Google Employees Form a Union
After a tumultuous year of trying to affect change by working within the system at Google, workers have formed a union. The union is focused on justice issues related to sexual harassment, discrimination and ending retaliation against employees for speaking up.
What is the Alphabet Workers Union?
The new union is called the Alphabet Workers Union (AWU) and is formed as part of the Communication Workers Union. The Communications Workers Union has typically represented workers in the telecommunications industry but is increasingly representing workers in the technology sector.
The Alphabet Workers Union is open to all workers at the Alphabet subsidiaries, which of course means Google but not limited to Google.
Membership is open to technology and non-tech workers.
The cost of membership is 1% of wages. Member dues are a standard part of belonging to a union and go to help fund the main union organization.
AWU membership is open to workers in the United States and Canada. According to the AWU they are also reaching out to worker organizations around the world.
Why Did Googlers Form a Union?
The union has been organizing for over a year in response to multiple incidents of poorly handled sexual harassment and discrimination issues.
The Alphabet Workers Union (@AlphabetWorkers) formally tweeted an announcement today, listing all the reasons why the new union exists.
“The past few years at Google have been tumultuous: secret military AI projects, multi-million dollar payouts to execs who sexually harassed our coworkers, profiting from hate speech, & more.
Coworkers who’ve voiced concerns have even been fired, illegally, as retaliation.”
The announcement listed achievements made by workers who organized, including the cancellation of AI military projects and a $15 minimum wage for contractors.
The AWU then stated that more work needs to be done. It tweeted all the reasons why a union needs to exist.
Yet problems persist.
We still have discrimination, harassment, & retaliation at Google. Over half our workforce are TVCs—paid less, w/fewer benefits, for often the exact same work. A few at the top are getting enormously rich while others see nothing of that wealth.
— Alphabet Workers Union (@AlphabetWorkers) January 4, 2021
That isn’t the company we want to work for. We deserve a workplace that respects us, where we can work for a fair wage without fear of abuse or discrimination. We deserve meaningful control over the projects we work on & the direction of this company.
— Alphabet Workers Union (@AlphabetWorkers) January 4, 2021
So we’re building on all these past organizing efforts & more to create a structure for a unified worker voice.
We’re organizing w/@CWAUnion @CODE_CWA, w/dues-paying members, an elected board, & paid organizers.
We’ll work to undo inequalities & injustices at Alphabet.
— Alphabet Workers Union (@AlphabetWorkers) January 4, 2021
Goals of Alphabet Workers Union
The official AWU website indicates that their goals are aligned toward justice for workers and more accountability. Creating these kinds of justice related changes is top of their agenda, unlike other unions that are focused on collective bargaining for wages.
“We want to wield our power to ensure:
- Our working conditions are inclusive and fair,
- Perpetrators of harassment, abuse, discrimination, and retaliation are held accountable,
- We have the freedom to decline to work on projects that don’t align with our values,
- All workers, regardless of employment status, can enjoy the same benefits.”
Alphabet Workers Union is Small
As of December 2020, union membership is at 200 members. It’s not a company-wide union as in traditional unions.
The AWU is a different kind of union at this time called a Minority Union that does not need formal recognition from the National Labor Relations Board.
Google Warns About Misuse of Its Indexing API
Google has updated its Indexing API documentation with a clear warning about spam detection and the possible consequences of misuse.
Warning Against API Misuse The new message in the guide says:
“All submissions through the Indexing API are checked for spam. Any misuse, like using multiple accounts or going over the usage limits, could lead to access being taken away.”
This warning is aimed at people trying to abuse the system by exceeding the API’s limits or breaking Google’s rules.
What Is the Indexing API? The Indexing API allows websites to tell Google when job posting or livestream video pages are added or removed. It helps websites with fast-changing content get their pages crawled and indexed quickly.
But it seems some users have been trying to abuse this by using multiple accounts to get more access.
Impact of the Update Google is now closely watching how people use the Indexing API. If someone breaks the rules, they might lose access to the tool, which could make it harder for them to keep their search results updated for time-sensitive content.
How To Stay Compliant To use the Indexing API properly, follow these rules:
- Don’t go over the usage limits, and if you need more, ask Google instead of using multiple accounts.
- Use the API only for job postings or livestream videos, and make sure your data is correct.
- Follow all of Google’s API guidelines and spam policies.
- Use sitemaps along with the API, not as a replacement.
Remember, the Indexing API isn’t a shortcut to faster indexing. Follow the rules to keep your access.
This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update
Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:
1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update
Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.
2. Changes to Google Search Interface
Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.
3. New Features and Tests
- Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
- Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
- Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.
4. Search Rankings and Quality
- Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
- Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.
5. Advice for Content Creators
- Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
- Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.
6. New Search Features in Google Chrome
Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.
7. New Tests and Features in Google Search
- Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
- Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.
8. Bing’s New Feature
Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.
9. Local Search Ranking Factors
Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.
10. Google Ads Updates
- Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
- Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
- tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
- WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.
These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.
AI
Exploring the Evolution of Language Translation: A Comparative Analysis of AI Chatbots and Google Translate
According to an article on PCMag, while Google Translate makes translating sentences into over 100 languages easy, regular users acknowledge that there’s still room for improvement.
In theory, large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT are expected to bring about a new era in language translation. These models consume vast amounts of text-based training data and real-time feedback from users worldwide, enabling them to quickly learn to generate coherent, human-like sentences in a wide range of languages.
However, despite the anticipation that ChatGPT would revolutionize translation, previous experiences have shown that such expectations are often inaccurate, posing challenges for translation accuracy. To put these claims to the test, PCMag conducted a blind test, asking fluent speakers of eight non-English languages to evaluate the translation results from various AI services.
The test compared ChatGPT (both the free and paid versions) to Google Translate, as well as to other competing chatbots such as Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. The evaluation involved comparing the translation quality for two test paragraphs across different languages, including Polish, French, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog, and Amharic.
In the first test conducted in June 2023, participants consistently favored AI chatbots over Google Translate. ChatGPT, Google Bard (now Gemini), and Microsoft Bing outperformed Google Translate, with ChatGPT receiving the highest praise. ChatGPT demonstrated superior performance in converting colloquialisms, while Google Translate often provided literal translations that lacked cultural nuance.
For instance, ChatGPT accurately translated colloquial expressions like “blow off steam,” whereas Google Translate produced more literal translations that failed to resonate across cultures. Participants appreciated ChatGPT’s ability to maintain consistent levels of formality and its consideration of gender options in translations.
The success of AI chatbots like ChatGPT can be attributed to reinforcement learning with human feedback (RLHF), which allows these models to learn from human preferences and produce culturally appropriate translations, particularly for non-native speakers. However, it’s essential to note that while AI chatbots outperformed Google Translate, they still had limitations and occasional inaccuracies.
In a subsequent test, PCMag evaluated different versions of ChatGPT, including the free and paid versions, as well as language-specific AI agents from OpenAI’s GPTStore. The paid version of ChatGPT, known as ChatGPT Plus, consistently delivered the best translations across various languages. However, Google Translate also showed improvement, performing surprisingly well compared to previous tests.
Overall, while ChatGPT Plus emerged as the preferred choice for translation, Google Translate demonstrated notable improvement, challenging the notion that AI chatbots are always superior to traditional translation tools.
Source: https://www.pcmag.com/articles/google-translate-vs-chatgpt-which-is-the-best-language-translator
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