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6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex
51–60 of 204 posts
Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
Tech is now a mercenary in the battle for people's attention and/or a fraction of their monthly money. The number of people in tech grew in absolute terms. That also means the fraction of people giving back to open source also grows and we are getting better open source software. Many however don't give back, they just take.
Are we demonstrably getting better open source software? By what metric? (Not sure myself, asking in good faith.)
I sure don't see it. When I look at how fast FOSS advanced between the late 90s and the mid 00s, and compare to after the '08 meltdown, it doesn't look the same at all.
Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex
#53While this author is of a younger generation, this really resonated with me as a Gen Xer. I feel there is so much disillusionment among folks that came of age during the 90s because there was so much techno optimism then, and it didn't quite turn out like we envisioned. Two things made me think about this recently: 1. I saw a Reddit post that was titled something like "The 90s were peak humanity. Enough tech to make…
> That viral quote that was making the rounds, "I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes." We developed machines that would do your laundry and dishes decades ago. The current trend is to make them less and less functional over time.
You still have to load and unload the machines. Sort it, organize it. Still lot's of work.
It is just not a trivial problem, to solve.
Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex
#54This person acts like they were disseminating propaganda for the reich. I get that doing corporate PR probably feels very cynical in general but coaching founders not to fumble the bag in an interview or writing blog posts about funding rounds are on the lesser evils side I think. Who is the victim of manipulation there? VCs? Lol
> This person acts like they were disseminating propaganda for the reich. I think part of the comfort one could enjoy when working for the Reich is that you are working for your own government and you are part of a large network of people that are actively telling the same lies you are. You might also assume that large parts of the population know you are lying, but you're lying "patriotically," so you feel much less…
I don’t know. The whole thing feels pretty insular. Who even pays attention to this kind of content that isn’t in the industry? The general public doesn’t care about this. An actually bad example of corporate PR is spinning oil spills or dangerous side effects with prime time advertisements. This is just good business imo
Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
Right but..for whom? Again: AI existing doesn't stop people doing writing or making art. What it does stop is getting paid for those activities where they are paid for: but then, that's not "unbridled creativity" anymore - that's "corporate says we need a stylized picture of a man standing in a field by tomorrow". Or it's the exact thing the author in the linked blog here is talking about: what was their actual job?…
... There is no AI or anything that can do your laundry or dishes. There is AI that can do your hobby. That's literally all the quote is pointing out. You can talk about how capitalism ruins art, sure, but that's a different topic than the quote.
But there’s no AI that can do your hobby either. If your hobby is painting… are you painting for those who are now paying Chatgpt for their painting needs? Have you been robbed of your hobby? No. The scenario is as imaginary as Dishwashgpt remains.
Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex
#56Advertising.
That's the problem. Computing has become a branch of the ad industry.
What we need is a big tax on advertising and marketing. In the US, it doesn't create more demand, because most people are spent out. It just moves demand around. So much of that effort is a net lose that pushes prices up.
(This might be politically possible during an "anti-tech" Trump administration.)
Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex
#57This is very well written. Good on them for following their integrity.
More people in this industry should realize that there are large sections of it that are deeply toxic to humanity, and reconsider whether they want to be a part of that. For all the "disruption" caused by "unicorns", has it really had a net positive effect on our lives? Big Tech companies keep building technology that is designed to extract as much value from their users by any means necessary. Most of the startup world revolves around growing companies based on this premise, in the hopes of one day making it big as well. There are still companies that ignore this rat race and try to do the right thing, but they are hard to come by. Those are the real unicorns, IMO.
I realize the irony of this opinion on a VC forum. But this needs to resonate here more than anywhere else.
Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex
#58While this author is of a younger generation, this really resonated with me as a Gen Xer. I feel there is so much disillusionment among folks that came of age during the 90s because there was so much techno optimism then, and it didn't quite turn out like we envisioned. Two things made me think about this recently: 1. I saw a Reddit post that was titled something like "The 90s were peak humanity. Enough tech to make…
I used to love computers and software. When the next great thing came out, I’d be an enthusiastic early adopter, and enjoyed the new powers the technology gave me. Now, whenever something new comes out, my first thought is: “how is this thing going to suck up my personal data and monetize me?” And my second thought is “how is this going to wreck some part of life and/or humanity and turn it into profits for the rich?…
It's interesting to read this from a market research perspective. I have a very similar opinion and also consider(ed) myself an early adopter.
This may just mean that early adopters are now signaliing that they are getting bored with software/tech and the rest of the market may soon follow that opinion.
Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex
#59If you are grounded in religious faith, your whole life won’t revolve around whatever your job is. The author seems very intertwined with his job and the output. I’m not saying you shouldn’t analyze the meaning of your work, but he seems fairly un-anchored
Anchoring your life to a set of beliefs that, by necessity, are entirely unanchored by reality is not a strategy that works for everyone.
Not beliefs, but practices and experiences that appear to reveal truths otherwise inaccessible
Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex
#60I love it.
There have been a few times in my life where I put everything on the line (or so I felt then) for a value I deeply held. Risking friendships, letting go of money, deeply uprooting behaviors… all for abstract (yet impactful) ideas like honesty and kindness.
I in no way regretted those choices, ever, and found that after a few weeks or months my position was strengthened. Integrity has this effect — it closes feedback loops. The result is a deep empowerment.
I praise the author and wish them continued courage.