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Hugo Barra is joining Facebook to lead virtual reality

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Re: Hugo Barra is joining Facebook to lead virtual reality

#21

Post by bshimmin »

whowalrus wrote: post #12
hueving wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm on this site a lot and don't know who this is. It would help if someone actually provided context in a comment so readers can understand why this made it to the front page. Your response to Google it is juvenile and doesn't add to the discussion.

I'm on this site a lot, I know who it is and I understand why it made to the front page. It would help everyone (you included) if you try Google first whenever someone (or something) you don't know is mentioned in a discussion. Even if you search for previous mentions of Hugo Barra on Hacker News, you'd learn that stories mentioning his leaving Xiaomi have made the frontpage in the last few days [1]. As a person who…

Just think - the time you spent writing that snarky response could just as easily have been spent writing, for example, "He worked at Google from 2008-13 and had various prominent positions relating to Android, then he took a role as VP at Xiaomi where he played a big role in turning that outfit into a company you've heard of".

Re: Hugo Barra is joining Facebook to lead virtual reality

#22

Post by brynjolf »

bshimmin wrote: post #21
whowalrus wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm on this site a lot, I know who it is and I understand why it made to the front page. It would help everyone (you included) if you try Google first whenever someone (or something) you don't know is mentioned in a discussion. Even if you search for previous mentions of Hugo Barra on Hacker News, you'd learn that stories mentioning his leaving Xiaomi have made the frontpage in the last few days [1]. As a person who…

Just think - the time you spent writing that snarky response could just as easily have been spent writing, for example, "He worked at Google from 2008-13 and had various prominent positions relating to Android, then he took a role as VP at Xiaomi where he played a big role in turning that outfit into a company you've heard of".

Same time it would have took to Google it...

Re: Hugo Barra is joining Facebook to lead virtual reality

#24

Post by nl »

hueving wrote: post #4

Can someone provide some context as to who this is and why it's newsworthy?

Hugo Barra was previously a VP of product development in Google's Android division. He moved to Xiaomi a few years ago, and oversaw their international expansion. That was seen as a pretty big move, since it was probably the most significant poaching of a non-Chinese executive from US tech company by a Chinese tech company.

His resignation from Xiaomi was announced a few days ago - presumably in order to move to this role.

Re: Hugo Barra is joining Facebook to lead virtual reality

#27

Post by mzarate06 »

general_ai wrote: post #14

So much for "hard work was affecting my health".

That's not what he said, though.

Here's what he did say (his full post is here [1], if anyone's curious), which I think indicate culture, area, and distance from where he considers home as the factors affecting his health:

But what I've realized is that the last few years of living in such a singular environment have taken a huge toll on my life and started affecting my health. My friends, what I consider to be my home, and my life are back in Silicon Valley, which is also much closer to my family. Seeing how much I've left behind these past few years, it is clear to me that the time has come to return.

Specifics or misquotes aside, if you meant that the offer from Facebook was his primary reason for leaving, I can see that too, so won't disagree with the notion.

[1] https://www.facebook.com/hbarra76/posts/10154010035641612

Re: Hugo Barra is joining Facebook to lead virtual reality

#28

Post by whowalrus »

bshimmin wrote: post #21
whowalrus wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm on this site a lot, I know who it is and I understand why it made to the front page. It would help everyone (you included) if you try Google first whenever someone (or something) you don't know is mentioned in a discussion. Even if you search for previous mentions of Hugo Barra on Hacker News, you'd learn that stories mentioning his leaving Xiaomi have made the frontpage in the last few days [1]. As a person who…

Just think - the time you spent writing that snarky response could just as easily have been spent writing, for example, "He worked at Google from 2008-13 and had various prominent positions relating to Android, then he took a role as VP at Xiaomi where he played a big role in turning that outfit into a company you've heard of".

> Just think - the time you spent writing that snarky response could just as easily have been spent writing...

Is it better to feed fish to a person, or teach them to catch one?

I admit that I was snarky as a response to the entitlement I sensed in his reply to the LMGTFY link. When I come across a discussion on Hacker News (or elsewhere) talking about things I don't know, I take a moment to Google first.

Because asking "who is he, and why should I care?" (which is what the original question amounts to) isn't contributing to the discussion much either.

Re: Hugo Barra is joining Facebook to lead virtual reality

#29

Post by raverbashing »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #16
general_ai wrote: post #14

So much for "hard work was affecting my health".

More like Beijing air pollution was affecting his health. That was my reason as well, moving from Microsoft in Beijing to YC Research in LA.

And Chinese idiosyncrasies, and Chinese food, and the emotional stress of being far from family and friends

(I'm not saying the pollution is not a factor, but it's probably not the main one)

Re: Hugo Barra is joining Facebook to lead virtual reality

#30

Post by seanmcdirmid »

raverbashing wrote: post #29
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More like Beijing air pollution was affecting his health. That was my reason as well, moving from Microsoft in Beijing to YC Research in LA.

And Chinese idiosyncrasies, and Chinese food, and the emotional stress of being far from family and friends (I'm not saying the pollution is not a factor, but it's probably not the main one)

None of those were deal breakers for me personally. It really came down to the air coupled with a pregnant wife and soon to be newborn who didn't need to suffer through that.
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