back to article Microsoft, GitHub staff tell Satya Nadella: It's time to ice ICE, baby. Rip up those tech contracts

Microsoft and its GitHub subsidiary are under fire from some of their own employees over service contracts with America's controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. A number of workers at both tech organizations, overseen by Redmond CEO Satya Nadella, have issued open letters demanding executives step in …

  1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    Human rights

    Is it fair that ICE agents are forced to use Microsoft products on a daily basis ?

    1. ghp

      Re: Human rights

      Meant to be funny?

      1. Jimmy2Cows Silver badge

        Re: Human rights

        Pretty clearly it was, lack of the Joke Alert icon not withstanding.

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Re: Human rights

          At least it's github.

          Forcing them to use Sourcesafe would be a war crime

        2. ghp

          Re: Human rights

          I find it hard to see the joke in anything concerning ICE, but I know there are others.

    2. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: Human rights

      Yeah well if Microshaft's management of GITHUB transits into the "Social Justice Warrior" realm, instead of the "do business and make CUSTOMERS happy" realm, then:

      Dear ICE: If you want me to set up a cloud-based server that does what GITHUB does, at an equivalent price, just let me know and I'll have one up and running in UNDER 6 MONTHS, with YOUR NEEDS as my PRIMARY FOCUS, and it will cost THE SAME OR LESS than whatever you're paying Github, and I'll do it FOR THE LULZ if I can't make money off of it any other way.

      Because, unlike Micro-shaft, *I* put *THE CUSTOMER* *FIRST* !!!

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Human rights

        >unlike Micro-shaft, *I* put *THE CUSTOMER* *FIRST* !!!

        So you are a socialist and therefore shouldn't be allowed to bid for government work.

        I promise to shaft the customer, outsource the work to 3rd world children, avoid paying tax and put the shareholders first - so I should get the government contract.

        (I have also invested in a functioning CAPS-LOCK key, but I claimed R&D tax credits for that.)

  2. simonlb Silver badge
    Thumb Down

    Re: Everything under control

    MS and GitHub will almost certainly be very big on inclusion and diversity and no doubt have plenty of corresponding internal processes and training to cater for that. So why do they seem more than happy to do business with companies and organisations which hold no value in those same ideals for 'outsiders'?

    I can think of only one reason, and it isn't compassion.

    1. Jimmy2Cows Silver badge

      RE: I can think of only one reason...

      $$$ Kaching!

      They're in business to make money, and large contracts to government agencies usually bring a lot.

      Touchy feely stuff like inclusivity, morality and ethics are for the lower echeleons. The executives only pay lip service to that, and only when they think it will improve their PR.

      1. Tilda Rice

        Re: RE: I can think of only one reason...

        Funny how you've aggregated everyone not of the lower echeleons, into having no morals or ethics.

        God forbid a politician, manager, board member of anyone as you seen it in "authority" actually caring or doing the right thing.

        That small minded view of the world says more about you than "them".

        1. Teiwaz

          Re: RE: I can think of only one reason...

          God forbid a politician, manager, board member of anyone as you seen it in "authority" actually caring or doing the right thing.

          According to some sources, perhaps just observed it to be less likely.

          something about passing through the eye of a needle.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: RE: I can think of only one reason...

          Not related to IT but do have a read of why the Cathay Pacific CEO was let go / resigned recently. This will probably change your opinion.

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          RE: I can think of only one reason...

          "God forbid a politician, manager, board member of anyone as you seen it in "authority" actually caring or doing the right thing."

          Have you ever bothered to think 1) what kind of people are in those positions and 2) how they got in the position they are?

          I can tell you that "doing the right thing" is theoretically possible for group 1) but only lip service for group 2): Only money matters.

          1) & 2) means that only greedy psychopaths end up in those positions.

          "That small minded view of the world says more about you than "them"."

          Your refusal to observe reality unfortunately isn't changing the reality. It's not "view", but observation. I'll accept counterexamples, if you can find any.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Everything under control

      So why do they seem more than happy to do business with companies and organisations which hold no value in those same ideals for 'outsiders'?

      Could it be that they feel the right place to solve political issues lies at the ballot box and in the Congress, rather than in sabotaging the duly and legally appointed - and where appropriately, elected - government officials and agencies they work for?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Everything under control

        Maybe because if US founding fathers did follow "the rules" and not their own conscience, there would be no US of A?

      2. JohnFen

        Re: Everything under control

        Could it be that the point isn't to solve the issue, but to avoid being a part of evil actions?

        1. felixk

          Re: Everything under control

          > […] but to avoid being a part of evil actions?

          That, of course, begs the question – are the ICE actions actually "evil"? I submit to you that they are not, but you skipped that little discussion altogether.

          Please find some less obvious rhethorical trick.

          1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

            Re: Everything under control

            Well, yes, ICE is pretty evil. Like Trump, come to think of it.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Everything under control

      I find it strange how people so often elude to what drives corporations and are shocked by it. They are working exactly how they are designed to... money making machines.... especially if they are publicly traded. Its gotten so rotten these days that people still think the stocks actually are worth what they are paying for it. When you're allowed to buy your own stocks of course your stock value will go up.

