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Tech Workers' Values

blog.samaltman.com

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Re: Tech Workers' Values

#31

Post by cortesoft »

EduardoBautista wrote: post #7
adrianratnapala wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Engineers like money too. And demand it from their employers. If you are not doing that, you should.

Yes. I don't understand the people who say "I'd rather work in a company with a good working environment" as if you have to work for peanuts to have a good job. If you are convinced to work for a low salary in the name of "culture" your employer is laughing all the way to the bank.

I don't know... most of those places that pay a low salary in the name of 'culture' are startups, and most of those don't ever make any money... so there isn't really anyone laughing all the way to the bank.

Re: Tech Workers' Values

#32

Post by rhizome »

zorpner wrote: post #6

This is a pretty bizarre and direct ripoff of pinboard's Tech Solidarity, except run by The Man and they'll "select" who's allowed to attend. Classless and tone-deaf would be charitable interpretation.

On the contrary, it's entirely class-ful. The lesson from this post is that the moneyed class will not allow the rabble any leadership.

But hey, Friday flamebait I guess.

Re: Tech Workers' Values

#33

Post by paulddraper »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #10

We believe that employees should come together and clearly define the values and policies they'd like to see their companies uphold. A tech union isn't the perfect metaphor for this, but it's not far off. If it's going to do anything but be window dressing then it needs to have the teeth of union - so just call it what it is. I've argued for a while that tech workers need a union, but the chorus on HN and other place…

We're not special. We're just like the other engineering disciplines.

Re: Tech Workers' Values

#34

Post by pizzetta »

I both like the idea of unions on the one hand (have greater group self-determination) but on the other hand it can lead to ossification and ultimately our own demise (through complacency, irrelevancy, protectionism, etc.)

I do like the idea of spreading the wealth to other parts of the country, especially those that are hit hardest by the changing characteristics of the economy --people we often forget, hollowed out industrial cities, forgotten rural areas, etc.

Re: Tech Workers' Values

#35

Post by lackbeard »

I can't articulate why exactly... but I have a very bad feeling about this.

> We also believe tech companies have an opportunity and an obligation to reduce the polarization we've helped create.

I'm pretty sure this kind of thing is just going to make the polarization worse.

Re: Tech Workers' Values

#36

Post by djsumdog »

alphonsegaston wrote: post #11

There's already a solution for this - worker ownership of companies with corresponding democratic rights. We've just emerged from an era where benevolent tech companies were supposed to stand up for us and reflect our values. Instead, they put on a polite face, said the right words to us, and then did whatever served their interests irrespective of our concerns. Repeating this scenario is foolish and only going to wo…

I like the fictional future on Mars in the Kim Stanley Robinson novels where there are no companies, but co-ops. Your time goes into the co-op and everyone owns a portion of that for life.

This is a greater dramatic shift and I'm not sure if we'll see it in our lifetimes, but it would be nice that, even that first high school job at a cinema would earn you shares in that company equal to the time you put in, for life. In some ways, that would make more sense than basic minimum income.

Re: Tech Workers' Values

#37

Post by [deleted] »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #10

We believe that employees should come together and clearly define the values and policies they'd like to see their companies uphold. A tech union isn't the perfect metaphor for this, but it's not far off. If it's going to do anything but be window dressing then it needs to have the teeth of union - so just call it what it is. I've argued for a while that tech workers need a union, but the chorus on HN and other place…

[deleted]

Re: Tech Workers' Values

#38

Post by yanilkr »

Tech workers have something so much better than that. Freedom. If you do not like the values of the current company find a new one or start one.

Mob rule knows no fairness. When your ideas are vague, people fill them up with their version of fairness. Employees who are just starting out do not know anything about making sacrifices to build something bigger than themselves. If they collectively form a gang and override the will of the founders and investors who made more sacrifices, it drains the spirit of the individual to risk their time and savings to start something new.

People are free to organize their efforts but it takes founders and their sacrifices to make things happen. This collective power should embrace ideas of fairness and voluntarism instead of laws and force to get their way.

Re: Tech Workers' Values

#39

Post by sidlls »

paulddraper wrote: post #33
AndrewKemendo wrote: post #10

We believe that employees should come together and clearly define the values and policies they'd like to see their companies uphold. A tech union isn't the perfect metaphor for this, but it's not far off. If it's going to do anything but be window dressing then it needs to have the teeth of union - so just call it what it is. I've argued for a while that tech workers need a union, but the chorus on HN and other place…

We're not special. We're just like the other engineering disciplines.

No, this industry is far from being like the other engineering disciplines. It should be like them, but it is still far too immature to be put at that level.
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