profiteer’
EpeeGnome@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Yeah, I assume the now-former employee acted with full expectation of losing her job over this. She succeeded at bringing attention to something many people (myself included) hadn’t heard about before, so she at least accomplished that much.
yarr@feddit.nl 11 months ago
Linux isn’t perfect but I don’t have to put up with that kind of bullshit from the makers of my OS. Glad I switched long ago and never looked back (except for the Windows laptop I keep around for games)
But_my_mom_says_im_cool@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Biggest turn off for Linux is all the insufferable Linux bros on Lemmy that make me want to avoid anything Linux
yarr@feddit.nl 11 months ago
I think everyone goes through a zealot period where they have discovered it and want the whole world to get on board. Now the setup works great for me and I do not care who else in the world uses it. My limited exposure to Windows 11 is infuriating and I’m eternally grateful to open source devs that I have a relaxing and functional Linux environment.
argarath@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Just out of curiosity, what games do you need a windows machine to play that proton can’t make work on Linux?
SethW@lemmy.world 11 months ago
VR is still 99% windows right now, and if people still dont appreciate the value of an affordable in-home holodeck i dont know what to say anymore
Katana314@lemmy.world 11 months ago
One of my frustrations is, if I want to try some dozen games on Itch.io, they all come down as EXEs and it’s not clear how I could quickly set them up for Proton. I understand the 20-clicks method of setting up one game off of Steam, and Lutris helps with well-known launchers like Ubi Connect. But for independent authors, needing to do setup for every EXE is a heavy dealbreaker.
yarr@feddit.nl 11 months ago
A lot of games I want to play with mods, the authors only release Windows installers. A great example is Battletech, the HBS remake. There’s a “BTA advanced” mod I like to run and it takes a lot of screwing around to get it to work properly in Linux, but it’s a few clicks on Windows. I will agree Proton has come a LONG way and some titles are perfect, but I get so little gaming time that when I sit down, I don’t want to fucking around with swapping various Glorious Eggroll versions of Wine, or wondering which version of .net I need to get the game to run under Linux. On Windows it “just works”.
I do have a few titles I play on Linux, but I keep that laptop around just for gaming because I don’t want to mess around. Anecdotally I would say 90% of my games work absolutely perfectly with Proton and it’s mostly mods that screw up the experience.
Ahobo1@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
For me, its Battlefield. Most of them no longer work on Linux due to EA Anticheat
SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
“I’m not interested in arguing” -someone who knows they’re in the wrong, but still holds the power
binom@lemmy.world 11 months ago
It is also concerning that you have not apologized to the company, and in fact you have shown no remorse for the effect that your actions have had and will have. the fucking audacity. i mean, we all knew how it would end, but talk about 5d reverse psychology mindgames
PumaStoleMyBluff@lemmy.world 11 months ago
you have not apologized to the company
Writing this should be grounds for a mandatory psych ward commitment
IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Microsoft has recently been added to the BDS list. Do not forget to give their apps a review.
echodot@feddit.uk 11 months ago
No trouble is Microsoft clearly doesn’t care about negative reviews of their applications, because they’ve been receiving negative reviews for years now.
It’s not like you can even avoid using their products, personally you can install Linux but you’re probably going to still have to use a Windows charge device at work, and business is where they make most of their profit anyway.
Zink@programming.dev 11 months ago
Yeah, work is where they get you. I’m fortunate to be able to use Linux at work too, but the company is still paying for my M365 account which I use in a browser for meetings and communication.
nek0d3r@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
It’s mildly entertaining at times to scroll through the reviews of the HEIF Image Extension in the Microsoft Store. Microsoft doesn’t care one bit how bad they are.
IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 11 months ago
They still have presence in for example the Play store. A review can cost little time to place, yet it can affect a lot. Though avoid mentioning certain words censored by the play store.
SulaymanF@lemmy.world 11 months ago
IBM had a role in the holocaust. Those numbers tattooed on everyone in the concentration camp? Those were IBM ID numbers for the punch cards.
