The word "Google" conjures up images of young, international, bright-eyed engineers. (Or, if you’re Jeff Jarvis, a quasi-divine creature.) It does not, however, evoke images of the old, or even the middle aged. Is this due to some discriminatory policy? One former Googler claims so in a lawsuit noted recently in a post by Ryan Tate of Valleywag. Reflecting on the case, Tate raises a skeptical eyebrow at Google’s self-congratulatory treatment of "Greyglers"--the company’s cute name for workers over 40. He notes that not all of the 200 Greyglers--out of roughly 20,000 employees--are as happy as their trim, 46-year-old poster boy Scott:

Athletic in build and, per his bio, philanthropically hyperactive, Scott is much in the mold of Marissa Mayer and other members of Google's young inner circle. The significantly older fellow now suing Google had more trouble fitting in; before Google higher education executive Brian Reid was let go at 53, he said he was called an "old fuddy-duddy" who was a weak "cultural fit" at the overwhelmingly young company.

His advice for Greyglers until Reid's lawsuit reaches a decision in August: take notes from the preternaturally youthful Scott. "He definitely won't ever be mistaken for a fuddy-duddy."

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at bcarlson at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.