The answer is probably different for everyone. I suspect this individual doesn't feel animosity towards google, rather he would like to share his thoughts about why he left. Maybe it's a warning for other people about to join the company or just a way to commiserate with ex-googlers. Maybe he's showing off. What kind of person has the luxury to quit a job that legions of fellow coders would scramble for? Maybe he's advertising himself as a free agent. These, of course are all speculation. I don't think he's bashing google at all; I think he's telling them exactly what he thinks they need to hear so someone on-high steers the company in direction more attractive to creative engineers. But what do I know? Maybe you should ask him. Then you could write a "Why do people bash companies when leaving" blogpost. After you submit it to hackernews, expect the spanish inquisition!