If you have an ethical choice to make, consider the reaction of your esteemed colleagues (get counsel if you feel you can), not that of the mainstream news. The general support for those such as Snowden and Manning among my peers would prove that indeed they are held in high regard among those to whom it matters. The decision you made was your decision and you should not curse yourself for it but learn from it and support those who did make decisions to release materials and information.
I think it would be great if someone with money in Silicon Valley were to make public statements along the lines of, "If you blow the whistle, and it's legit, you won't have to worry about your career. We want people who are driven to do the right thing. We want to hire heroes."
If Google really wants to make a statement about being not-evil, make Snowden a generous offer for employment while he's in Russia.
Eh...well intentioned, but no. There would be severe consequences for just offering employment to such sensitive individuals.
People like Snowden are not branded untouchable because people are ideologically opposed to his actions - that's a misrepresentation of what's actually going on. Whistleblowers become shunned because whoever they come into contact with will be elevated to accomplice status.
Google doesn't want that kind of fire under their ass. Altruism is all well and good, but there's a reason wh you're instructed to put your own oxygen mask on in a airplane emergency.
If a company like Google did that, they would immediately:
1. Place Snowden in United States lawful jurisdiction,
2. Endanger their own fiscal well-being,
3. Draw political attention and divisive sentiments to themselves.
I believe tech companies have a responsibility to take a stand, but being the hero and standing up to the man like that is essentially taking out Snowden and your company in a massive kamekaze attack that benefits only his detractors.
What's wrong with saying, "Hey, we are always looking for good sys admins, and clearly here's an out-of-work sysadmin, and despite the drama surrounding him, we're willing to look at him for a job at [Google]."
If you have an ethical choice to make, consider the reaction of your esteemed colleagues (get counsel if you feel you can), not that of the mainstream news. The general support for those such as Snowden and Manning among my peers would prove that indeed they are held in high regard among those to whom it matters. The decision you made was your decision and you should not curse yourself for it but learn from it and support those who did make decisions to release materials and information.