      Do you blame a lion for mauling the lion tamer, it's a lion and lions do lion things to smaller play toys like lion tamers. This is their nature and just like the lion corporations are the same, instinctual, vicious, aggressive and violent in per suite of what drives them. You want this kind of abhorrent behaviour to change then change the incentive and you change their nature... it starts by not rewarding companies for such behaviour, I guarantee that if they loose a sizeable portion of their customers they would all of a sudden be very concerned and would be champions on such matters as border patrol, human rights, blah blah blah stuff too.

    4. CederTree

      Re: Everything under control

      Wow, 5 whole bots in support of Microsoft who are downvoting you. Are theregister stepping up their bot detection game or do Microsoft just not care that much about us?

    5. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Mushroom

      Re: Everything under control

      using YOUR logic, let's say I choose to NOT do business with gays, or liberals, or BLACK people.

      That's right, you're suggesting POLITICS can be a LEGITIMATE reason to DENY ACCESS to services. Might as well be RACE, SEX, RELIGION, or any OTHER thing that NORMAL societies consider to be "illegal discrimination".

  3. Ye Gads

    We need to remember that Github is just a tool

    A bit like the US President...

    1. deive

      Optional

      That's odd.... I thought it was a business with actual human staff and everything!

    2. Nightkiller

      Re: We need to remember that Github is just a tool

      ... for Social Justice Warriors.

      1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

        Re: We need to remember that Github is just a tool

        “Social Justice Warriors”

        Good people. No?

  4. AVee

    Sad state...

    When you stop and think about this it shows you how f'd up the US is right now. I mean, there's ethics involved when choosing who you will and will not do business with. But surely any government department in a decent democratic country should be a safe customer in that respect...

    Also, going after companies is not going to change much, it's the politics where stuff needs to be fixed.

    1. deive

      Optional

      "government department in a decent democratic country should be a safe custome "

      That seems a little niave, especially given that a story like this is currentlly on the reg's homepage: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/10/08/fbi_spying_abuse/

      1. Teiwaz

        Re: Optional

        "government department in a decent democratic country should be a safe customer "

        That seems a little niave,

        Poster did specify 'decent democratic country' perhaps it isn't.

        One might postulate that, Ideally, a countries institutions, bodies and departments should operate on the basic moral consensus of the people, not using tactics and methods that the majority would find distasteful.

        But this is just weasel words.

        A countries Institutions and bodies and Departments Should operate on the basic moral consensus, otherwise it is no longer serving the people.

    2. Paul Crawford Silver badge

      Re: Sad state...

      "going after companies is not going to change much, it's the politics where stuff needs to be fixed"

      You might like to check who bankrolls the politicians and ultimately supports those in power. Yup, those companies again...

  5. Rainer

    Hey, snowflakes!

    If you don't like what your employer is doing, just quit.

    I'm sure Gitlab would hire some of you, if you can show some code and not just virtue signaling.

    1. Adrian 4

      Re: Hey, snowflakes!

      Or you could try to fix what's broken like a proper engineer, instead of just shifting to another model with its own failings.

      1. Clunking Fist

        Re: Hey, snowflakes!

        "Or you could try to fix what's broken" By voting for Hillary Clinton?

    2. Daedalus

      Re: Hey, snowflakes!

      Dear Sir or Madam,

      If you would care to meet me at the main exit, I would be happy to shake your hand and wave goodbye to you.

      Your sincerely,

      S. Nadella (Mrs.)

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    is ICE the only organization they should have no business with?

    I guess that when you start to count the big business your selling to (or working for) and check their ethical standards, you soon find you should not sell anything to most of them. For example. were they fine at selling software to those companies that throw the world in the worst recession since 1929, making some people lose needed savings? Was it OK to sell software to companies that sold opioids knowing very well the consequences but hiding them? Or the big polluters? Hospitals refusing healthcare to those who don't have a MS employee healthcare plan? Ads companies hoarding user data to act against citizen rights? And the list can be far longer.

    If you start such wars, you can't have double standards. And actually, you should start by not working for Microsoft at all....

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Every single one of those snowflakes was 100% OK with this while Obama was doing it and they will go back to being 100% OK with it if Biden wins next year, and everyone else knows it

    1. Teiwaz

      Every single one of those snowflakes was 100% OK with this while Obama was doing it

      It wasn't a sensitive issue during the previous administration..

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @Teiwaz

        How can you say that, it is the SAME ISSUE it hasn't changed just because orange man bad is in charge right. IT IS THE SAME ISSUE WITH SAME APPALLING OUTCOME!

    2. fran 2

      Snowflakes is so 2017

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Pure globalist propaganda

    If people choose to illegally enter another country they should expect to be arrested, detained and ultimately repatriated. If so called human rights justify incursion, then Microsoft should set a "good" example by removing all security from it's campus buildings, all security from it's servers, and just let everyone in!

    I'm sure if globalism wasn't profitable for them, they wouldn't be pushing this. The alternative for the USA is to do likeTurkey, invade part of another country, set up a safe zone and repatriate the refugees there.

  9. Clunking Fist

    Microsoft sells to USA, Google & Apple sell-out to China

    So what exactly is ICE doing differently under Trump than under Obama? That's right: nothing much. This is just another case of TDS. If he wins again in 2020, I have no idea whether it will get worse or die down a little bit.

    This is the Obama that has the blood of ordinary Libyans on his hands.

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