Circumvented browser features to force autoplay on videos with high volume on our websites. While not a morally bankrupt thing to do especially compared to some of the other examples, we all felt dirty doing it.
You monster!
Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?
121–130 of 520 posts
Re: Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?
#122Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is nothing unethical about this. In fact I applaud your boss. If you can automate something instead of pay people to do it, you should do it.
Some of the reasons that stopped me: - He asked me privately during a lunch, without telling the people that do the actual work about it. - I only knew that he intended to fire these people later when started putting the spec of the project. - He asked me (someone very junior/intern) instead one of his more confirmed devs, which means he didn't want the company to know yet. - I had a lot of sympathy and even kind of…
"I wasn't paid enough for it" is probably close to the best reason.
To even consider doing it (for me) the value I gain should at least relate to the value I'd produce.
Re: Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?
#123Let me answer on behalf of programmers employed by Facebook. The most unethical thing I have done as a programmer is going to work everyday.
One size fits all and everything.
Re: Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?
#124(I didn't go through with this, but considered) While I was a student I worked for a small shop that sold online services. I was something between an intern and a junior developer/security guy. The boss (non technical) privately asked me one day to do some research about automating some data entry processes, basically reading from excel files, some databases, formatting and putting it all in another database. I found…
There is nothing unethical about this. In fact I applaud your boss. If you can automate something instead of pay people to do it, you should do it.
Not only is it ethical, it is the reason we are on computers right now and not foraging for food.
Re: Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?
#125Not me personally, but the company I started my career with (was an intern there for a few months). ERM software. When a new client comes onboard, install the product and database, but make sure not to make any optimizations, not even the basic indexes in the DB. Depending on the usage, the DB will get slower and slower in a few months. Then send a "consultant" who will simply run a script and add indexes etc and tes…
I've had a couple of customers that double bill their own clients, I never stuck around long once I realised what they were doing.
Re: Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?
#126One of my employees was contracting out his entire job. His performance was great and then fell off a cliff. Turns out he stopped paying the contractor and the contractor stopped doing his work for him. When he had to do it himself it was horrible.
I don't fault the guy for the arbitrage, just for not fulfilling the contract. It would be about equally unethical if he were doing the great work himself and got bored and wandered away.
Re: Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?
#127Circumvented browser features to force autoplay on videos with high volume on our websites. While not a morally bankrupt thing to do especially compared to some of the other examples, we all felt dirty doing it.
Sites like that is why I have the Chrome plugin "Quick JavaScript Switcher" that instantly disables JavaScript and reloads the page. As soon as noise starts blasting when it's uncalled for, I just hit the panic button next to the address field!
Re: Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?
#128Worked at Ticketmaster.
You monster.
Re: Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?
#129I wrote telemarketing software. Not sure if I'll go into the same circle of hell as telemarketers, or something worse. But it is an incentive to live as long as possible before going to my reward.
Ha, I write telemarketing support systems for a living and feel your pain. It might not be sexy work but sure helps to grease the wheels of commerce and put food on the table.
Re: Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?
#130(I didn't go through with this, but considered) While I was a student I worked for a small shop that sold online services. I was something between an intern and a junior developer/security guy. The boss (non technical) privately asked me one day to do some research about automating some data entry processes, basically reading from excel files, some databases, formatting and putting it all in another database. I found…
I remember my first on site project at a paper mill in the north of England. I couldn't figure out why the people involved were so hostile. It was only later when I was talking to the salesman about it that I found out they were all going to loose their jobs once I'd finished.