Amazon HQ2: Advanced talks about second headquarters in Northern Virginia

Post by oh_sigh » Sun, Nov 04, 2018, 5:49 AM UTC

taurath wrote: post #326

monksy wrote: post #290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure if you've lived in NC... but there are a few things to that that I think you may have missed: 1. Yes, the fact that this is uniformly a control state, that is a problem. (Given how they are, I wish they had some special exclusion areas) However, a lot of the east coast operates in the same manner. The early hour for last call is bad as well. 2. Politics that you're talking about have very little to do with t…

> Despite what silicon valley would have you believe, you can be a conservative and be a productive member of the industry. The average tech worker is in their 20s an 30s and in general aren’t conservative, especially socially. They don’t want to hang around bigots all day. If you’re anything other than a straight white dude, the only advantage of being in a conservative area is cost.

Post by chrisseaton » Sun, Nov 04, 2018, 5:54 AM UTC

fierro wrote: post #229

mbrumlow wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Comp may be lower, but so is everything else. At the end of the day the guys in the south have more in their pocket than most Bay Area workers.

I hear this often. I would like to see an analysis, breakdown, or a real life comparison that suggests this, and for which tier of engineers this is true. I think two things; 1) non bay area tech workers severely underestimate the total comps that bay area workers are earning right now. 2) many renters in the Bay Area may actually have more in their pocket. If you are willing to rent a room (i.e not have a studio or…

Post by marrone12 » Sun, Nov 04, 2018, 5:55 AM UTC

teej wrote: post #311

DevX101 wrote: post #209

I'd be willing to bet Bezos knew with 90% confidence where he'd want HQ2 a year ago and put on this prisoner's dilemma game amongst states to reap the most benefit possible before moving there.

Jeff Bezos owns a $23m house in DC. The entire HQ2 process was a farce to get cities to game theory themselves to death in favor of Amazon. HQ2 was always going to be in NOVA.

Post by googlryas » Sun, Nov 04, 2018, 5:56 AM UTC

romed wrote: post #214

throwaway713 wrote: post #185

Aargh, I wish ONE tech company would put a HQ somewhere in the South. I currently live in the Bay Area working at a company I love, but I'll have to move back at some point (my wife wants to be closer to family). Crystal City, VA is still an 8 hour drive from the part of the South I'm from. Atlanta, Raleigh, and Nashville have so much potential... I think if just one of FANG put a HQ there (or even an office), the ot…

I don't always feel good about being the person pointing out the obvious, but perhaps the American south would have more such companies if it wasn't full of white separatists yearning for a rematch of the Civil War. People with an abundance of intelligence aren't attracted to states where the capitols are adorned with monuments to confederate generals and notorious white supremacists.

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Nov 04, 2018, 5:59 AM UTC

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #223

octonion wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The politics and culture (which are intertwined). Even if one area or city is more liberal, you're still dealing with a conservative, and possibly racist, sexist and homophobic, state government.

Agreed. State government in Texas is constantly overturning city ordinances in Austin: the whole bathroom bill BS, requiring local police to hold suspects for ICE, even overturning the plastic bag ban. All of the current political ads are pretty nauseating. Regardless of where you stand on the issue of managing immigration (and IMO there are lots of fair points on both sides that I think unfortunately get drowned out…