Software engineers are specialists in information management. Most coding work involves figuring out how to store and represent data. In addition, most people in the computer field have at least some experience with computer networking and communications protocols. The result is a culture which values, expects and excels at the free flow of information. Software developers also understand the basics of business. Products need to be sold for money. New computers cost money. And you can’t talk about a major news item or new product until it’s been announced. None of this is a problem.
The problem arises when a company forbids developers from talking about any major company happening with anybody after it has been announced. For example, if the company I work for ships a new product and wants to hold the announcement for a month for “optimum market conditions”, no problem. Software developers understand that this will happen. However, on the day that the product is announced, we want to be able to shout to the rooftops that The New Shinny Thing Has Arrived. I want to call my mother and announce it. I want to tell former coworkers who have since moved on about the great things that we are doing.
Along with talk of any new change is the myopic department-level information. Much of this is shop-talk with other engineers such as implementation issues that needed to be overcome. “You wouldn’t believe what a pain in the ass this problem was…” kind of thing. There might also be the mild criticism “it doesn’t support feature xyz that I wanted, but marketing thought it wasn’t worth the cost to implement”. In cases like this it is understood that the developer or engineer is speaking as an individual, probably in the roll of a consumer who might consider buying a unit themselves, or as an engineer disappointed that they didn’t get to do more work. Fair enough. It will also come with heaping doses of praise where praise is due. After all, the “New Product Shipped”.
Where things can really come and bite a company in the ass are when the forbid engineers and developers from talking about a new and exciting product after it has been announced. Granted, if it is covered with some kind of government security classification it’s understood that you shouldn’t talk about it. But a new word processor? A new CEO? Come on! Everybody has opinions and comments about The New Shinny Thing That Has Arrived – telling all engineers to forward all requests for information from whatever the source to a PR firm or contact is just insane. Yes, if somebody from ABC news calls, forward them on. If it’s a former coworker, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal to discuss personal opinions about something that’s already been announced.
Which brings me back to the begining. Software engineers are experts in information management. If you tell somebody not to talk about something which is already public knowledge without any justifiable reason and then chew them out over it, you’re going to have a lot of resentment on your hands. Resentment means people looking for new jobs elsewhere. One things that long-term successful software companies have a common is that they tend to have low turnover rates. If nothing else, turnover costs a lot of money in HR terms. Thus forbidding software engineers from talking about publicly known happenings is likely to hurt your business. The amount is going to vary based upon standards of practice, existing moral, and the general level of trust around the office. But unless you are at the top of all three, forbidding the discussion of known information is just a way to screw up a company.