Free food, innovative technology, plenty of money, great kudos. Sounds horrible.

In perhaps an example of the blind men and the elephant, Aaron Swartz offers the following alternate view about how Google treats employees like children:

“I was talking with a friend the other day about that perennial subject of conversation in the Valley, Google. And finally she gave me the clue that made the whole place make sense. “It’s about infantilizing people,” she explained. “Give them free food, do their laundry, let them sit on bouncy brightly-colored balls. Do everything so that they never have to grow up and learn how to live life on their own.“

I dare say there is some truth in that view. However, in my past experience working for corporations, the Google life sounds way better than anything I encountered working for say, merchant banks. By way of direct comparison, when I visited Microsoft, I found their campus to have all the life and spark of an insurance company. Perhaps the nurturing environment leads to greater innovation, less turnover, higher productivity, happier staff?

But then, who cares? Give me child-like anyday. Just ’cause it’s fun.

Thx Threadwatch