I dunno, either people are there companies or they aren't.
I am not my company, and a lot of people elsewhere aren't either. I don't think who we work for is really relevant at all unless they are trying to make offical statements.
Either engage on the merits or don't. "Ignore this guy, he works for X" is not a useful line of argumentation.
The only thing putting company names next to things would create, IMHO, is an echo chamber.
(This is very different than journalists being paid to write specific articles or funded to do specific research, or even people paid quite specifically to astroturf)
If we believe it's some magical generalized conflict of interest, why stop at company names.
In any article about NIMBYism, should we require people post whjether they rent/own/own a home > 2 million/whatever.
etc
IMHO it's completely irrelevant to the merits of their argument. The merits don't change one way or the other.
It seems the only usefulness would be able to filter/confirm biases. At that point, why bother having a discussion.
One highlight point to me, is that as an employee posting on an identifiable account, you have two options: Convey the same view as your employer, or remain silent lest you risk being fired. (No matter how much a company claims this isn't the case, it pretty much is, particularly revolving around talk about that employer specifically.) I doubt there exists a public post where a Googler says they think Google should be broken up Ma Bell style, or where they state that Google's attitude on privacy is broken and wrong; anyone who said such would no longer be a Googler. And of course, since you're surrounded 8+ hours a day by people who generally find your employer and it's practices agreeable, you've got a natural bias anyways.
Therefore, the participation of employees adds a lean in their favor, and disclosure, if it doesn't neutralize it, at least flags it so people are aware.
Mind you, knowing you're a Googler, I did upvote your original comment, because I thought it was accurate and had value. And I do see the concern about people being dismissive of others based on their employers, particularly in comments not directly related to the topic being discussed. (Imagine trying to comment here with "Uber, Inc." after your name.)
"Convey the same view as your employer, or remain silent lest you risk being fired. (No matter how much a company claims this isn't the case, it pretty much is, particularly revolving around talk about that employer specifically.) I doubt there exists a public post where a Googler says they think Google should be broken up Ma Bell style, or where they state that Google's attitude on privacy is broken and wrong"
You are wrong on both points, FWIW :)
But it's definitely true at other companies.
" And I do see the concern about people being dismissive of others based on their employers, particularly in comments not directly related to the topic being discussed."
Given another person just literally said to me "the opinion is less valuable because you work for X", i'm much more worried about this attitude than i am the one where people are biased towards their companies.
Most people in tech are not true believers. Most probably like their companies. But that doesn't mean they agree with what their companies do all the time.
Especially in a company the size of, say, Google, it's pretty, IMHO, silly to think that among 150k of those people, there is no dissent, or not even a lot of dissent, all the time.
I am not my company, and a lot of people elsewhere aren't either. I don't think who we work for is really relevant at all unless they are trying to make offical statements.
Either engage on the merits or don't. "Ignore this guy, he works for X" is not a useful line of argumentation.
The only thing putting company names next to things would create, IMHO, is an echo chamber.
(This is very different than journalists being paid to write specific articles or funded to do specific research, or even people paid quite specifically to astroturf)
If we believe it's some magical generalized conflict of interest, why stop at company names.
In any article about NIMBYism, should we require people post whjether they rent/own/own a home > 2 million/whatever. etc
IMHO it's completely irrelevant to the merits of their argument. The merits don't change one way or the other. It seems the only usefulness would be able to filter/confirm biases. At that point, why bother having a discussion.