this post was submitted on 22 May 2025

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Microsoft bans words like "Palestine", "Gaza" and "Genocide" in all company emails and fires the employee who protested Microsoft during event. (programming.dev)

submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Microsoft fires Joe Lopez for disrupting Genocide-profiteer Satya Nadella during Microsoft Build Keynote speech and bans words like "Palestine", "Gaza" and "Genocide" in all company emails!!! Yet another chapter in a long tale of Microsoft's intimidation, retaliation, repression, and censorship culture.

Source - Tools to view without account.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

Sounds like a good company to work for. /s

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

A company^[which is basically a dictatorship by the top management, for the top management] excommunicates a worker^[that is here on paper, to work and nothing else and be paid for that] for disrupting work^[as is defined by the top management and not by any other entity] and having not worked for the amount of time the worker was disrupting the work.

At least logically sound.

It is not a community. It is not a non-profit, community oriented company. It is a company that does whatever it does, for money and power for itself ant not for anyone that gives power to it.
It is to be expected.

Why did companies start getting power over the people more than the organisations that are supposed to be for the people?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah, actively protesting about your employer has a pretty predictable outcome. They had to know that going in (and props for having the balls to do it) but I doubt they were surprised.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago

Well, at least giving MS props for "being the whole bitch", as Louis Rossmann would say, instead of trying to give some other, 2 faced explanation for the firing.
Or did they?

[–] pyr0ball 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You've got it backwards. For most of history it was the other way around. We got to see a brief tantalizing glimpse of it in the 'oughties and naughties, and then the people who's lifestyle depends on an exploitable workforce got scared and decided that was enough freedom for the peons

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

But wasn't it that for most of history, there were no such pyramidal corporations and the only ones that were, were full-blown kingdoms, with the more trade-oriented ones, being more co-operative than corporate?

While trying to articulate my thoughts, I realise how lacking my historical information regarding this aspect is. I guess there might have been more corporate entities during the reconnaissance.

[+] [email protected] -9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

lol. The source is a single instagram? Gonna call bullshit on that.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago

It is also being covered by the big media outlets.

https://www.theverge.com/tech/672312/microsoft-block-palestine-gaza-email

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The source is the No Azure For Apartheid post.

You literally hear about them everytime a Microsoft employee disturb a event/ publicly protest Microsoft actions.

[+] [email protected] -16 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Ok. Then dont go working for them if you dislike them. Post concluded.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Nice bootlicking there, mate!

[+] [email protected] -9 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Do you think im working for them?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Right now you are basically defending them

[+] [email protected] -9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

With all due respect, no company in the world has to pick sides. They can choose a side or do nothing. If you don't like what they are doing, you can boycott them.

I don't see anything wrong with Microsoft silencing Palestinian protesters after what they did in some public and some private events at the company.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I hope you will never be victim of the consequences of your own shortsighted thought.

[+] [email protected] -7 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I won't. I can distinguish between my private time vs the company time.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'll rephrase: I hope reality will never knock at your door to prove you were wrong.

Let me know if you still can't grasp the concept.

[+] [email protected] -7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

It won't... Again, I can distinguish between company time and private time.

Employment is an exchange of time from employee for resources from employer.

Microsoft is not saying you can't support Palestine. You can.

That being said, Palestinian employees interrupted public and private Microsoft events. That caused monetary damage to Microsoft. Microsoft is saying that is no longer welcome during the company time using company resources. That is 100% within their right.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The fact that you think Microsoft is apolitical and "just about money" is cute.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The fact that you think Microsoft owes you anything is even cuter.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

You are putting words in my mouth.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You still don't get it.

Where do you draw the line then?

Is it when, for example, supporting Palestine even in "private time" becomes a reason to fire you?

Is it when saying something Microsoft doesn't want you to say becomes a punishable offense?

Tell me.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You mean like all of those who got cancelled for having private opinions? That already happened. Just not for things that you care about. There are plenty of examples of people who got fired for having "wrongthink" privately.

Stop pretending that you have some ethical high ground.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

For being sexist intolerant bigots? I consider that a bit too far, but hey, being a piece of shit isn't an opinion.

Thank you for outing yourself though, at least I know I'm wasting my time speaking with you.

Good luck with your fascist regime.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

No, for voting on something you disagree on. Look at yourself. You immediately go for some fucked up comment on my position when you don't even seem to understand it.

Your reaction would be similar to a MAGA-cunt saying something like "Well, good luck supporting those perverted child molesters you call trans". Take a step back and touch some fucking grass, you utter tool.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You are the one who said "cancel", maybe you should be more specific if you want people to understand. That's obviously assuming there actually is something specific you are referring to and it is not some inexistent you problem.

