Ask HN: Have there been movements to “keep the code” after layoffs?

#1

Post by ebspelman » Wed, Jul 29, 2020, 2:21 AM UTC

I was recently laid off from a startup where I think we were writing some pretty awesome code.

I think many other people have felt similar things recently when, because of a layoff, they've been severed from a great codebase they were learning from.

Have there been efforts or movements to encourage employers to make their codebase available to employees they let go?

Re: Ask HN: Have there been movements to “keep the code” after layoffs?

#2

Post by kanobo » Wed, Jul 29, 2020, 3:02 AM UTC

That's highly unusual unless you were employed on an open source project. Most employers would wipe your memory if they could.

Re: Ask HN: Have there been movements to “keep the code” after layoffs?

#3

Post by s1t5 » Wed, Jul 29, 2020, 7:55 AM UTC

What's the incentive for an employer to do this? That incentive needs to be massive in order to overcome the downside of giving company property away for free to people who you might never see again, who you might not be on good terms with because of their termination, who you have no way to oversee in the future, who now have the option to work for your competitors. No company in their right mind will agree to this.

Re: Ask HN: Have there been movements to “keep the code” after layoffs?

#4

Post by rl3 » Wed, Jul 29, 2020, 8:18 AM UTC

kanobo wrote: post #2

That's highly unusual unless you were employed on an open source project. Most employers would wipe your memory if they could.

>Most employers would wipe your memory if they could.

Will work for memory wipe. In my book that's a win/win.

Re: Ask HN: Have there been movements to “keep the code” after layoffs?

#5

Post by thedevindevops » Wed, Jul 29, 2020, 9:26 AM UTC

rl3 wrote: post #4

kanobo wrote: post #2

That's highly unusual unless you were employed on an open source project. Most employers would wipe your memory if they could.

> Most employers would wipe your memory if they could. Will work for memory wipe. In my book that's a win/win.

If Paycheck (2003) is anything to go by.

Re: Ask HN: Have there been movements to “keep the code” after layoffs?

#6

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jul 29, 2020, 9:46 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Have there been movements to “keep the code” after layoffs?

#7

Post by Lio » Thu, Jul 30, 2020, 6:04 AM UTC

thedevindevops wrote: post #5

rl3 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most employers would wipe your memory if they could. Will work for memory wipe. In my book that's a win/win.

If Paycheck (2003) is anything to go by.

It’s a driving plot component in the book Snow Crash too.

Re: Ask HN: Have there been movements to “keep the code” after layoffs?

#8

Post by Jaruzel » Thu, Jul 30, 2020, 7:22 AM UTC

As a contractor, I've experienced a lot of contracts where they explicitly state that any code written on behalf of the client belongs to the client. It's not your code, so you cannot take it with you (legally).

Re: Ask HN: Have there been movements to “keep the code” after layoffs?

#9

Post by rotterdamdev » Thu, Jul 30, 2020, 9:22 AM UTC

Zip the git repo and upload to telegram as an attachment. Network admins won't be able to tell what you did, just make sure the filename is cat_memes or teambuilding_photos.

Fuck companies.