31–40 of 255 posts
I've done the path from SWE to SRE and back to SWE. I was always happy to do production support and diagnose and fix production problems, so I naturally moved to SRE which is always looking for people. It was a real mistake, SRE is hugely stressful and really unrewarding compared to SWE. Yes you learn some skills and get some occasional glory, but year after year of fighting fires really didn't build any long lasting…
There are a bunch of comments saying that Google is just like any other big tech company and that the exciting engineering bit has gone. My experience is only from the last 2.5 years, but I've got a slightly different take. Engineering from >10 years ago seems like it was a wild west. Some truly stunning pieces of technology, strung together with duct tape. Everything had its own configuration language, workflow engi…
On the other hand, someone who started in 2015 missed out on the years when Google was mostly considered to be the good guys and given the benefit of the doubt. That’s about when the culture started turning against “big tech” in general (rather than specific companies like Microsoft).
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> IBM has never a company where engineers could rise to the same ranks as directors and higher with a solid IC track. Never? Maybe if you’re talking the last 15-20 years, but IBM has been around a lot longer than that… I personally know people who moved up the ranks there to director and above, so I can say with confidence you’re absolutely wrong.
Yes! It’s sad how ignorant of IBM and US technology industry history some of these comments are. Then again, I suppose every generation does a lot of its own “this time we’re different” myth making. Not everyone has the wisdom to see the broader context.
Obviously people could read about the past, but sometimes that's asking too much, they are busy creating "the future".
There are a bunch of comments saying that Google is just like any other big tech company and that the exciting engineering bit has gone. My experience is only from the last 2.5 years, but I've got a slightly different take. Engineering from >10 years ago seems like it was a wild west. Some truly stunning pieces of technology, strung together with duct tape. Everything had its own configuration language, workflow engi…
I look at it as somewhat inevitable considering the path the company has taken, but it is certainly different. We are cranking out money and that’s fine, but it is a change.
It's like the fourth time I read/hear this. I understand that it's a tricky one to adress.
There are a bunch of comments saying that Google is just like any other big tech company and that the exciting engineering bit has gone. My experience is only from the last 2.5 years, but I've got a slightly different take. Engineering from >10 years ago seems like it was a wild west. Some truly stunning pieces of technology, strung together with duct tape. Everything had its own configuration language, workflow engi…
Although there were some rough areas, Google has been considered to have pretty advanced software engineering for 20 years or more. There was plenty for a new engineer to boggle at even then. On the other hand, someone who started in 2015 missed out on the years when Google was mostly considered to be the good guys and given the benefit of the doubt. That’s about when the culture started turning against “big tech” in…
It's been interesting to see the tech and public zeitgeist shift on this.
Lesson: if you're going to be popular for killing a king, be careful how similarly the thing you place on your head starts to look to a crown.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes! It’s sad how ignorant of IBM and US technology industry history some of these comments are. Then again, I suppose every generation does a lot of its own “this time we’re different” myth making. Not everyone has the wisdom to see the broader context.
Indeee. I think because for younger generation is physically impossible to have experienced it, while for the older generations it's complicated to get into a disruptive startup. Obviously people could read about the past, but sometimes that's asking too much, they are busy creating "the future".