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‘I Don’t Really Want to Work for Facebook.’ Say Some Computer Science Students

nytimes.com

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Re: ‘I Don’t Really Want to Work for Facebook.’ Say Some Computer Science Students

#231

Post by mmmmmmmmm »

jedberg wrote: post #92
Jonanin wrote: post #27

I have concerns about Facebook just like everyone else, but I'd also like to point out that the New York Times is not repeatedly publishing articles criticizing FB simply because of their superior moral stance. They are doing it because FB took away a lot of revenue from publishers like them, and they are very, very angry about it.

That's not how real journalism works. The journalists are separated from the business side. Good publications go as far as prohibiting their editors from talking to anyone who deals with revenue.

Yeah, well the NY Times is not a good publication.

Re: ‘I Don’t Really Want to Work for Facebook.’ Say Some Computer Science Students

#232

Post by saagarjha »

icedchai wrote: post #32
leroy_masochist wrote: post #23

Allowing 19-year-old kids to have their name and photo published in the newspaper of record in an article that quotes their snarky comments about how they're not sure if they'd deign to work for any given company is journalistic malpractice. I don't blame the kids. They're young and naturally earnest, and are marinating in an environment where performative wokeness results in positive social reinforcement. They don't…

They're probably not smart enough to get in, anyway. If they were, they'd go to FB, milk that huge salary, unload their RSU's on a regular basis, save and invest, and FIRE by age 35. Signed, a CS graduate and FB stock holder with 500% return.

People can want things other than money, like the satisfaction that their work is going towards doing something positive for the world.

Re: ‘I Don’t Really Want to Work for Facebook.’ Say Some Computer Science Students

#233

Post by blackrose »

Jonanin wrote: post #212
pantaloons wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I graduated six years ago, have worked at Microsoft and Dropbox, and anecdotally around a quarter of my friends at either of them wouldn't work at Facebook now. Parent comment is not obviously wrong, and you shouldn't assume bad faith. Your last submission was titled "We're lucky Mark Zuckerberg is in charge" and around half your comment history is devoted to defending Facebook. At least if you're going to question s…

Did you actually do a poll of your coworkers on this topic? :) I think it's pretty reasonable to assume an investment banker isn't going to be much help to FB employees in finding a new job. Claiming that "Facebook will be known for having hired mediocre sell-outs a few years from now." is at best a baseless slander. How in the world is that not in bad faith? Spreading misinformation to aid one's short position is a…

But seriously, what are your motives in defending Facebook so much?

Re: ‘I Don’t Really Want to Work for Facebook.’ Say Some Computer Science Students

#234

Post by ken »

merpnderp wrote: post #214
AlexandrB wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This kind of post-facto justification for poor working conditions or wages needs a name, so it can be dismissed out of hand. It seems to assume that the market is “fair” and getting poor pay must be justified by some other factor about the job. In reality, there are plenty of jobs that have garbage pay and suck. As well as jobs that are both lucrative and “easy”. Consider the average CEO: not the exceptional visionar…

The free market is not fair. It's just fairer than anything else we know of. It's not a meritocracy, just more meritorious than anything else we know of. If you think things are bad when greedy people are pitted against each other, wait until greedy people are pitted against the average man, as they are in nearly every other economic system.

I wouldn't say it's the fairest thing we know, but it scales the best. A centralized market system could be extremely fair, if there's only 7 participants. With 7 billion, there's just no way. At a national or global level, we need decentralization.

At smaller scales, we do use other systems. Within a company, essentially nobody uses a free market system.

Re: ‘I Don’t Really Want to Work for Facebook.’ Say Some Computer Science Students

#235

Post by saagarjha »

icedchai wrote: post #168
PascLeRasc wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you think you'll be remembered for after you pass?

Ask my 3 adopted children.

I hope you don’t consider your children to be some twisted karmic balance for working at Facebook.

