And yet, the machine keeps churning along. Facebook is what it looks like when an open democratic society develops cancer.
I'm resigning from my job at Facebook
61–70 of 493 posts
Re: I'm resigning from my job at Facebook
#62This is all nonsense to me.
Trump said if you loot, you get shot. Isn't this how our society works?
If you steal you may end up getting shot.
People are trying to react as if he said "if you walk down the street you'll get shot".
Sensitive topic, I guess.
* EDIT: The nonsense part is people calling Trump to be censored, like OP.
I am not condoning violence but I do think looting may lead to it, it's not too far from the truth.
I think the argument is that he wanted to cause violence with his comments, which could be true, but seems like an idiotic to argue over that.
What he said seems to be a fact, so I am not convinced he should be censored
Re: I'm resigning from my job at Facebook
#63Social media is fast food. If you eat it all the time it makes you feel awful and will destroy your mental and physical health. But its cheap, easy to get and tastes really good... So stupid people love it.
So true. I realized recently that social media makes me think that I hate people that I actually like! You get a quick hit of superiority, but it's the problem the most effective tool I've ever seen to divide us.
Re: I'm resigning from my job at Facebook
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
Of course it is. Arguably the people with that privilege should have more obligation to exercise it in the service of what’s right.
Whilst his stance is to be applauded, it lessens the value of the stance given that he’s not sacrificing much and won’t suffer for his cause. Doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to do, just that it would carry more weight if he was leaving to go work at Burger King. Then you’d say “man that guy stands tall”. Edit: Ok reasonable criticism, I’ll withdraw.
Currently he's leaving his ~250k job with no other job lined up. I don't think it lessens the value of his stance at all.
Re: I'm resigning from my job at Facebook
#65Presidents have all kinds of privileges that others don’t. Why should their privilege on social-media be diminished? To me the problem is not the platform but the fact that they have such exceptional privilege to begin with. What I don't understand is how you can be Facebook employee and also think the platform is the problem - lots of these especially in the React community [1]. If you believe Facebook is the proble…
Personally I find it great that Facebook allows this kind of open speech and open approach from their employees (both in the OP post but also in Abramov stance).
I hope one day this work openness will surface to be seen on their products as well.
Re: I'm resigning from my job at Facebook
#66He’s standing up for what he believes. You can disagree with his convictions, but you should admire anyone who risks personal and financial consequences for sticking to their guns. That’s what actual morality is—not just a “belief” that is talked about but acted upon even when the results will be costly.
I just don't agree that severing professional ties over political disputes is admirable. For society to function, people need to be willing to work with others whose politics they find distasteful.
>For society to function, people need to be willing to work with others whose politics they find distasteful.
Why?
I am not on some high horse here, I am not sure what I would be willing to put up with if I had no other options but I certainly prefer working with companies that have values that are aligned with my own.
Re: I'm resigning from my job at Facebook
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
Of course it is. Arguably the people with that privilege should have more obligation to exercise it in the service of what’s right.
Listening to that argument is a clear “catch 22”. If he quits his job, it’s not much of a stance but obviously staying is not a stance either. What was he supposed to do? I think that in a capitalist country we choose who we buy from and who we work for. These are two powerful choices that can shape society. He’s doing the right thing.
> obviously staying is not a stance either
This is not obvious to me.
Re: I'm resigning from my job at Facebook
#68Presidents have all kinds of privileges that others don’t. Why should their privilege on social-media be diminished? To me the problem is not the platform but the fact that they have such exceptional privilege to begin with. What I don't understand is how you can be Facebook employee and also think the platform is the problem - lots of these especially in the React community [1]. If you believe Facebook is the proble…
Not just “working for”, but being a very public face of the company for people they are trying to recruit. It rings hollow.
Re: I'm resigning from my job at Facebook
#69He’s standing up for what he believes. You can disagree with his convictions, but you should admire anyone who risks personal and financial consequences for sticking to their guns. That’s what actual morality is—not just a “belief” that is talked about but acted upon even when the results will be costly.
I just don't agree that severing professional ties over political disputes is admirable. For society to function, people need to be willing to work with others whose politics they find distasteful.
> I just don't agree that severing professional ties over political disputes is admirable.
Never? If you worked for an employer that seated black people in the back in the 1960s, it wouldn't be admirable to quit?
Re: I'm resigning from my job at Facebook
#70The engineer describes Facebook as being on the "wrong side of History." I take this opportunity to remind my fellow readers that History is not an infallible goddess to be worshipped. The moral arc of the past several hundred years has bent towards liberty and tolerance, but this has not been consistent and was not inevitable. It is precisely when your values are on the "wrong side of History" that you should be def…
I think you don't understand the phrase.
Optimists believe that the future will be better, that people will be wiser.
They believe that those future enlightened people will look back at some people and actions, and believe that they were on the wrong side of history.
It's not a popularity contest. It's a belief that we get better over time by making moral actions.
"It is precisely when your values are on the 'wrong side of History' that you should be defending them the most strongly."
No one believes their own values are on the wrong side of History.
"Justify your actions because they are right, not because they will be popular."
Everyone thinks their own values are right.
And if you are an optimist, you believe the future will be better. And so therefore, you are advocating doing things that would make the future worse. It's a very odd way to think.
Unless, you're a pessimist? And you think the future will be worse, and so you're trying to prevent the backslide? And you're saying "screw you" to those idiots in the future?