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

Ask HN: Why do people work at evil megacorps?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 14 posts

Ask HN: Why do people work at evil megacorps?

#1

Post by tjstebbing »

Recently read a tweet from a person complaining that most FB engineers studied for months to pass the interview, and how 'that didn't sit right'.

It made me think 'But working for a company accused of huge violations of personal privacy, as well as actual harm to vulnerable demographics.. does sit right?'

Do you work at or aspire to join a company like Meta, Alphabet, etc, and if so how do you reconcile that desire with their problematic histories.

Are you hoping to be the change? Is it about money and recognition? Or is it just not something you think about?

No judgement, I'm genuinely interested.

Re: Ask HN: Why do people work at evil megacorps?

#2

Post by flamesofphx »

I really do believe the old wivetales that everyone can be bought (Whether it be by money, power, or with fear). it's just there are some people out there willing to accept a pat on the back by those with power thinking they can avoid fear. For them its better to be a passenger on the train heading toward oblivion, then tied to its track. Then there are the egotists, who think they can work there way into a position or power, instead of remaining a cog. Finally there are those naive enough who think that miracles occur all the time, and they alone can enact some change in something already lost.

Re: Ask HN: Why do people work at evil megacorps?

#3

Post by cable2600 »

The evil megacorps tend to pay more and have good benefits. But they will downsize in a hurry when they lose profits. I had a friend who worked at Microsoft for 10 years and they laid him off. I have friends who went to California Silicon Valley and it ate them up and they burned out. Just a job they see.

Re: Ask HN: Why do people work at evil megacorps?

#4

Post by ThrowawayR2 »

The truth is more banal: nearly nobody has even heard about which corporations a few noisy people think are "evil" and even fewer would care if they did. Ask yourself: how much revenue did Amazon pull in last year? Microsoft? Meta?

Don't mistake the blather on social media, including HN, for the real world.

Re: Ask HN: Why do people work at evil megacorps?

#7

Post by simplicialset »

fuzzfactor wrote: post #5

You mean it isn't the evil aspect that attracts them to the companies in the first place? What are the people who are seeking out evil supposed to do? What other kind of megacorps would you want anyway?

The main problem is the "mega" part which is mostly a side-effect of seeking profit without wondering whether that's the best way to structure an organization that seeks to "connect everyone" or "organize the world's knowledge". Neither of those missions should be subordinate to profit motives but at the moment the companies that claim it's their mission to "organize the world's knowledge" or to "connect everyone" are actually doing something else entirely: trying to make as much money as possible.

Re: Ask HN: Why do people work at evil megacorps?

#8

Post by Jensson »

Every large company and most small companies are evil, it is really hard to avoid them all. What about government work? The government is for sure evil, just look at how they spy on everyone, so that is off the table as well. What about other government agencies that doesn't spy? Well, that is like working at other departments of a company, you are evil by association even if your work isn't evil.

Re: Ask HN: Why do people work at evil megacorps?

#10

Post by ironmagma »

I honestly believe that parents have somewhat of a duty to work whatever job will provide their children the best outcome in life. I worked at some evil companies (ultimately left, eventually) that paid amazingly, and the workers (parents) who worked their asses off there? Can't blame them one bit.
Post reply on HN