Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 520 posts

Re: Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?

#141

Post by devwastaken »

northwest65 wrote: post #137

I was subcontracted as development resource to a short terms loan company. They had me implement a piece of software that lets people enter their online banking details (yes their name and password, that thing that the bank says if you reveal to anybody you have no protections on your account), store them in a database, and then use those credentials to scrape their bank records so that their loans could be approved…

I've been on the receiving end of this once and the company refused to not use the automated system. The automated system didn't believe my savings account was a savings account since my bank had it under 'passport savings' or some such nonesense. Even through emailing they basically said if the system doesn't do it then there's nothing they can do about it. I think it's a big invasion of privacy for a system that doesn't even work well.

Re: Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?

#142

Post by northwest65 »

dav wrote: post #5

I did some contract work for an online “payday loan” company for a bit. It didn’t take me long to realize I was ashamed of working with such a terrible industry, but my professionalism kept me there until I finished the job. Definitely a low point.

>Definitely a low point.

I totally understand. It just made me feel dirty. I quit as soon as I was able.

Re: Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?

#144

Post by GuB-42 »

iammiles wrote: post #31

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.

Did your company made any money off that? It sounds like a great way to make sure people don't stay there and to get downranked by Google.

Re: Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?

#146

Post by chrisfinne »

ruskie wrote: post #145

When a deadline had passed sent blank tapes to clients and then claimed the postal services had wiped them when scanning with xrays, asking the clients to send back the tapes so we bought a few more days

"I guess we'll have to send them another blank tape" was a common trick in the 90's.

Re: Ask HN: What is the most unethical thing you've done as a programmer?

#150

Post by fastbeef »

beaker52 wrote: post #66

I worked on a penny-bidding site. These guys "auctioned" items like PlayStation, tvs, cars to the user who placed the final bid on an item after 60 seconds of no further bids. Each bid would increase the final price by 1 pence/cent, but each bid would cost 50 pence/cents. You could "win" a $20,000 car for $500.37 and the house would have taken 50,037*50 cents. It might be okay if that was it -- but I was asked to cod…

How was this not regulated?
Post reply on HN