How Mark Zuckerberg Led Facebook’s War on Google Plus • Hacker News Board

Re: How Mark Zuckerberg Led Facebook’s War on Google Plus

#91

Post by fishnchips » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 8:52 AM UTC

antongm wrote: post #71

fishnchips wrote: post #28

Zuck should have read Sun Tzu instead of Cato - "If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by." I'm not sure how much of the G+ failure can really be attributed to any particular activity of FB as a company.

I know that proverb via a popular Spanish version, and I do quote it in the book, though not in reference to Google Plus.

If you knew the other side of the story - how folks at Google felt about G+ - you'd know what I mean. Historically there's been a ton of internal pushback against many C-level decisions. Killing Reader was one instance where we had petitions, public outrages and a few ragequits. But nothing ever came close to how demoralizing G+ was. Lots of folks genuinely believed in G's "mission" and joined the company to make the world a better place. No, seriously, a ton of people believed it. Seeing how cynical G's play against FB was and how willingly G trampled its core values in the process lots of people simply lost faith in the company. Most of them stayed but the magic was gone. I think at some stage it became clear that if you push this pedal to the metal the company will simply implode.

Re: How Mark Zuckerberg Led Facebook’s War on Google Plus

#92

Post by CuriouslyC » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 2:17 PM UTC

kristopolous wrote: post #79

CuriouslyC wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you don't love what you do you are basically committing yourself to 40+ hours a week of unhappiness. Not to mention the fact that people who love what they do tend to do a better job, and improve more over the long term. I really encourage you to find a way to view your work that lets you love it, or do something else.

Not at all. "Love what you do" is an employer tactic to maximize value and minimize cost of their employees hoping they'll work extra for passion instead of more money. Unless you have substantial equity it's not your company. Don't be passionate about a profit, control, or ownership you were very intentionally cut from. In this case the employer desires to run their company without paying you or dealing with you bec…

If you feel you are being taken advantage of, negotiate a better salary, or go somewhere else they will pay you what you believe you are worth.

Assuming you're at a job where you're being compensated in line with your abilities, you can either choose to view what you do as burdensome labor, or as a fun challenge. The only difference between these two views is that one will make you depressed, and the other will make you happy. How do you want to feel?

Re: How Mark Zuckerberg Led Facebook’s War on Google Plus

#93

Post by rusabd » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 5:10 PM UTC

amaks wrote: post #80

"Google Circles, a way of organizing social contacts, shamelessly copied from Facebook’s long-ignored Lists feature." I thought it was the other way around - circles were based on a research by a guy from Google, who left later for Facebook and they built similar feature.

Those points are not mutually exclusive

Re: How Mark Zuckerberg Led Facebook’s War on Google Plus

#94

Post by EpicEng » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 8:42 PM UTC

dragonwriter wrote: post #16

EpicEng wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Eh, they probably can't legally make you stay I mean, they absolutely cannot. We have a term for that; it's called 'kidnapping'.

Actually, its "false imprisonment". "Kidnapping" is different.

Depends on the state, but I don't think you're correct.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&e...

Re: How Mark Zuckerberg Led Facebook’s War on Google Plus

#95

Post by dredmorbius » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 10:10 PM UTC

fishnchips wrote: post #91

antongm wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know that proverb via a popular Spanish version, and I do quote it in the book, though not in reference to Google Plus.

If you knew the other side of the story - how folks at Google felt about G+ - you'd know what I mean. Historically there's been a ton of internal pushback against many C-level decisions. Killing Reader was one instance where we had petitions, public outrages and a few ragequits. But nothing ever came close to how demoralizing G+ was. Lots of folks genuinely believed in G's "mission" and joined the company to make the…

That corresponds strongly with my (outsiders) view, and conversations I've had with a few Googlers. Though I'm also aware that decisions at _any_ organisation can be unpopular, and in a large company, you'll have responses.

But G+ seemed to push the strain quite high.

Re: How Mark Zuckerberg Led Facebook’s War on Google Plus

#96

Post by dredmorbius » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 10:12 PM UTC

antongm wrote: post #77

wmeredith wrote: post #7

"That unfortunate first impression, plus the mischaracterization in the film The Social Network, was probably responsible for half of the ever present suspicion and paranoia surrounding Facebook’s motives. But occasionally Zuck would have a charismatic moment of lucid greatness, and it would be stunning." The lockdown thing is interesting, but you have to wade through this blathering, fawning, puff-piece nonsense. Th…

By the way "this blathering, fawning, puff-piece nonsense" is what some call an actual prose style. Perhaps you've heard of it (if never actually seen it in person). I'd almost pay money to read your review of a Franzen or DFW book.

It's straight-up glurge with highly flawed "analysis", ledes buried deeper than mafia turncoats, and very, very, very little substance to show for itself, much of that apparently unconscious or strongly secondary to the main story.

It's crap writing, on style, viewpoint, and logic.

Re: How Mark Zuckerberg Led Facebook’s War on Google Plus

#97

Post by dredmorbius » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 10:19 PM UTC

antongm wrote: post #49

wmeredith wrote: post #7

"That unfortunate first impression, plus the mischaracterization in the film The Social Network, was probably responsible for half of the ever present suspicion and paranoia surrounding Facebook’s motives. But occasionally Zuck would have a charismatic moment of lucid greatness, and it would be stunning." The lockdown thing is interesting, but you have to wade through this blathering, fawning, puff-piece nonsense. Th…

Only gag-inducing? You didn't actually puke? Disappoint.

I've got to admit, you've got potential.

Try harder next time.

Re: How Mark Zuckerberg Led Facebook’s War on Google Plus

#98

Post by 6stringmerc » Sun, Jun 05, 2016, 11:02 PM UTC

CamperBob2 wrote: post #42

6stringmerc wrote: post #25

You know, back when I riffed on the great poem "Ozymandias" in the context of Zuckerberg and Facebook[1] I thought maybe, just maybe I was over-reaching on the whole ego-drive thing with Zuckerberg, but after reading this, not so much. [1] https://medium.com/@6StringMerc/zuckermandias-d1fa241c4d56#....

I don't think anyone really gets that poem, possibly not even Shelley himself. The words remain. And maybe that's all ol' Ozy wanted to leave behind.

No no no no that poem is very clear. Ozy built a giant statue to himself to lord over all that he ruled upon. When the narrator came across the inscription, all that was left was the pedestal and the feet of the once giant statue. Just as the statue had disappeared into the sands of time - while the inscription of bragging remained - so had the kingdom.

The point of the poem is akin to "the bigger they are the harder they fall" if you will.

Re: How Mark Zuckerberg Led Facebook’s War on Google Plus

#99

Post by johan_larson » Mon, Jun 06, 2016, 10:48 AM UTC

ryanSrich wrote: post #23

draw_down wrote: post #3

I can't imagine ever loving my employer this much. And heaven help whoever tells me I'm on "lockdown" so I can't leave the building and I have to work weekends.

Facebook is notorious for this. It is 100% a legitimate cult. Don't worry about wondering if someone works at Facebook or not. They'll be sure to tell you.

There is a certain appeal to committing to something 100%, to pushing it absolutely as hard as you can. But the cause has to be worth it, because you are going to sacrifice everything else: friends, family, the basic enjoyment of life. I don't see how anything FB is doing is remotely worth that kind of sacrifice.