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Facebook under fire over secret teen research

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Facebook under fire over secret teen research

#21

Post by rozap »

i_love_music wrote: post #17

Such a shame Facebook is considered a prestigious place to work. Sure, you can become a millionaire, but at what cost? Is this what you imagined you would do as a kid interested in math/computers/science?

It's a useful tool for hiring though. I wouldn't be able to hire anyone who worked there. At least at my current job, a functioning moral compass is required due to the impact our clients (governments) have on the general population. It's part of our interview process to figure out if someone cares about how their work effects people.

Not that the pay scales overlap much anyway.

Re: Facebook under fire over secret teen research

#22

Post by lostlogin »

i_love_music wrote: post #17

Such a shame Facebook is considered a prestigious place to work. Sure, you can become a millionaire, but at what cost? Is this what you imagined you would do as a kid interested in math/computers/science?

> Such a shame Facebook is considered a prestigious place to work.

Is it? It’s not my industry but I haven’t got that impression from reading threads here.

Re: Facebook under fire over secret teen research

#23

Post by voidfunc »

i_love_music wrote: post #17

Such a shame Facebook is considered a prestigious place to work. Sure, you can become a millionaire, but at what cost? Is this what you imagined you would do as a kid interested in math/computers/science?

I like money. Not at Facebook but would join if I was looking again. Someone’s gonna get the money, it might as well be me.

Re: Facebook under fire over secret teen research

#24

Post by na85 »

voidfunc wrote: post #23
i_love_music wrote: post #17

Such a shame Facebook is considered a prestigious place to work. Sure, you can become a millionaire, but at what cost? Is this what you imagined you would do as a kid interested in math/computers/science?

I like money. Not at Facebook but would join if I was looking again. Someone’s gonna get the money, it might as well be me.

>Someone’s gonna get the money, it might as well be me.

Ethics are disappointingly rare in Software. Such a shame.

Re: Facebook under fire over secret teen research

#25

Post by dr_dshiv »

I'm concerned that this whole narrative implies that research is the problem. It feels like a continuation of when people were shocked, shocked when it was revealed that Facebook was conducting experiments on people. Well, the issue wasn't the A/B testing exactly, but rather the publishing of the experiments in scientific journals. As you know, public outrage put a stop to that. (The scientific publishing, not the A/B tests)

Now, there is outrage over "secret" internal research on the effect of Facebook on mental health. Well, i guess that means Zuck will just gut the entire research domain investigating user wellbeing. Too bad.

Re: Facebook under fire over secret teen research

#26

Post by munk-a »

voidfunc wrote: post #23
i_love_music wrote: post #17

Such a shame Facebook is considered a prestigious place to work. Sure, you can become a millionaire, but at what cost? Is this what you imagined you would do as a kid interested in math/computers/science?

I like money. Not at Facebook but would join if I was looking again. Someone’s gonna get the money, it might as well be me.

No - nobody needs to get the money. You can decide to only work for ethical companies and by doing so you do contribute to the pressure from the labour pool for companies to act ethically.

Yes - there are tons of developers, but a lot of senior devs won't nab offers from facebook due to their poor corporate profile and their hiring is, as a result, incredibly desperate at the senior level. Those folks who do consent to work for them command higher salaries because of this shortfall and most of us just get jobs that don't leave a bad taste in our mouth.

Re: Facebook under fire over secret teen research

#27

Post by notJim »

notyourwork wrote: post #3

Does anyone remember Cosmopolitan and other like magazines. Teenage body issues and associated anxiety are not new. What has happened is we gave everyone internet access so now they can look at pictures of unrealistic bodies all day everywhere they go. The result is body dysmorphia on steroids.

I don't think this is quite it, I think you're underrating the social aspect of it, and the algorithm aspect of it.

When I was in high school (livejournal and myspace era), I had a friend group where most of the hanging out occurred IRL. I hung out with the dorks, so there was not a lot of focus on being hot and stuff. And IRL, there aren't algorithms that constantly shove pretty people in your face. Of course you see them around, but you also see tons of normal looking or even ugly people. None of my friends really read Cosmo and stuff, because we were focused on our interests.

But in today's era, so much of the social scene is online. And the systems are set up in a way to basically constantly show you pretty people. It is hard to avoid the aspects of it you don't like without also missing out on things you do like.

Re: Facebook under fire over secret teen research

#28

Post by ghuin »

na85 wrote: post #24
voidfunc wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like money. Not at Facebook but would join if I was looking again. Someone’s gonna get the money, it might as well be me.

>Someone’s gonna get the money, it might as well be me. Ethics are disappointingly rare in Software. Such a shame.

Or people don't share your views on ethics.

Re: Facebook under fire over secret teen research

#29

Post by discobot »

i_love_music wrote: post #17

Such a shame Facebook is considered a prestigious place to work. Sure, you can become a millionaire, but at what cost? Is this what you imagined you would do as a kid interested in math/computers/science?

Some believe that facebook is a positive force in the world, despite being hated.

Re: Facebook under fire over secret teen research

#30

Post by throwaway10895 »

rozap wrote: post #21
i_love_music wrote: post #17

Such a shame Facebook is considered a prestigious place to work. Sure, you can become a millionaire, but at what cost? Is this what you imagined you would do as a kid interested in math/computers/science?

It's a useful tool for hiring though. I wouldn't be able to hire anyone who worked there. At least at my current job, a functioning moral compass is required due to the impact our clients (governments) have on the general population. It's part of our interview process to figure out if someone cares about how their work effects people. Not that the pay scales overlap much anyway.

If Facebook was only full of people without a functioning moral compass then none of this research would have been done in the first place.
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