Is This the First Sign of Evil at Google?

I am firmly of the opinion that everyone gets the benefit of the doubt until such time as they show me bad behavior. This is part of why I have such a good opinion of Google, and not such a great opinion of Microsoft.

This morning, in a piece from Digital Inspiration, it seems as though we might be seeing the first glimpse of ‘evil’ from Google. First, let me say that this is not something I have been able to confirm myself, and second, if it is true, it is a small thing, but as a small thing, why is it a problem at all?

The MVP Award is an annual award that is given to people who actively share their technical expertise with the world. Among other benefits, MVP awardees get a certificate from Microsoft, a free subscription to MSDN / TechNet and early access to software much before they get released to public.

Jon Skeet, who now works as a developer at Google, has been an MVP (Most Valuable Professional) since 2003 for his contributions to the C# programming language – he even wrote a book – C# in Depth.

The MVP award is valid for one year so when his renewal cycle was near, so when Jon asked his employer (Google) if he could apply to get the award renewed, he “was advised not to do so.”

As renewal time came round again, I asked my employer whether it was okay for me to renew, and was advised not to do so. As a result, while I enjoyed being awarded as an MVP, I’ve asked not to be considered for renewal this year.

This doesn’t sound very Google-like and I may have had trouble believing the report had it not come straight from the horse’s mouth. Is it a good idea to deny “recognition” to an employee just because the organization giving away that award is your rival?

Jon is working on the Google Sync (Mail/Contacts/Calendar) project but says that his 20%time (a perk) will still go for C# related stuff though his no longer an MVP.

As the author above states, this doesn’t seem very Google-like. If it does become something confirmed, I believe that Google will find that this small thing will have far reaching effects upon the company’s reputation, and in hindsight they will find they should have simply let it go.

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