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Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

nytimes.com

171–180 of 635 posts

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#171
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

there is also prestige associated to big names like Facebook (and Google, Apple, etc)

What other big companies are associated with similar prestige?

In the SV tech community, Dropbox, Uber, Snapchat, Spotify, AirBnB, Lyft, Netflix, Pinterest, Robinhood to name several.

Outside the tech community, probably Amazon, Microsoft, and Instagram (most people don't know Facebook owns Instagram).

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#172

What are some secure Facebook Messenger alternatives to use? The only reason I currently have Facebook is because of the ease behind Messenger but I do not want to continue using their services. I also need to be able to convince my friends to try a different platform since I want to be able to continue to communicate with them. Any advice?

There are some well-known alternatives: Signal, Telegram, any XMPP server (which you can host)... As for convincing your friends to switch to it, there's no one-size-fit-all method.

Thanks, I will check these out.

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#173
post #150

What are some secure Facebook Messenger alternatives to use? The only reason I currently have Facebook is because of the ease behind Messenger but I do not want to continue using their services. I also need to be able to convince my friends to try a different platform since I want to be able to continue to communicate with them. Any advice?

a good argument for switching to signal is that you can also use it to send sms messages, which means you don't have to switch between apps as much or at least lets you cut down on the amount of IM apps you have installed

That is nice. Does WhatsApp not support SMS?

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#174

What are some secure Facebook Messenger alternatives to use? The only reason I currently have Facebook is because of the ease behind Messenger but I do not want to continue using their services. I also need to be able to convince my friends to try a different platform since I want to be able to continue to communicate with them. Any advice?

Totally understand, instead you can use WhatsApp Or Instagram has great messaging, and if you’re brave oculus can do great VR chat!

Thanks! VR chat looks like the wild west, not sure if I'm ready for that.

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is essential that tech companies, especially ones that provide critical infrastructure, place technical excellence above other priorities. Denigrating meritocracy is like pollution: the impact may not be immediate, and in the short term, it may look like you can have your cake and eat it too, but the universe is not caring and not kind, and if you forget about the need for excellence in the continual struggle agai…

Is Facebook now considered critical infrastructure?

Facebook is positioning itself to be a -- the -- private source of a "social score", somewhat akin to what the Chinese government is doing.

As that comes into place and use, how many companies are going to be basing their pricing -- their entire product offers, in light of the availability of this information, this "score" (and all the categorization behind it) -- upon it?

Bingo. Critical infrastructure. (Like it or not, for some of us.)

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is Facebook now considered critical infrastructure?

To my two SMEs, yes, it is. It is responsible for 95% of our Marketing effort and 60% Sales. So to us, FB brings in the money.

The fact that you are dependent on FB for revenue does not make it "critical infrastructure". Few people are harmed if you go out of business.

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#178

Recently talked to 2 friends working for fb. According to them, the culture there is very toxic. For a master's degree, once get in, you need to get promoted in 22 months (I might misremember the actual number.) or you will have to leave. Debugging is never counted as a real work, so for quick promotion, nobody wants to solve bugs unless a bug becomes too obvious. And they also complained about no work-life balance.…

What, exactly, is wrong with the expectation that people make senior level eventually? What exactly is wrong with being able to work at any time? I worked there for years, and if I was landing code at 12am, it was because I was excited about what I was doing. It was wonderful being able to work with people from all over the world on high-impact projects, and fixing important bugs was definitely high-impact. People wh…

"landing code at 12am, it was because I was excited about what I was doing"

I can't believe people put up with this. I really hope you got paid for that time.

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#179

Said this yesterday in the other Facebook thread, and I'll say it again. Working for Facebook is a morally bankrupt position. If you are an engineer you have plenty of job opportunities available to you and there is no excuse for you to continue contributing your labor and time to a wholly malignant organization. At a certain point one has to ask how we as an industry will start dealing with those who continue to tak…

Downvoting this makes it no less true. You are personally reponsible for every project you enable.

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the flip side celebrating a culture where (allegedly) people are expected to toss out their personal lives and time (what is sometimes referred to as passion in some circles) is a race to the bottom. It means colleagues who DON'T do this are punished or replaced. Perhaps that's what you refer to as mediocrity, the unwillingness to put in long workdays that extend into night.

Do you think that I should be forced not to code after a certain time of day? I wouldn't work at a company that imposed this restriction.

Yes, and it shouldn't be up to an employer to set that limit, but to regulatory bodies. Having people spend 12-14h a day working is not good in the long term, and expecting people to do that otherwise they will be fired is draconic.
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