Reflecting on one very, very strange year at Uber • Hacker News Board

Re: Reflecting on one very, very strange year at Uber

#791

Post by edent » Mon, Feb 20, 2017, 10:38 AM UTC

patricius wrote: post #763

Whenever I hear about a case of a woman being harassed at work, I can't help but wonder how I would react in a similar situation. I am male and I have never experienced workplace harrassment, but if a female co-worker started writing things like those in the story I can't imagine that it would annoy me the slightest. If she was attractive, I would probably be flattered. If it _did_ annoy me, I would ask the person to…

Imagine, just for a moment that it was your boss harassing you. They have the power to fire you, or make your life hell.

Now imagine that they are physically stronger than you. There is a high likelihood of them being able to over-power you.

Now imagine you live in a culture where rape cases are rarely prosecuted and, when they are, rarely successful.

Now imagine that you also live in a culture which refuses to condemn the few men which are convicted.

Now imagine that, even if your physically stronger boss is successfully convicted of raping you - there will still be a section of people who think that you were, somehow, asking for it.

Wouldn't you take that seriously?

Re: Reflecting on one very, very strange year at Uber

#792

Post by lordnacho » Mon, Feb 20, 2017, 10:38 AM UTC

soneca wrote: post #167

In São Paulo, where I live, taxi apps appeared a couple of years before Uber entering the market. It took the market by storm, so every single cab had to be in at least one the two major apps (Easytaxi and 99taxi). It was easy, fast and safe to call a cab anytime. But it was still expensive. Uber came with its black cars. No one bothered. But Uber came with UberX and then Uber pool. It was a revolution, 50% cheaper.…

Ignoring all the bad press they've gotten lately, this is a major issue in their business model.

I just don't see why the cab business should present an opportunity that requires a landgrab on a global scale.

Something like Facebook, sure. You need to be the social network with everyone on it.

A cab company? It doesn't sound like it matters whether it's Uber or some local competitor. Internet is going to be cheap most places, so anyone arriving anywhere can just download the local app as needed.

Re: Reflecting on one very, very strange year at Uber

#793

Post by Kurtz79 » Mon, Feb 20, 2017, 10:40 AM UTC

mathgenius wrote: post #547

mendelk wrote: post #439

Uber CEO responded in this article[0]: > I have just read Susan Fowler's blog. What she describes is abhorrent and against everything Uber stands for and believes in. It's the first time this has come to my attention so I have instructed Liane Hornsey our new Chief Human Resources Officer to conduct an urgent investigation into these allegations. We seek to make Uber a just workplace and there can be absolutely no pl…

> It's the first time this has come to my attention the guy must be asleep at the wheel.

It is at least a mildly sane response.

Re: Reflecting on one very, very strange year at Uber

#794

Post by epmaybe » Mon, Feb 20, 2017, 10:42 AM UTC

chimeracoder wrote: post #731

Apocryphon wrote: post #478

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doctors, lawyers, professional athletes, and leading Hollywood actors and actresses might all be overpaid relative to other professions, and yet they all have professional organizations, even unions, representing them. What makes software engineers so exceptional?

> Doctors, ... might all be overpaid relative to other professions, and yet they... have professional organizations, even unions, representing them Doctors do not have professional organizations or unions representing them. The AMA is frequently mis-cited by people not familiar with the industry as a union, but it's not one at all. Only 25% of doctors are members of the AMA (most of them only because they require lic…

The AMA doesn't advocate for physician interests? How so?

As a student member of the AMA, I can attest that they aren't the most effective organization, but they do plenty to further physician interests.

I think what you're likely getting at is how heterogenous physician interests are considering each specialty.

Re: Reflecting on one very, very strange year at Uber

#795

Post by falsedan » Mon, Feb 20, 2017, 10:49 AM UTC

taneq wrote: post #705

Throwadev wrote: post #701

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But if you #DeleteUber won't your money be going to the taxi drivers? I'm not sure I understood your question.

They're using the term 'taxi drivers' to refer to the Uber drivers, not to local licensed taxi operators.

In the UK, Uber cars are local licenced private hire vehicles with the big "Pre-booked fares only" sticker on the front doors. You have to be licensed to drive for Uber[0].

