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My Time at Snap

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Re: My Time at Snap

#91

Post by purple_ducks »

eeZah7Ux wrote: post #75
oarsinsync wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand is largely based around this topic as well. Giving up who you really are can be a very high price to pay just to be able to receive some (more) money.

[flagged]

I think Ayn Rand and her writings were a pox on modern life and it is unfortunate she is held in regard by anyone, let alone intelligent people...

However, living off social security wasn't really ironic given that she viewed the social security payouts as reimbursement for the (what she considered unjust) payroll taxes she had been forced to pay.

Also, being selfish was central to her philosophy so this was in keeping with it.

Re: My Time at Snap

#92

Post by bko »

DanBC wrote: post #49
herostratus101 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Berkeley had a bunch of great online computer science courses that got taken down because some opportunistic ADA lawyer sued them because the free content wasn't "accessible enough" (and the university couldn't justify the enormous expense of making it accessible given that they earned nothing from it).

You've missed out quite a lot. The ADA was passed in 1990, so it was in place a full 17 years before Berkeley started adding video to the web. The university strongly agreed with disability accessibility law. They put policies in place to make sure content was accessible. They offered free support to professors to make content accessible, and they required professors to sign documents saying "I have made this accessi…

Why was it inevitable?

What's the point of removing content because its not accessible to some small fraction of the population? Is this meant to punish the professors who signed something they likely didn't fully read? It seems that it's punishing individuals who would find this information useful.

Re: My Time at Snap

#93

Post by _pmf_ »

cntlzw wrote: post #27
dangwu wrote: post #16

> ...the workload we had mostly kept us working separately on our own tasks with little room for interaction. It wasn’t uncommon, for the first part of my time at Snap, to get up in the morning, drive to the office, go through the work-day in the same room as two other people but rarely speaking to each other, and then drive home... Sadly, I find this to be all too common in the industry. It’s super isolating and dep…

Yes, maybe it is just me, but that does sound like a good work environment. I do not call myself socially awkward, but at work, I want to work! Getting stuff done.

Agreed. It's a sign of functioning project management. Excessive team decisions and discussions are a sign of dysfunctional project management.

Re: My Time at Snap

#94

Post by DoubleGlazing »

"The problem with John was not just that he was misinformed, but that he was misinformed and highly motivated."

Oh yes! This rings so true with me.

One of my biggest bug-bears in IT are the leaders who have the gift of the gab and know how to BS their way through life. They have that personality that allows them to talk about any subject and people will listen assuming that they now what they are talking about.

If they know how to use those skills for the betterment of a project then they are fantastic people. In other words listening to the devs and using their skills to manipulate the higher ups to get more time and resources. Usually it works the other way round though by ignoring what the devs say and forcing their own will upon them.

For example by insisting on switching to Scrum 9 months in to a 12 month project that had been happily running on waterfall up to that point.

Re: My Time at Snap

#95

Post by purple_ducks »

curiousgal wrote: post #38
onion2k wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm making a website that gives free kittens and Bitcoins to anyone who has a HN username starting with a letter in the second half of the alphabet. You can't use it, which is a shame, but it would be wrong to deprive half of HN free kittens and Bitcoins, right? I mean, fairness is all well and good, but everyone likes a free kitten. I'm really sorry I can't make a website that everyone can access, but that would cos…

Why would it be a shame? Life has always been unfair. Even if you were to make an accessible version of the website, people with no internet access wouldn't be able to access it so how is that fair? You can't really enforce "fairness" because it's subjective. In this particular case however, the office had wheelchair-accessible rooms so I don't see why the booths had to be accessible as well when they serve the same…

For the same reason there's not a whites only restroom.

How do you not understand that if your business offers something, it has to be accessible and available to everyone? Otherwise, it's discrimination.

> Life has always been unfair.

And laws like this ensure the world doesn't become even more unfair.

Re: My Time at Snap

#96

Post by wastedhours »

bluesign wrote: post #83
whynaut wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It says in a few parts that this was agreed on at hiring. Should probably also be in writing, but that doesn’t excuse them from deciding not to honor one day.

Actual it seems like, he agreed with customer ops manager about conditions, but HR didn't assign him to customer ops, but to another engineering department. So basically, such an important thing for him, he should have confirmed about the conditions with the new manager at least.

Once again highlighting the importance of getting anything important written down in a verified document. After a conversation with anyone about this sort of thing, send an email outlining your understanding to the decider and push for confirmation it's accurate.

They might still not honour it, but at least you'll have some sort of leg to stand on.

Re: My Time at Snap

#97

Post by DanBC »

bko wrote: post #92
DanBC wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You've missed out quite a lot. The ADA was passed in 1990, so it was in place a full 17 years before Berkeley started adding video to the web. The university strongly agreed with disability accessibility law. They put policies in place to make sure content was accessible. They offered free support to professors to make content accessible, and they required professors to sign documents saying "I have made this accessi…

Why was it inevitable? What's the point of removing content because its not accessible to some small fraction of the population? Is this meant to punish the professors who signed something they likely didn't fully read? It seems that it's punishing individuals who would find this information useful.

It forces organisations to comply with the law.

What's the point of a law that can just be ignored with no consequences?

> who signed something they likely didn't fully read?

I'm always surprised when I hear this. Signing a document to say you've complied with the law when you haven't complied with the law is a pretty big deal. Maybe I'm missing some context, but you should read the things you're signing.

Re: My Time at Snap

#98

Post by wikibob »

akhilcacharya wrote: post #73
paxys wrote: post #47

We have all worked for a "John" in the industry. The big systematic problem is that after being fired from Snap (probably after already collecting massive paychecks and a hefty chunk of equity), he will go to another big tech company and impress them with his resume and bullshitting skills. They will hire him and deal with his antics for a few years, while he ruins more people's careers, then he will move on. Rinse a…

I’m on a 5/15/40/40 vesting schedule. I think it’s fine because it ends up being the same TC but more cash heavy. Tech stocks have been stagnant my tenure so I don’t mind that much.

Can you elaborate? I know Amazon has this extremely unequal vesting schedule. Are they now doing yearly comp targets and bringing you up to that target with cash?

Re: My Time at Snap

#99

Post by CathedralBorrow »

curiousgal wrote: post #48
paxys wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Literally in the next line he says that the conference rooms were always booked and not really an alternative (which is pretty standard in any office)

That's a different issue now isn't it? Access is provided but not guaranteed. You don't see cities with bike lanes forcing those lanes to be clear.

If the accessible alternative isn't really an alternative then I don't think that's a different issue at all.

Re: My Time at Snap

#100

Post by thiscatis »

On the one hand I recognise a lot of the teams and work issues this developer had. But reading between the lines it seems like this dev wanted it all, equity without commitment, weeks of remote work without formal agreement, a quick cash out over adding value to the company...Seems very entitled to me. It looks very one-sided as well. Everything had to come from the company and its management, nothing from his side.
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