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Tech Workers Now Want to Know: What Are We Building This For?

nytimes.com

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Re: Tech Workers Now Want to Know: What Are We Building This For?

#41

Post by pjc50 »

tiredwired wrote: post #9
artellectual wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That has been the answer for last era. I think that’s why tech workers are starting to ask what we’re building it for. Because we’re here at this point because building “for money” is no longer good enough. Because what’s the point of having money when we’re cancer ridden and polluting our planet, and despite living in a rich planet people are starving, and the very resources that feed us are being destroyed. What’s…

Sounds like an opportunity for someone to build the tech to cure cancer and filter pollution.

Water filtration is generally old tech. It's infrastructure. It just needs someone to pay for it.

Re: Tech Workers Now Want to Know: What Are We Building This For?

#42

Post by hef19898 »

dotdi wrote: post #28

Every person, tech or not, should evaluate what their work is contributing to and they should evaluate if they can ethically and morally accept what the company is doing or standing for. In the end, I have to be able to look myself in the mirror and be accountable for my actions, even if that would mean to forego money, prestige, etc.

True that. What I learned is that the official mission, say save the climate, of a given company is not enough tu judge that. I know companies in the renewable energy sector that are doing some shady stuff, the only guy getting rich is the CEO/founder regardless of how many bancrupcies occur. And the employees trying to work in "good" industry are just taken advantage of by some rich guy.

Re: Tech Workers Now Want to Know: What Are We Building This For?

#43

Post by djrobstep »

ekianjo wrote: post #11
artellectual wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That has been the answer for last era. I think that’s why tech workers are starting to ask what we’re building it for. Because we’re here at this point because building “for money” is no longer good enough. Because what’s the point of having money when we’re cancer ridden and polluting our planet, and despite living in a rich planet people are starving, and the very resources that feed us are being destroyed. What’s…

> despite living in a rich planet people are starving A overused rhetoric that does not hold much ground when you realize that poverty is decreasing fast everywhere around, and faster than we expected it to. https://ourworldindata.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/World-...

No, poverty is not decreasing everywhere. The graph shows absolute poverty decreasing.*

Meanwhile in most developed countries, inequality is grotesque and the consequent poverty is on the rise.

*Absolute poverty would decrease much faster if we exploited and expropriated from developing countries a little less.

Re: Tech Workers Now Want to Know: What Are We Building This For?

#44

Post by ageek123 »

The article gives no measure of how many tech workers have adopted this mindset. It seems to largely be a narrative driven by journalists and a relatively small number of activists in some of the more high-profile tech companies (who are simultaneously pushing a number of unrelated issues like unionization, diversity, deplatforming conservatives, #resisting, and introducing identity politics into hiring and promotion decisions).

Re: Tech Workers Now Want to Know: What Are We Building This For?

#45

Post by [deleted] »

netcan wrote: post #36

At least to some extent, this is a "Hegelian pendulum." In the beginning there where black suited corporate drones. They coded black and white "calculation solutions" for the enterprising enterprise. Then came colour. Gates wanted cheap computers on every desk. Jobs wanted colour computers for every artist. Mission. Meaning. This worked better, especially if you needed employees to invent things. Can't invent the iPh…

[deleted]

Re: Tech Workers Now Want to Know: What Are We Building This For?

#46

Post by throwaway8879 »

monsieurbanana wrote: post #34
Wintamute wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For money is good enough for me. You probably doubt me, but I'm not callous, mercenary or indifferent to the experiences of others - I'm just buying into a system that is objectively working. Spend some time clicking through https://ourworldindata.org/ ... we're not doing as badly as you seem to suggest.

Yeah, mankind is in overall in the best shape it's ever been, and the numbers reflect that across many metrics. But what about climat change? We've improved so much across so many areas, surely that'll offset a few more degrees across the globe? It's just one metric among so many where we're doing great. What if it doesn't? How will we cope in 50 years with hundreds of millions of landless refugees? Right now we can'…

I won't be alive in 50 years.

Re: Tech Workers Now Want to Know: What Are We Building This For?

#47

Post by throwaway8879 »

abledon wrote: post #38
pleasecalllater wrote: post #3

For money, my dear, for money. Is there any other reason for a company to exist? The stuff like "do no evil" or "we are green" is just a smoke screen. At the end they will do everything for money.

The point of business should be for the betterment of humanity, not money

That literally defies the very definition of the word business.

Re: Tech Workers Now Want to Know: What Are We Building This For?

#48

Post by pjmlp »

pleasecalllater wrote: post #3

For money, my dear, for money. Is there any other reason for a company to exist? The stuff like "do no evil" or "we are green" is just a smoke screen. At the end they will do everything for money.

It surprised me how many believed on the "don't be evil" motto, keeping customers and board members happy is all that counts.

Re: Tech Workers Now Want to Know: What Are We Building This For?

#49

Post by [deleted] »

artellectual wrote: post #16
ekianjo wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> despite living in a rich planet people are starving A overused rhetoric that does not hold much ground when you realize that poverty is decreasing fast everywhere around, and faster than we expected it to. https://ourworldindata.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/World-...

What metric is that measuring? The standard of living? Or the amount of money people have? Because those are 2 very different things. What about access to affordable health care? Access to clean water? Access to nutritious food? Poverty measures so many things. Not just having money and wealth.

[deleted]

Re: Tech Workers Now Want to Know: What Are We Building This For?

#50

Post by pjmlp »

ekianjo wrote: post #11
artellectual wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That has been the answer for last era. I think that’s why tech workers are starting to ask what we’re building it for. Because we’re here at this point because building “for money” is no longer good enough. Because what’s the point of having money when we’re cancer ridden and polluting our planet, and despite living in a rich planet people are starving, and the very resources that feed us are being destroyed. What’s…

> despite living in a rich planet people are starving A overused rhetoric that does not hold much ground when you realize that poverty is decreasing fast everywhere around, and faster than we expected it to. https://ourworldindata.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/World-...

I get to see that "rhetoric" live when I travel around the world.
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