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The Perks Are Great, Just Don’t Ask What We Do

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Re: The Perks Are Great, Just Don’t Ask What We Do

#201

Post by jpeg_hero »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #190
cookiecaper wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I think one of the dirty secrets that doesn't really come across until you've been in the entrepreneurial trenches for a while is that most people who make a lot of money end up doing so not by being paragons of morality, but by skirting rules and doing things other people may find questionable or unfair. YC itself acknowledges this to an extent by saying that good founders are moral, but that they are not "goo…

> Now I understand you must play that game, that everyone plays that game, and they just don't talk about it because it doesn't help them to do so. It helps them to keep potential competitors naive. Yeah, and that's the primary reason I increasingly don't want to be an entrepreneur. Call me naive, but even if I could somehow handle the necessary sacrifice of conscience to be able to compete in the marketplace, I thin…

but then unfortunately you'll be an employee of an entrepreneur that crosses that line....

..and if you are morally above that, then you'll work as a rent-seeker in a government office that taxes that entrepreneur.

only way to win, is to not play.

Re: The Perks Are Great, Just Don’t Ask What We Do

#202

Post by 55555 »

quikoa wrote: post #180
lossolo wrote: post #107

Today my mother got AD on her phone with "Android update", it was a pop-up from one of normal sites she visit. So she touched "update now" as she normally do with system messages about update... Then she confirmed, then she got 2 SMS, in one that deal was finalized. WTF? I've checked with Orange and indeed she was charged and subscription was started, 20 euro a month for some 3 shitty sms per week. They have turned t…

My mother had this as well but with a game. We simply reversed the charge and continued pay the subscription like normal. They made one vague attempt to get that extra money then gave up. While I'm not a lawyer I doubt such charges would stand up on court.

Often the billing is directly on the phone bill which means the traditional chargeback system won't really help you (it's not a credit card charge and you probably don't want to try to chargeback your phone company). One interesting thing many people don't know is that telcos, almost always oligopolists, are themselves pocketing 30-50% of those fraudulent charges (as they are the payment processor and their rates are extremely high), which helps explain their ambivalence to these sorts of scams.

Re: The Perks Are Great, Just Don’t Ask What We Do

#204

Post by 55555 »

tonyarkles wrote: post #2

Maybe I just forget what it's like to be a beginner, but how on earth do you work on Ad Injection software and not realize that you're working on Ad Injection?!

It's pretty easy to compartmentalize your staff. In fact, it's necessary, as it allows people to not feel "responsible" even when aware that they are doing something wrong. So one person makes the sales calls, and another ships the products, and another makes the products, and another does the billing, and they're all just executing SOPs and minding their own business...

Re: The Perks Are Great, Just Don’t Ask What We Do

#205

Post by TeMPOraL »

jpeg_hero wrote: post #201
TeMPOraL wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Now I understand you must play that game, that everyone plays that game, and they just don't talk about it because it doesn't help them to do so. It helps them to keep potential competitors naive. Yeah, and that's the primary reason I increasingly don't want to be an entrepreneur. Call me naive, but even if I could somehow handle the necessary sacrifice of conscience to be able to compete in the marketplace, I thin…

but then unfortunately you'll be an employee of an entrepreneur that crosses that line.... ..and if you are morally above that, then you'll work as a rent-seeker in a government office that taxes that entrepreneur. only way to win, is to not play.

I had an employer once who was about to cross the line, by getting a project from the gambling business. A cool software/hardware project (service interfaces for casino machines) that seemed to match my skills. I flat-out declined participation. He actually was very relieved, he was himself uncomfortable with it.

The other time I threatened my employer with leaving on the spot if I ever see the shady spam-marketing tactics they were discussing popping up on my blog. I'm not sure if it worked or if they decided to never again talk about marketing strategy in my presence.

There are many jobs out there that are morally acceptable. Not as many as I'd like, but fortunately I've managed to find one, and I'm sticking to it at the moment. But yeah, I get your point - after hearing stories about various shenanigans my non-tech friends were asked to do at their jobs, I'm under firm impression that most companies are in fact fucking over their customers whenever possible.

> only way to win, is to not play.

Let's get on with Basic Income. It will be much easier to stick to your morals without the threat of going hungry hanging over your head.

Re: The Perks Are Great, Just Don’t Ask What We Do

#206

Post by fredgrott »

aresant wrote: post #62

So what else is new. If you work at Facebook or Google you're benefiting directly from the similarly shady practices they used to grow on their way to being "pillars of tech" today. Do you remember when at LEAST 20% of Facebook's revenue came from Zynga? Like less than 5 years ago? Many speculated it was considerably higher, but Facebook never provided a full accounting (1). Or do you remember when Facebook literally…

you act like its news..Yahoo use to take big ad partners to strip clubs not 5 years ago

Re: The Perks Are Great, Just Don’t Ask What We Do

#207

Post by kragen »

switz wrote: post #72

I interviewed at 50onRed a few years ago soon after I left college. I went through the interview process, received an offer, and was on the verge of accepting. It was at this point I realized that I barely understood what the company actually did. I set up another in-person interview, except this time with the roles reversed. I asked them to walk me through their products and platforms so I could better understand wh…

Good for you. If more people were like you, companies like 50onRed wouldn't exist.

I think you may have meant "insidious", though, not "insipid" — because "insipid" is the opposite of "intriguing" and "compelling".

Re: The Perks Are Great, Just Don’t Ask What We Do

#208

Post by ryanl0l »

notacoward wrote: post #195
ryanl0l wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suggest you reread my comments as I never made such a connection. tax avoidance=/=tax evasion

Could you please try to be more consistent about which of your two accounts - ryanlol vs. ryanl0l - you use for your replies here? Keeping up with one is tedious enough.

You should reconsider whatever client program you're using if it's causing issues.

Re: The Perks Are Great, Just Don’t Ask What We Do

#209

Post by ryanl0l »

notacoward wrote: post #194
ryanl0l wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Actions that are deemed to have been taken solely for their tax effects are clearly and explicitly deemed tax evasion by the IRS This is just not true.

Here are some citations. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-14-58.pdf https://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Guidance-for-Examiners-and-Ma... Just look up "sham transaction" for plenty more. It's a very well established concept and doctrine. Nobody should be splitting hairs about avoiding vs. evading taxes, or generally pontificating about fiduciary duty, without understanding it.

That's not what you said though.

>Actions that are deemed to have been taken solely for their tax effects are clearly and explicitly deemed tax evasion by the IRS

What you said would make almost all tax avoidance into tax evasion. Hell, even claiming deductions would by your logic be tax evasion.

Re: The Perks Are Great, Just Don’t Ask What We Do

#210

Post by ryanl0l »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #197
ryanlol wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The tax loopholes that companies like Apple tax advantage of are another thing entirely. No, the significant ones (i.e. offshore subsidiaries) are very much codified.

Letter of the law vs. spirit of the law.

Subsidiaries in countries with low tax rates certainly aren't against the spirit of the law.
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