Also, again, we are talking about a company supporting (multiple) fascist regimes, actual fascist regimes, not made up problems stemming from bigotry.

Just so you can put everything in perspective since you seem confused here.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You're the one putting a negative connotation on cancel. I put it in quotations so that you would understand that I i meant it figuratively. I figured it was a colloquially understood term in this context.

Me having to put a 500 page manifesto in every post for you to understand my exact position on all issues seems both tedious and pointless. So lets break down what you're saying.

You seem to think that you shouldn't be fired for something you think on a personal level, i merely pointed out the glaring hypocrisy of only applying that logic to people who think exactly the way you do. Much like those fascists you mentioned.

We are, in fact, not talking specifically about Microsoft, altough it's well within their rights to not want to keep an employee who disrupts work events. Exactly the same thing would have happened if they stormed in screaming "Go Israel, GO!" at the same event. The only difference is that you wouldn't have had any issues with that person being escorted of the premise. So either you're a hypocrite, or you don't think rules apply to you.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

You have absolutely ZERO basis to say that it would've been the same, but we have proof that supporting Palestine has resulted in this.

So what are you talking about exactly?

What is the "cancel" you mentioned and why you still haven't explained yourself in the 500 page manifestos of your empty comments?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You have absolutely ZERO basis to say that it would’ve been the same, but we have proof that supporting Palestine has resulted in this.

You still don't get it, do you? Would you support that someone was fired for supporting Israel in the same way? And I mean exactly the same way, method and everything. Yes or no?

hint (they would be fired, I'm asking you about your ethics)

You were the one that said I was unclear, so I explained why. There is no point trying to explain my position to someone who wont bother with it.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I already answered this question, although I thought you meant something different, but it's still the same, firing someone for saying something is not right.

Once more, you have no way of saying they would be fired though. Assumptions have no value here, we can only talk about facts.

The fact we have is that a company making business with a genocidal fascist regime gets butthurt when being called out. Are you ok with it?

Also you are focusing on that single employee, while the post is about censorship of emails. Are you still ok with it?

As I asked earlier, where do you draw the line?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

firing someone for saying something is not right.

Wonderful, some actual moral fiber from you.

Once more, you have no way of saying they would be fired though. Assumptions have no value here, we can only talk about facts.

Ok, here's a fact. Being LGBTQ+ in palestine will get you arrested. Do you think that is right? I don't blame the children of palestine for this, of course. Israel should be severly punished for blocking humanitarian aid that directly hurts children. But to think that palestine is some innocent fair and free society is blatantly wrong. They are a puppet of Hamas at this point.

Calling Israel a fascist state when they are objectively surrounded on all sides by enemies that would have them killed, is weird.

Also you are focusing on that single employee, while the post is about censorship of emails. Are you still ok with it?

The entire post is about that single employee. Not about censorship of emails. It's company email and they can do whatever they want with it, but I can also elect to not work for them. See how that works?

I am absolutely against censorship. But I also acknowledge that there is ownership of "things". In this case, a company has the legal right to do as they want with their stuff.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh fuck, I wasn't ready for the "Palestine is bad with LGBTQ+ people" and the "Israel has the right to defend itself" rhetoric... it all sounds so dated and meaningless...

How should that have anything to do with what we are talking about here?

What does all that have to do with Microsoft and its workers rights?

Also, are you saying that Nazi-Germany wouldn't have been a fascist state if it was surrounded by enemies? Or that they would have been justified in their actions?

Can you think before typing surreal things and maybe limit yourself to discussing the topic?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh fuck, I wasn’t ready for the “Palestine is bad with LGBTQ+ people” and the “Israel has the right to defend itself” rhetoric… it all sounds so dated and meaningless…

You asked for facts, dumbfuck. Those are facts. Actual facts. If you can strawman, then so can I.

You also got my response of the workers rights, but since you don't have anything more to add other than even more logical fallacies, then we're done here.

Also, are you saying that Nazi-Germany wouldn’t have been a fascist state if it was surrounded by enemies? Or that they would have been justified in their actions?

Oh good god. You are a fucking idiot aren't you? They aren't comparable, at all. That's the point. It's a completely different conflict in a different geopolitical position, for different reasons, different people, different politically.

"Are you saying that..." is never a good start to an argument, my guy. You'll end up looking like an idiot really fast.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Lots of insults there mate, why are you getting this nervous?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago

You either lack reading comprehension or you aren't willing to comprehend then.

Oh well...

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You're bootlicking

[–] [email protected] -5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Says the one who believes single sources on the internet, as long as they fit their belief.

You're closer to being qanon than you think.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Go lick some boots