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What motivates extremely talented tech workers to devote their limited working years to making the world a worse place to live in?
I have my answer, but I don't think it's nearly this black and white. Palantir probably does a lot of good, just like all the big tech companies, even though it's the bad stuff that mostly makes the news.
Once and for all, it is the policy makers, not the tech industry, who are responsible for these operations. Tech enables people doing things easily, which can be good or evil. It is people, who should decide, be concern and push the lawmakers towards the right/justified path.
What motivates extremely talented tech workers to devote their limited working years to making the world a worse place to live in?
Is the work-life balance at Palantir better? Read on HN that defence companies have much better pacing.
One piece of data they cannot access is firearm ownership. It is illegal to use a computer to store information about guns in America.
> "Palantir software is instrumental to the operations of ICE, which is planning one of the largest-ever targeted immigration enforcement raids this weekend on thousands of undocumented families. Activists argue raids of this scale would be impossible without software like Palantir." Once and for all, it is the policy makers, not the tech industry, who are responsible for these operations. Tech enables people doing t…
It's both/and.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's making it worse until something bad happens to someone you value. If Obama's daughters (or Trump's if you are on the other side) were killed in some horrific racist incident, wouldn't you approve the usage of such software if it was the only hope of getting the perpetrator? Or would you say "as much as I am saddened, I cannot approve such massive invasion of privacy".
Are you alleging that Palantir enables or encourages "horrific racist incidents"? Could you be more specific? EDIT: I see what you mean. I had mistaken the meaning of OP. Please ignore this comment.
One piece of data they cannot access is firearm ownership. It is illegal to use a computer to store information about guns in America.
This is genuinely the most amusing joke I've heard today. How do you think background checks for purchases work?
One piece of data they cannot access is firearm ownership. It is illegal to use a computer to store information about guns in America.
This is genuinely the most amusing joke I've heard today. How do you think background checks for purchases work?
The background system is called NICS [1], and all information submitted to it is destroyed after 1 day. The system only outputs PROCEED or DENY to the FFL when someone is being checked for a firearms purchase.
1 - "Per Title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 25.9(b)(1), (2), and (3), the NICS Section must destroy all identifying information on allowed transactions prior to the start of the next NICS operational day. If a potential purchaser is delayed or denied a firearm and successfully appeals the decision, the NICS Section cannot retain a record of the overturned appeal."
What motivates extremely talented tech workers to devote their limited working years to making the world a worse place to live in?
Most of the responses I'm seeing here are about money and while that is probably a factor at some level, I like to believe that people need to have a lot of pressure put on them by society for other reasons to give up their personal morals in exchange for money.
"No one is the villain in their own story".