0: https://www.uber.com/en-GB/drive/requirements/

Re: Reflecting on one very, very strange year at Uber

#796

Post by puranjay » Mon, Feb 20, 2017, 10:54 AM UTC

toothbrush wrote: post #465

PaulRobinson wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We have a "whiskey club", and regularly go to the pub where I work. We don't do it at lunchtime. We don't do it during the working day. 5:30pm on a Friday? Let's have a glass of whiskey together. Somebody joining/leaving, or we haven't been out together for a while? Let's go to the pub after work one evening. There is a #drinks channel in Slack where people who fancy a drink after work co-ordinate, and several of wil…

> As for team dynamics, it means we know each other better and bond more frequently. Not a problem, I think. Except for the non-drinkers in your team. I suspect that they either a) feel left out, because a non-drinker at a pub has a boring time, and has to keep justifying their empty glass b) probably miss out on important decisions if a majority of the important people in a team are present, which is bad dynamics c)…

I'd also like to point out that this kinda does leave out the women. I'm at an age where most of my friends are getting married or having babies.

If you're pregnant, this basically means that you can't be a part of the team's social gatherings for at least 9 months straight.

Re: Reflecting on one very, very strange year at Uber

#797

Post by sleepychu » Mon, Feb 20, 2017, 10:57 AM UTC

HerraBRE wrote: post #746

fermigier wrote: post #36

What do you expect from a company that has been so many times on the wrong side of the law? http://www.reuters.com/article/us-uber-fine-chicago-idUSKBN1... http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/14/10772412/uber-fine-califor... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/06/09/uber-fined-... http://time.com/4632430/taiwan-uber-fines/ http://economia.icaew.com/en/news/january-2017/uber-fined-20... http://www.pcworld.com/articl…

The parent comment may seem a bit flippant, but the underlying question is a good one - why do talented, non-toxic people seek employment with companies that are well known to have such terrible culture? I'm not in the Valley, so all the information I have about Uber's culture is through popular media, but ever since I first heart the company's name it was linked to scandal, poor ethics and/or misogyny. Talented soft…

I wonder whether it's bad everywhere so staying made sense. Also you have to remember that HR don't like gaps on the resume or lots of short hops, they also don't want a "trouble maker". I didn't know of ubers reputation until late last year, maybe it's not as pervasive as it feels to you.

Re: Reflecting on one very, very strange year at Uber

#798

Post by hunglee2 » Mon, Feb 20, 2017, 10:59 AM UTC

An understated issue in this account the role of HR - not only in Uber, but across business in general. For too long they have played the role of employee advocate when in truth they are - and can only ever be - an instrument of the corporation.

A modern reworking of unionisation may be the only answer - a p2p network, focused on employee welfare, independent of company interest.

Re: Reflecting on one very, very strange year at Uber

#799

Post by puranjay » Mon, Feb 20, 2017, 10:59 AM UTC

clintonb wrote: post #486

sn9 wrote: post #375

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stripe seems to hire an unusual amount of really talented engineers who are also really good at explanatory writing. (Though this may just be an availability bias thing for me.) Fowler is one. Julia Evans is another that comes to mind. I wouldn't be surprised if they had amazing internal documentation for their engineers.

They have amazing external documentation. It was so good I [blogged about it]( https://dev.clintonblackburn.com/2015/07/24/good-documentati... )! I have never had an easier experience integrating with a payment processor.

Their recent guide on incorporation and taxes for startups was the simplest take on legalese I'd seen

Re: Reflecting on one very, very strange year at Uber

#800

Post by smsm42 » Mon, Feb 20, 2017, 11:03 AM UTC

knucklesandwich wrote: post #581

weberc2 wrote: post #530

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And you should talk to some of your fellow workers and ask if they all think they're being fairly compensated. Even aside from the issue of salary, tech workers are rarely given a fair stake in ownership in the company, and their equity grants often come with lots of clauses to deprive them from what little stake they have. Who decides what is fair? You? Tech workers? Speaking about fairness as though it's objectiv…

> Who decides what is fair? You? Tech workers? Speaking about fairness as though it's objective or straight-forward isn't doing anyone any favors. The beauty of a union is there doesn't have to be an objective definition. A union gives you a democratic voice to advocate for what you think is fair. Without organized labor power, your voice is completely ignorable. > Speaking generally, if employees aren't getting a fa…

How is it a beauty? Stupid decision made by 1000 people is better than by one? At least if I make stupid decision I am to blame and I can fix it. If 1000 people make it, I have 1/1000 of infuence (in fact even less if I am not eloquent or persuasive) and can't change anything. Talk about ignorable. I certainly don't need a "democracy" to take my decisions for me. There's a place for it as we can't each personally decide about national defence or building interstate highway, but I can certainly talk to my boss.