Re: ‘I Don’t Really Want to Work for Facebook.’ Say Some Computer Science Students

#236

Post by gxigzigxigxi »

deanmoriarty wrote: post #133
eksemplar wrote: post #117

I get that we don’t like Facebook, but isn’t this a bit much? Are they worse than google or amazon? What about people who work for Coca-Cola? What about the people who make mobile games and loot boxes for Blizzard? Where is it ethical to work? I mean, I’ve been in public service for decades, so I know a thing or two about choosing idealism over money, but that’s not for everyone and I frankly don’t think Facebook is…

From my experience, most of this negativity just appears on HN or on channels who have some strong bias (usually business related) against Facebook. All my acquaintances working in tech, which includes people from very wide sociodemographics ranges, consider Facebook an absolutely prestigious employer, with top talent, top challenges, top compensation and top name for building a personal brand. Hell, I interviewed at…

As a Googler, Facebook would certainly be a place I would consider if I wasn’t at google. You’re right, of course, that it is a better than fine employer.

Re: ‘I Don’t Really Want to Work for Facebook.’ Say Some Computer Science Students

#237

Post by rb808 »

pantaloons wrote: post #204
Jonanin wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From your profile: > I trade private equity stakes in technology companies. Former aerospace investment banker and before that, algorithmic equity derivatives trader. You're also the one who submitted this article. Somehow I doubt you are actually helping friends at FB find new jobs. I think it's much more likely that you are short FB. There's a lot of your type out there spreading articles like this as much as possi…

I graduated six years ago, have worked at Microsoft and Dropbox, and anecdotally around a quarter of my friends at either of them wouldn't work at Facebook now. Parent comment is not obviously wrong, and you shouldn't assume bad faith. Your last submission was titled "We're lucky Mark Zuckerberg is in charge" and around half your comment history is devoted to defending Facebook. At least if you're going to question s…

Lol I can still remember when Microsoft was the big Bogeyman.

Re: ‘I Don’t Really Want to Work for Facebook.’ Say Some Computer Science Students

#238

Post by saagarjha »

xfitm3 wrote: post #121
skdd8 wrote: post #25

While I trust FB has very good work perks. I will not be inclined to work there. It comes down to what do you value in life. Do you wanna literally help promote fascism and misinformation? Go work at FB and moonshine at Monsanto on your free time.

Why not join and try to fix it?

This is incredibly hard to do, especially if the culture seems ingrained in the policy decisions of the other 30,000 employees. Sure, it’s possible to join a company and change a couple of small things, but usually if you go against the company’s culture for long enough you’ll end up on your way out: either because your life will just be miserable, or because someone will fire you.

Re: ‘I Don’t Really Want to Work for Facebook.’ Say Some Computer Science Students

#239

Post by haberman »

AlexandrB wrote: post #219
haberman wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This kind of post-facto justification for poor working conditions or wages needs a name, so it can be dismissed out of hand. This seems to capture the current intellectual zeitgeist very well. Once we name something, we can dismiss it without engaging it. I was going to read the rest of your comment, but I decided it was "Jacobin whinging" so I realized I didn't have to.

> This seems to capture the current intellectual zeitgeist very well. Once we name something, we can dismiss it without engaging it. In the internet age, this is a necessity because the other pattern is the same claims repeated over and over again with the expectation that a comprehensive rebuttal must be provided each time. At some point you have to name the thing so it can be added as an entry to Wikipedia and move…

Your arguments are examples of the false equivalence fallacy. [1] Sorry but I don't have time to provide any more comprehensive of a rebuttal.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_equivalence

(This is why I don't think labeling is a rebuttal.)

Re: ‘I Don’t Really Want to Work for Facebook.’ Say Some Computer Science Students

#240

Post by saagarjha »

vonmoltke wrote: post #132
techelitism wrote: post #72

Few comments on this because I think about this quite a bit. 1) I always read these articles and sigh. Seems like they only focus on 2 elite tech companies at the expense of all the others while only interviewing students at the #1 CS school in the country. I feel like a 2nd class citizen in the industry because of it. When will the normal people be heard? 2) I'm kind of surprised they listed a $140k starting pay. Th…

> I'm kind of surprised they listed a $140k starting pay. That's pretty low for new grads in the industry and very low for Facebook. You are living in a Valley bubble if you think $140k is "pretty low" for a new grad in general, and that's as total comp (not just salary).

Facebook mostly hires inside the “Valley bubble”-so it’s pretty important to discuss salaries taking that into account.
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