The last three years of my work will be permanently abandoned • Hacker News Board

Re: The last three years of my work will be permanently abandoned

#311

Post by ericlippert » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 12:04 AM UTC

kelnos wrote: post #264

ericlippert wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see your point and don't mean to be argumentative, but a couple small corrections. First, the pivot to "meta" was just over a year ago, so it hasn't been quite years. Second, I haven't been shy about sharing my opinion internally, though I haven't been broadcasting it either. The first thing I said in our team group chat when we'd heard this announcement was (context, I am much older than most people on the team) "…

> Third, this opinion is indeed extremely common internally. It is intensely weird to me that people hold the opinion that their company is building something that is bad for the world, and yet they stay there and continue to help build it. I know that's easy to say as someone not in that situation, but not always easy to do for someone who is. I get that people don't always have a ton of choice about their employmen…

People are leaving. In droves. There has been a huge exodus of senior talent in the last year. Zuck mentioned that in an earnings call and rather than assigning himself any responsibility said that those people were unregretted attrition and lazy parasites who were just collecting a paycheck during the pandemic. (I am paraphrasing somewhat; you can look it up if you want his exact words.)

Regarding change from within -- that's what a team dedicated to improving decision making is for.

Re: The last three years of my work will be permanently abandoned

#312

Post by sangnoir » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 12:04 AM UTC

kelnos wrote: post #264

ericlippert wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see your point and don't mean to be argumentative, but a couple small corrections. First, the pivot to "meta" was just over a year ago, so it hasn't been quite years. Second, I haven't been shy about sharing my opinion internally, though I haven't been broadcasting it either. The first thing I said in our team group chat when we'd heard this announcement was (context, I am much older than most people on the team) "…

> Third, this opinion is indeed extremely common internally. It is intensely weird to me that people hold the opinion that their company is building something that is bad for the world, and yet they stay there and continue to help build it. I know that's easy to say as someone not in that situation, but not always easy to do for someone who is. I get that people don't always have a ton of choice about their employmen…

> It is intensely weird to me that people hold the opinion that their company is building something that is bad for the world, and yet they stay there and continue to help build it

Show me a big tech company (or any MNC) that is not "building something that is bad for the world". The broader question is why do people keep working for big tech, and that has been answered many times before (lots of money, smart colleagues, interesting problems, and a difference in perception on culpability.)

Re: The last three years of my work will be permanently abandoned

#313

Post by TigeriusKirk » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 12:04 AM UTC

substation13 wrote: post #262

apohn wrote: post #3

I work in the field of Data Science and one upsetting reality has started to sink into my mind over the last year. In a business there is top line and bottom line. There are a lot Statistics/ML/Data Science jobs that are about moving that bottom line. You build something to optimize something to reduce costs. The value provided by the bottom line people is less visible than the value of top line people. The easiest w…

The potential gains from cost saving is always capped at total cost. The potential gains from increasing revenue are (typically) much larger.

There's also cost savings that are numbers shuffling on a spreadsheet and then there's cost savings that are actually less money leaving the corporate accounts.

Re: The last three years of my work will be permanently abandoned

#314

Post by MikusR » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 12:05 AM UTC

dathinab wrote: post #238

MikusR wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good standalone headsets were a thing before Quest?

depending on your standards, yes but also very expensive

Examples?

Re: The last three years of my work will be permanently abandoned

#315

Post by dohdhdaa » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 12:06 AM UTC

geraldwhen wrote: post #246

Anyone who currently works in a cost center: leave before it’s too late. If you don’t directly produce revenue, you will get laid off. Not if, but when.

“Too late” in this case is being paid not to work for 4+ months.

Re: The last three years of my work will be permanently abandoned

#316

Post by mathematicaster » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 12:07 AM UTC

colineartheta wrote: post #60

georgeburdell wrote: post #26

I’m probably not as talented as the author, but I can’t relate to this feeling of giving up because some work won’t be used. I have been working for ten years post-PhD and every single product I’ve ever worked on has been canned, sometimes very circuitously via acquisitions. My work is trade secret so I’ve never filed a patent, written a publication, nor given a talk. I have zero outwardly observable accomplishments.…

How were you able to acquire a PhD without a publication?

