I realise that it is considered most improper on this website to actually read the article, but the person being talked to was not compelled to talk to Fortune (the original source) and Fortune is protecting their identity, as is normal for this sort of story.

Protecting the identify of this specific individual is irrelevant really.

If this one person got away with all this at Google, then there's reason to suspect many more are. The entire program at Google might be under strict review going forward because of this article. Time will tell..

Yes, I did read the article.

Devon, in his 20's, makes $150k per year, was an intern at Google.

You don't think the people at Google could narrow it down a bit and figure out who it is?

Especially if that person doesn't do anything during the day. Should be pretty easy to track using network logs for any decent tech company.

I mean, maybe? I’d imagine they’ve messed with the numbers a bit as well for obfuscation. However, the important point is that the subject did this voluntarily.

Its probably still not challenging. Their major shtick is search, with a minor in neural net AI. Gen Z age range. Worked here on an internship. Bought a plane ticket to Hawaii during internship. Makes ~$150,000, +/- obfuscation error. Mostly only tends to make commits in the morning. May have been dumb and used GMail. If its not obfuscated, and almost exactly $150k, then its really easy.

I wouldn’t be surprised if 150k is also fake but close to the real number.

I would still have incentive to not have any story published about it, anonymous or not.

I read the article and had the same thought.

You're confident Google couldn't figure out who Devon really is? It is Google after all.

Because this is article is a PR campaign ordered by real estate owners to fight WFH.

...too late, Google will do what Google does: kill it.

You mean, if it was actually true?