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Google's Decline Really Bugs Me

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Re: Google's Decline Really Bugs Me

#211

Post by nhangen »

vdaniuk wrote: post #151
chrissnell wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know if you served or if you were just alluding to it but your last point got me thinking: In the Army, I lived the most barebones kind of lifestyle and did a job that often put my family through hell but was buoyed by the feeling that I was part of the most noble of professions. In this industry, I've provided incredible privilege, comfort, and stability for my family but have always felt that this industry…

Is this sarcasm? Do you really consider being in the Army a noble profession? And do you think that the software industry serves humanity in general less than military industry?

It's sad that the Armed Forces are now looked upon with disdain by hackers mere decades after the West wrested the world from Germany's grasp.

Say what you want about the military industrial complex, but lets not forget that should any of our countries be invaded, we will be very grateful that those guns pointing at the invaders.

Re: Google's Decline Really Bugs Me

#212

Post by crusso »

raverbashing wrote: post #144
alaskamiller wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While eating my second dinner plate of something delicious on the campus I looked around and saw how many children and families were around. The company provides, so much, for you, for your family. You wouldn't to ever lose what you have now gotten used to, for yourself, for your family. So now you become a company man. What's good for the company must be good for you. What's good about knowing more people, how they…

"The company provides, so much, for you, for your family. You wouldn't to ever lose what you have now gotten used to, for yourself, for your family" Ah, the infamous golden cage At times like this I'm so glad I didn't join Google. And by join I mean I wasn't approved in their dysfunctional interview system.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fox_and_the_Grapes

Re: Google's Decline Really Bugs Me

#214

Post by gdulli »

brosco45 wrote: post #58

Yeah, I noticed Google interviewers are no longer showing enthusiasm during the interview, it's a very worrying sign.

It took a while for me to be able to articulate it, but that was what bothered me about my interview. The recruiter was all positivity, but the first real person who interviewed me seemed like he hated his job. It was the biggest turn-off.

Re: Google's Decline Really Bugs Me

#216

Post by raverbashing »

crusso wrote: post #212
raverbashing wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"The company provides, so much, for you, for your family. You wouldn't to ever lose what you have now gotten used to, for yourself, for your family" Ah, the infamous golden cage At times like this I'm so glad I didn't join Google. And by join I mean I wasn't approved in their dysfunctional interview system.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fox_and_the_Grapes

I know it looks like that, but that reaction happens often right after it.

Of course I didn't like not being accepted (that was in 2007 btw).

But based on what now is showing and the opinion of people that have worked there (and the jobs I had afterwards) I see that it didn't matter much in the end, and I believe that even though having Google in your CV is something that's good, not entering allowed me to pursue a lot of other things.

And the opinion that the Google selection process (not only theirs) is dysfunctional is widely shared.

Re: Google's Decline Really Bugs Me

#217

Post by wmeredith »

dudus wrote: post #198

The stock market thinks differently. GOOG is above 1,000 for a while now. Of course you may dismiss my point rapidly since the Market is more interested in Financial profit than any other thing. But the same thing can be said about Hacker News. What bothers HN readers/writers will not, necessarily, bother the average consumer, the same way what really boost the Stocks may don't matter to average HN reader. Despite th…

The problem with Wall street is they're only focused on short term profits. Google creeping everyone the fuck out for a few years will eventually take a toll on the bottom lines even if it helps them this quarter. (I'm not just talking about devs either, everyone I know thinks they're a little creepy - from my grandma to my nieces.)

Re: Google's Decline Really Bugs Me

#218

Post by SilkRoadie »

elastoplast wrote: post #193
SilkRoadie wrote: post #189

I am not sure decline is the correct word. Google's choice of direction really bugs me. Scrapping the 20% developer time is fine. Cutting down projects to focus the company on a handful of products is cool. I never used Reader anyway. What is worrying is the way Google is becoming more and more creepy. They have so much information about you and with the increasing rollout of Google+ I feel more and more like I am be…

20% time has not been scrapped. This is a recurrent rumour that pops up over and over again. It is not true. There have always been people who felt like they were unable to take it, or it was really 120% time or whatever. I've had a variety of 20% projects for years, and I've never worked 120%. You have to be able to manage your teams and managers expectations, and if you commit to a deadline and fall behind then you…

Thanks for the clarification. I thought I read a while ago it was being scaled back and you needed approval to get cracking on a 20% project. Either I remember incorrectly or the story was untrue.

Re: Google's Decline Really Bugs Me

#219

Post by CWuestefeld »

nhangen wrote: post #211
vdaniuk wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this sarcasm? Do you really consider being in the Army a noble profession? And do you think that the software industry serves humanity in general less than military industry?

It's sad that the Armed Forces are now looked upon with disdain by hackers mere decades after the West wrested the world from Germany's grasp. Say what you want about the military industrial complex, but lets not forget that should any of our countries be invaded, we will be very grateful that those guns pointing at the invaders.

On the other hand, there's good reason to believe that terrorism is directed against us because we're continually pointing guns in their direction.

Can it be that the military is both the problem and its own solution?

Re: Google's Decline Really Bugs Me

#220

Post by tixocloud »

Correct me if I'm wrong but I haven't read anything about maximizing profit that Steve Jobs supposedly mentioned to Larry Page. Steve Jobs mentioned about a stronger focus and a plan on figuring out what Google wants to be when it grows up. Ultimately it was Larry's choice that Google is who they are now. I'm not a big fan of Steve Jobs but I don't think it's fair to say that Steve gave bad advice - unless it's written in the book, in which case, I apologize.
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