If IBM staff protested about their role, it’s been lost to history. But it’s repeating today with Gaza and the staff who speak out are being demonized. Israel’s Lavender AI is being used to kill civilians. History will prove this woman and the other employees right in the end.
iegod@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Depends who controls the narrative and how it plays out.
anas@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I still don’t think this “Lavender AI” actually exists, I think that was another scapegoat to blame their deliberate targeting of civilians on.
fibojoly@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
“Another fals positive? Woops! Whatever shall we do?”
IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Israel has access to WhatsApp metadata and uses it to target people based on a poorly trained Israeli AI which calls everything Hamas. This is a scapegoat because it allows them to blame the machine for killing people at random.
technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
Why not both?
endeavor@sopuli.xyz 11 months ago
Oh shit it’s true. I tought punch cards came later but its 19th century(1800s) tech.
bestboyfriendintheworld@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
Is Lavender AI made by Microsoft or uses Microsoft technology?
SulaymanF@lemmy.world 11 months ago
The IDF uses plenty of Microsoft technology
cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 months ago
the best thing i did was spend last month deleting the partitions in my desktop and laptop and installing mint.
Zink@programming.dev 11 months ago
Heck yeah. Once in installed Mint on my PC at home, it was only a matter of weeks before I double checked my backed up files and nuked my windows partition.
I still have the windows partition at work that I never use, and I have heard some bad stories about machines getting wiped when IT upgrades people to win11, so it might just have a little accident in its sleep.
SilentObserver@lemm.ee 11 months ago
I’ve been on Arch for a little while now, and Kubuntu before that. After Valve launched Proton on Steam, I found myself almost never booting into Windows. Once I ran out of disk space, it was an easy decision to completely purge Windows from my machine. Haven’t looked back in years.
Fuck Microsoft for trying to control my computer. Finally nice not having it reinstall Candy Crush after every update. And none of that copilot or online account bullshit.
Zink@programming.dev 11 months ago
That’s such a nice thing about Linux and FOSS in general. The issues you run into are different than what you may be used to with Windows, but at least the system and its developers aren’t working against you.
lautan@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Mint is the best flavor of linux. I recommend it.
MellowYellow13@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I love my Pop OS
echodot@feddit.uk 11 months ago
I’m actually allergic to mint. Can anyone suggest a version of Linux that doesn’t have any mint in it.
lennivelkant@discuss.tchncs.de 11 months ago
Heh, flavour
(I like Fedora, but it obviously doesnt taste as good)
oppy1984@lemm.ee 11 months ago
I tried a variety of distros when I made the switch 9 or 10 years ago, Mint is by far my favorite. I’ve been running it continuously for at least the last 8 years.
StrawberryPigtails@lemmy.sdf.org 11 months ago
I would have been surprised if they hadn’t fired her. Good on those two for causing a ruckus for a cause they believe in though. Nonviolent one too, well done.
barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 11 months ago
They were probably going to quit over personal morality anyway, so good for them for using their exit for positive. At least they can leave with their self-respect and dignity intact, and the respect of their co-workers and the world. Somewhere there is a moral employer who will appreciate them.
MunkysUnkEnz0@lemmy.world 11 months ago
The fact that they’re asking her to apologize is Just ass backwards.
They should apologize, and look into the issue, and possibly, stop, war profiting.
That’s okay. They’re going to lose a lot of Windows users, forcing them to upgrade Perfectly good computers.
zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
I’m surprised they didn’t call her an antisemite.
SilentObserver@lemm.ee 11 months ago
I wish that were the case. But I doubt most people will ditch Windows. They’ll just pony up for a new computer. They’ll certainly lose some users. But Windows will still remain as top dog, most likely. And I doubt that’ll ever change so long as traditional desktop computers and laptops still exist.
morrowind@lemmy.ml 11 months ago
Windows isn’t the issue here. The war profiteering is coming from the AI and cloud divisions
nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
i agree with what you’re saying from an ethical standpoint.
but it’s not “an issue”, it’s a huge fucking client of theirs. from a business standpoint its a huge ask to fire a whole military as a customer.
