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I built Excel for Uber and they ditched it

basta.substack.com

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Re: I built Excel for Uber and they ditched it

#11

Post by sokoloff »

Kwpolska wrote: post #8
arcbyte wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of us will strategically write generic code on our own time and machines and import it to employers machines when needed and customize it. For instance, how many times do you really need to write a spring OAuth server that integrates with LDAP? Or the guts of a simple CRUD app?

> how many times do you really need to write a spring OAuth server that integrates with LDAP? I would expect this to be a library somewhere. > import it to employers machines How would you prove that you write the code long before getting hired by them?

> I would expect this to be a library somewhere.

Indeed. That library is often written off-the-clock by person X and imported on-the-clock by person Y.

Sometimes X === Y.

Re: I built Excel for Uber and they ditched it

#12

Post by [deleted] »

Znafon wrote: post #4

"Nothing came of it, but I took the code and shoved it into my back pocket for a rainy day. My idea was to take this code and spruce it up for Uber’s use case." "My first reaction was to publish the code on Github." I’m very surprised by this, isn’t the code property of Box, or Uber? The author does not mention their authorisation before releasing it under MIT license.

[deleted]

Re: I built Excel for Uber and they ditched it

#13

Post by pagnol »

mrintegrity wrote: post #2

I get a strangely dystopian feeling from this article, like it's almost about a character in a black mirror episode

I reflexively swiped left when the inevitable newsletter modal started to appear at the bottom, so didn’t finish reading the article, but would like to know what gave you the dystopian vibe?

Re: I built Excel for Uber and they ditched it

#14

Post by michael1999 »

Znafon wrote: post #4

"Nothing came of it, but I took the code and shoved it into my back pocket for a rainy day. My idea was to take this code and spruce it up for Uber’s use case." "My first reaction was to publish the code on Github." I’m very surprised by this, isn’t the code property of Box, or Uber? The author does not mention their authorisation before releasing it under MIT license.

Uber and the people they hired never struck me as particularly concerned by things like "laws" and "property".

Re: I built Excel for Uber and they ditched it

#16

Post by bastawhiz »

Znafon wrote: post #4

"Nothing came of it, but I took the code and shoved it into my back pocket for a rainy day. My idea was to take this code and spruce it up for Uber’s use case." "My first reaction was to publish the code on Github." I’m very surprised by this, isn’t the code property of Box, or Uber? The author does not mention their authorisation before releasing it under MIT license.

Author here. The code was originally written outside of work hours. I offered the code to Box and they didn't want it.

If Uber wants a few thousand lines of JavaScript from over half a decade ago that didn't originate with them and that they used for less than a month, they can send me a letter.

Re: I built Excel for Uber and they ditched it

#18

Post by lcnPylGDnU4H9OF »

bastawhiz wrote: post #17
mrintegrity wrote: post #2

I get a strangely dystopian feeling from this article, like it's almost about a character in a black mirror episode

Man, what a commentary on my career

Alternatively, they just accidentally (I assume) called you a good storyteller.

Re: I built Excel for Uber and they ditched it

#20

Post by sublinear »

contravariant wrote: post #9
arcbyte wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of us will strategically write generic code on our own time and machines and import it to employers machines when needed and customize it. For instance, how many times do you really need to write a spring OAuth server that integrates with LDAP? Or the guts of a simple CRUD app?

Of course those of us familiar with copyright law would probably not admit to doing so publicly, right?

Quite the opposite.

Software written off the clock that does not compete with the employer is not only not the property of the employer, but any contract attempting to gain such ownership is unenforceable.

Many businesses even actively encourage their developers to contribute to open source projects.

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