I got an email from Google telling me they’re “sunsetting” one of their services.
“Sunsetting”
isn’t a term I’ve come across before.
But boy it sounded good.
I love a sunset. It’s romantic. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy and at peace with the world.
I had visions of Google playing some Ibiza-style chillout music whenever I log in.
Maybe even sending me a Google themed sunset cocktail every time I use their
service.
After all, these Google boffins can do anything nowadays.
And whatever “sunsetting” means, it feels like Google are really looking out for me.
God I love Google ♥
But when I Googled “sunsetting” I had a nasty surprise.
You’ll never believe it.
“To sunset” means to cancel. Google are cancelling a service I use.
Well dip me in mustard and call me a hotdog.
Why couldn’t Google have just said that!
You’ve taken me for a ride there Google.
I don’t feel warm and fuzzy anymore.
I’ve been mugged off by Google’s corporate lingo.
It’s like colleagues who say “let’s take this offline” when they actually mean “stop asking questions I don’t
know the answer to”.
Or firms who say they’re “reorganising” just before they fire you.
Corporate lingo confuses and bewilders. It’s designed to hide the truth.
In a lot of cases it tries to make a rubbish situation a bit more palatable.
And you know what?
I think this is why corporate lingo exists.
The fancy buzzwords take something
mundane and dress it up. Make it important and glamourous.
It’s edgier to update the “roadmap” instead of the plan.
It’s exciting to be “synergising” with someone instead of just working with them.
And work which is “mission critical” must be a lot more important than work which is just urgent.
No wonder colleagues start to use the lingo. I know I did.
But it’s all a veneer.
It's a way for the system to pull the wool over your eyes.
And I know a lot of people are wondering whether a system designed to pull the wool over their eyes is a system they want to be a part of.
It’s something I thought about long and hard.
And in the end, I decided I wanted out.
It wasn’t easy.
But I found a way.
I know exactly what it takes to break free from a system like this.
So if you’d like to leave all this behind too…
And find a path which makes you happier and more fulfilled…
Then drop me a line.
And we can ride off into
the sunset together.
That's it for today.
Catch you soon.
- Tom
p.s. Whenever you're ready, here are the ways you can connect with me