Saleh@feddit.org 11 months ago
“We cant stop selling to war criminals. They are among our biggest customers.”
Sounds more like a company that needs to be dismantled and have their leadership face prison sentences. Given the size of Microsoft they could take the hit economically w.o. much hassle. They dont have to be evil. They want to be evil. And we need to punish them for it by boycotting their shit as much as possible.
surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Surely there’s an option between “drop major client” and “punish the person pointing out problems”
GnuLinuxDude@lemmy.ml 11 months ago
Can’t help but think of this book wrt your comment en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_and_the_Holocaust
AwkwardBroccolli@lemmy.ml 11 months ago
I am not worried about the firing part. This lady and her friends must have been added to the DHS list. They are going to deport her if she is on any visa or PR.
MNByChoice@midwest.social 11 months ago
We have been deporting citizens for years.
technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
And it’s still bad.
AwkwardBroccolli@lemmy.ml 11 months ago
That was by mistake. This lady will be deported with intent to the infamous El Salvador prison.
peoplebeproblems@midwest.social 11 months ago
Ah, yes, nothing quite like retaliating against someone who says you did a bad thing. Sure showed them!
wise_pancake@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
the email to Aboussad reads. “It is also concerning that you have not apologized to the company, and in fact you have shown no remorse for the effect that your actions have had and will have.”
Obviously there were going to fire these employees, especially the one who gave notice then did this.
But why the fuck would anyone be like “yOu DiDn’T eVeN aPoLoGiZe To ThE cOmPaNy”? That’s the stupidest god damn thing I’ve heard since “Liberation Day”
guywithoutaname@lemm.ee 11 months ago
fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com 11 months ago
Because law. At every opportunity, make it seem like the employees were not blowing the whistle, but purposefully harming the company.
seeigel@feddit.org 11 months ago
But why the fuck would anyone be like “yOu DiDn’T eVeN aPoLoGiZe To ThE cOmPaNy”?
Frame the debate. MS doesn’t have to justify their profiteering if they can talk about the employee. The attention span of the public is limited.
FourWaveforms@lemm.ee 11 months ago
That email was almost certainly written by lawyers with the intention of supporting MS in court, should it come down to that.
binom@lemmy.world 11 months ago
that makes sense. i hate the fact that such a blatant play at covering your bases could hold up in any court. no matter the legal fineprint, it takes two functioning braincells to realise what’s going on here
shalafi@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Bingo. Lots of stupid things at this level boil down to legal protection. You’ll see it everywhere once you learn and look.
ikidd@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Have you even said Thank You?!?
Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 11 months ago
C-suits don’t live in the same world as the rest of us. Simple as that.
GreenCavalier@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Apologized? Did they berate her for not “wearing a suit” too?
GnuLinuxDude@lemmy.ml 11 months ago
Hey, when’s the last time you shown remorse to your multi-trillion market cap employer? Next you’re gonna tell me something really outrageous like you didn’t even take a sweart an oath of fealty to them.
kautau@lemmy.world 11 months ago
DrSleepless@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Of course they did
WhatSay@slrpnk.net 11 months ago
Not surprising, also seems like lawsuit material.
TarantulaFudge@startrek.website 11 months ago
Microsoft has policy that prevents it from retaliatory actions against human rights violations. Court should rule Microsoft violated its own policies…
madame_gaymes@programming.dev 11 months ago
Is anyone surprised? Maybe the surprising part is that she’s still alive and only got fired.
Mrkawfee@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Cancelled Xbox game pass and installing Mint. Fuck Microsoft
BroBot9000@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Exactly what a war profiteer would do.
yarr@feddit.nl 11 months ago
He’s not wrong, but ‘bringing your true self to work’ is something companies like to say but they don’t actually believe.