Reid, who worked for Google between June 2002 and February 2004, says he was also subjected to a string of ageist taunts and remarks from fellow employees and supervisors.
Urs Hoelzle, a Google manager 12 years his junior, repeatedly told Reid he was "slow", "fuzzy", "lethargic", and did not "display a sense of urgency", according to the court papers. Hoelzle was also said to have dismissed Reid's opinions and ideas as "obsolete" and "too old to matter".
The silver-haired Reid has given evidence that some of his colleagues referred to him as an "old man", an "old guy" and an "old fuddy-duddy".
Harsh words for a distinguished Silicon Valley computer engineer with a resume that boasts a string of achievements in both the business and academic worlds.
In 1982, for instance, Reid received the prestigious Grace Murray Hopper Award for his work in developing an early word processing system.
Later, while working at Digital Equipment Corporation! , he pioneered an experiment in electronic publishing that was a precursor to the forums and discussion board that are now a pervasive part of the internet.
And it was there than he was also involved in the creation of the first firewall and, in 1991, the leading search engine of its day, Alta Vista.
"There was never any reason given by Google for my termination," Reid said in the phone interview. "They said I was free to look for a new job within the company. But behind my back they were making sure I would get an answer of 'no' to everything."
His lawyers presented a trail of emails stretching to the very top echelon of the company backing this claim.
Reid, who is a devout Anglican and a leading member of a society dedicated to using the internet to promote unity among Christians, also suffers from type two diabetes.
As a result, his doctor advised him not to miss meals. "If I was in a meeting that needed to extend into the lunch hour I ! had to get up and leave the meeting," he said.
For heal! th reaso ns and also because he valued his family life Reid said he would generally leave the office at 7pm - a habit not widely observed in a workplace where employees often worked late.
Well known Google workaholics include vice president Marissa Mayer who turns up for work at 9am and often doesn't leave the office until after midnight.
"I like to sleep in my bed and not a couch in the office," said Reid. "So I would typically go home at dinner time and after dinner I would log on to the computer and work from home."
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Source: http://www.theage.com.au/news/biztech/old-fuddyduddy-fights-back/2007/10/09/1191695903315.html
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