But you can't sit there and tell me that all the amenities around campus are there for no reason.

In fact, a bathroom I used during an interview had a wall of cups and toothbrushes with employee names on them. People apparently stay at work so long that they need a dedicated toothbrush.

That sounds pretty unhealthy to me, especially given the present evidence of attrition suggesting that it is not a sustainable way of working.

So, you are an outlier who will have been employed for a different reason than the infantry and for whom expectations are different.

I'm curious, are you on an hourly wage or on a fixed salary? Is it the same for everyone?

The problem is that it isn't the easiest or most obvious thing to do.

No autoplay (which was the core attack vector) and you'd hope the SCADA software would run as it's own user under Linux which isn't possible with Windows.

Really, who would be surprised by a blue screen from a Windows 95 box?

Why they didn't use Linux, BSD, even the Russia or RedFlag version ?

From my experience, the "... requirements for good [company name here] interview questions ..." are mostly ignored and a recital of sort algorithms and quirky C++ anachronisms rule.

There's an outside chance of Java, either as an Android App developer, or for some server back end crap at a company they purchased.

While experiences may differ, for me Google has offered all of these things (except for the large stake in success/failure of the company, but that's just because it's a big company). There are ample opportunities to transfer to other teams if I don't like what I'm working on, and my input is generally welcomed when it comes to what I should work on. I've also pushed back to my superiors when I thought they were wrong, and when I was able to back up my statements with data (which has always been the case when I really believed I'm right and they're wrong), they backed down, with generally amiable interactions maintained throughout.

The only pressure I've experienced from Google with respect to my life outside of Google is to make sure I am able to disconnect from work. Some people have a difficult time disconnecting, but that's usually because they enjoy the work they're doing. For the most part it's a personal choice, and Google gives employees resources to help them to disconnect so that they can maintain a good work/life balance.

With respect to location, yes most of Google's employees work out of the Mountain View office, and the cost of living there is a serious problem. But there are a number of other offices around the world, many of them with more than a thousand engineers.

I don't know where you get your information from, but I don't think your experiences come close to the experiences of most employees at Google today. I generally think that Google is a wonderful place to work, with wonderful people, an inclusive culture, and great benefits. I don't know how well it compares to other companies, but I don't doubt that Google deserves its "best place to work" awards.