Publications are not always a requirement for being granted a PhD.

Re: The last three years of my work will be permanently abandoned

#317

Post by 8bitsrule » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 12:07 AM UTC

geph2021 wrote: post #279

we were regularly putting models into production that on net reduced costs by millions of dollars a year over the cost of the work. ... The whole Probability division was laid off as a cost-cutting measure It's comical, I have to chuckle, even though deeper down I'm truly saddened. The short-sightedness and lack of understanding of upper management seems inevitable as companies grow.

Seems to me that a product/knowledge that can save that kind of money ought to be easily portable to places where it will be properly valued.

Re: The last three years of my work will be permanently abandoned

#318

Post by sangnoir » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 12:08 AM UTC

rightbyte wrote: post #286

ericlippert wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see your point and don't mean to be argumentative, but a couple small corrections. First, the pivot to "meta" was just over a year ago, so it hasn't been quite years. Second, I haven't been shy about sharing my opinion internally, though I haven't been broadcasting it either. The first thing I said in our team group chat when we'd heard this announcement was (context, I am much older than most people on the team) "…

Oh ... so in dystopian Snow Crash (I read up on it) there is a also dystopian virtual reality named Metaverse. Well, I wonder i Zuck knew about that. Interesting that the book essentially seems to render the "gig economy" as some dystopian element. Quite good prediction.

It's all very We are proud to introduce the "Torment Nexus 1", which you may know from the hit sci-fi novel "Don't Create the Torment Nexus"[0]

0. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/torment-nexus

Re: The last three years of my work will be permanently abandoned

#319

Post by dohdhdaa » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 12:13 AM UTC

AtlasBarfed wrote: post #308

kelnos wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Third, this opinion is indeed extremely common internally. It is intensely weird to me that people hold the opinion that their company is building something that is bad for the world, and yet they stay there and continue to help build it. I know that's easy to say as someone not in that situation, but not always easy to do for someone who is. I get that people don't always have a ton of choice about their employmen…

Case 1) FBWorker thinks its a boondoggle, but is neutral on Facebook, and can read the political tea leaves. Your basic mercenary corporate footsoldier. So stay and get FAANGpaid. Case 2) FBWorker drinks koolaid (mabye because they cant keep FAANGpaid from forming their identity). Probably noob out of college or someone that just wants FAANG on the resume. Stay and build it. Probably not a lot of talent. And get FAAN…

Haha yes. There was always a lot of drama at Facebook about “leakers”. People HATE them, they don’t understand why they have no “honor” and don’t quit if they hate Facebook so much. They call for witch hunts in comments whenever something leaks.

People seemed completely unable to connect the dots, that if you think Facebook is evil, why not leak all their stuff to the press, and get PAID to do it?

Re: The last three years of my work will be permanently abandoned

#320

Post by rcarr » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 12:14 AM UTC

kelnos wrote: post #264

ericlippert wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see your point and don't mean to be argumentative, but a couple small corrections. First, the pivot to "meta" was just over a year ago, so it hasn't been quite years. Second, I haven't been shy about sharing my opinion internally, though I haven't been broadcasting it either. The first thing I said in our team group chat when we'd heard this announcement was (context, I am much older than most people on the team) "…

> Third, this opinion is indeed extremely common internally. It is intensely weird to me that people hold the opinion that their company is building something that is bad for the world, and yet they stay there and continue to help build it. I know that's easy to say as someone not in that situation, but not always easy to do for someone who is. I get that people don't always have a ton of choice about their employmen…

"The question is not whose values are correct but whether you can work in a situation where good work on your part will perpetuate values you don't believe in. If you leave, you'll be making the greatest possible contribution to your own well-being, and you just might help propagate your values."

Understanding The Professional Programmer, p19 - Gerald Weinberg