4 ms·

So what if they're "just" a team now?

iagooar 10y ago
It's interesting.
hueving 10y ago
Being "just" a team changes internal politics a lot. You can have engineers re-assigned to other projects easily, you have to fight over internal resources, etc. Maybe it's not a problem at Facebook, but in many companies becoming just another team is the death knell for acquisitions.
- amasad 10y ago
  Instagram has seen most of its success as "just a team" at Facebook. WhatsApp is probably the only acquisition Facebook made that didn't integrate fully.
  - acchow 10y ago
    Really? We acquired Whatsapp?
    - thinkmassive 10y ago
      If "we" is Facebook, then yes, in 2014 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WhatsApp#Facebook_era_.282014.E2.80.93present.29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WhatsApp#Facebook_era_.282014....
      - acchow 10y ago
        My bad, my sarcasm was apparently lost in written form...
        amasad 10y ago
        I'm kind of curious now, I can't read in anyway that sounds sarcastic. Can you explain?
        acchow 10y ago
        I just mean Whatsapp feels like an entirely separate entity from Facebook (unlike Instagram which is quite integrated) Disclaimer: I work at FB.
        amasad 10y ago
        I'm sure they'll eventually integrate. And they'll give the infra project a cheesy name -- just like instagration -- Whatsagration.
intoverflow2 10y ago
Working on progressing VR is far more interesting than working on progressing Facebook (via VR). And before anyone points out Facebook is interesting to work on because of the sheer size of the userbase the same argument could be said for working on McDonalds, Pepsi or any other low grade mass consumption product that's bad for you.
- s3r3nity 10y ago
  Not sure I understand your thesis: are you trying to link "interesting" -> arbitrary "good/bad" utility designation, and use that reasoning to argue that progressing FB is not interesting? It seems like a fallacy if I understand you correctly (which may/may not be the case): If A -> B, and you claim -B, that doesn't mean -A. e.g. If "VR is interesting -> good societal problems to solve" , then "bad societal problem" doesn't mean progressing FB isn't interesting.
  - intoverflow2 10y ago
    > are you trying to link "interesting" -> arbitrary "good/bad" utility designation No, just that VR isn't bad or mainstream yet so you have more opportunity to shape and steer it. Tough to do if you are chained to a goliath and it's needs.
- jfoutz 10y ago
  An ex coworker of mine worked at walmart in the 90's. Internet wasn't widespread, so they'd do real time inventory tracking via satellite uplink, trucks would be loaded and dispatched with whatever sold. Now days, it doesn't sound quite so interesting. Back then it was impressive. There's so much extra tech available to everyone now, it's not nearly as tough as it was then. I'm not much of a walmart fan for various reasons, but that sounded like pretty darn interesting work.
- pdog 10y ago
  > low grade mass consumption product that's bad for you Millions of people use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family. It's the platform that has powered trillions of meaningful social connections over the years. It's not junk food or sugar water.

It's interesting.

Being "just" a team changes internal politics a lot. You can have engineers re-assigned to other projects easily, you have to fight over internal resources, etc. Maybe it's not a problem at Facebook, but in many companies becoming just another team is the death knell for acquisitions.

amasad 10y ago
Instagram has seen most of its success as "just a team" at Facebook. WhatsApp is probably the only acquisition Facebook made that didn't integrate fully.
- acchow 10y ago
  Really? We acquired Whatsapp?
  - thinkmassive 10y ago
    If "we" is Facebook, then yes, in 2014 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WhatsApp#Facebook_era_.282014.E2.80.93present.29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WhatsApp#Facebook_era_.282014....
    - acchow 10y ago
      My bad, my sarcasm was apparently lost in written form...
      - amasad 10y ago
        I'm kind of curious now, I can't read in anyway that sounds sarcastic. Can you explain?
        acchow 10y ago
        I just mean Whatsapp feels like an entirely separate entity from Facebook (unlike Instagram which is quite integrated) Disclaimer: I work at FB.
        amasad 10y ago
        I'm sure they'll eventually integrate. And they'll give the infra project a cheesy name -- just like instagration -- Whatsagration.

intoverflow2 10y ago

Working on progressing VR is far more interesting than working on progressing Facebook (via VR). And before anyone points out Facebook is interesting to work on because of the sheer size of the userbase the same argument could be said for working on McDonalds, Pepsi or any other low grade mass consumption product that's bad for you.

s3r3nity 10y ago
Not sure I understand your thesis: are you trying to link "interesting" -> arbitrary "good/bad" utility designation, and use that reasoning to argue that progressing FB is not interesting? It seems like a fallacy if I understand you correctly (which may/may not be the case): If A -> B, and you claim -B, that doesn't mean -A. e.g. If "VR is interesting -> good societal problems to solve" , then "bad societal problem" doesn't mean progressing FB isn't interesting.
- intoverflow2 10y ago
  > are you trying to link "interesting" -> arbitrary "good/bad" utility designation No, just that VR isn't bad or mainstream yet so you have more opportunity to shape and steer it. Tough to do if you are chained to a goliath and it's needs.
jfoutz 10y ago
An ex coworker of mine worked at walmart in the 90's. Internet wasn't widespread, so they'd do real time inventory tracking via satellite uplink, trucks would be loaded and dispatched with whatever sold. Now days, it doesn't sound quite so interesting. Back then it was impressive. There's so much extra tech available to everyone now, it's not nearly as tough as it was then. I'm not much of a walmart fan for various reasons, but that sounded like pretty darn interesting work.
pdog 10y ago
> low grade mass consumption product that's bad for you Millions of people use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family. It's the platform that has powered trillions of meaningful social connections over the years. It's not junk food or sugar water.