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Ask HN: Do you have specific industries that you would never work for?
Do you have any fields, industries or even specific entities that would you never consider working for?
If so what are your objections?
- db48x 7y agoAdvertising.
- Raed667 7y agoWhy?
- AGivant 7y agoLong hours, fun when you young, not so much fun as you get older. I have worked year and a half in such company in Toronto, boss bring you beer, dogs running around (pet all you can, if you a dog person), cocktail hours every day (we called it flu shots). Worked like 15 hours for 6 months, found other job and left.
- highhedgehog 7y agoCeramic tiles. My family is in the business among the major producers in the world. I hate the product, as a software engineer it's not stimulating, and I want to stay away from it as long as I can.
- ktpsns 7y agoCar manufacturing. This is the biggest industry here in Germany. The Diesel engine cheating scands in the last year's didn't improve much on their public image. In this industry, you shall like loud and powerful engines, luxury and expensive cars, the Blockchain... I hat all of that. I quit any job interview when I learn that the company makes b2b consulting for automobile related stuff.
- onion2k 7y agoI have a few basic rules about what I want my code to do, and one of them is that I'll never write code that I know will make other people's lives worse. That doesn't really explicitly rule out anything but it's hard to imagine a situation where I'd work in weapons manufacturing, gambling, porn, etc.
- sethammons 7y agoIs not the point of code to do automation? Is not the end result loss of jobs?
- onion2k 7y agoIt's possible that I could work on something that would make jobs redundant, and I would have to ask myself whether or not that's something I want to do. Up till now I written a lot of code that automates parts of people's jobs, and they end up doing different, often much less tedious, work that their company needs instead. So far I haven't been responsible for anyone losing their job. Most of the code I've written to date has been to grow companies and create more jobs actually. That's one benefit of being in an industry from the early days.
- BjoernKW 7y agoThe arms industry and intelligence agencies because in both cases it's impossible to even fathom if the work you do for them will be used for good or for harm. I wouldn't necessarily have qualms working for the military as such (although I'd have to think about it in each specific case), which of course is at least somewhat paradoxical given that I wouldn't work for weapons manufacturers. While often politically controversial, the military also provides a useful - and probably and unfortunately necessary - service to society. Gambling because the products and services the industry provides often not only don't benefit the customer but often are downright detrimental to their well-being. One could argue though that brick-and-mortar casinos at least sell an exciting experience, so the case might not be as clear-cut as with online gambling, for example. Finally, scam industries such as homoeopathy (which unfortunately is rather widespread in Europe) because their products don't benefit the customer.
- hacknat 7y agoI like this list. I’ll add advertising and porn to it for myself. Porn because of the social stigma (I actually think porn has provided some value to society), and advertising because on scales worth automating it is mostly lying.
- CtrlAltEngage 7y agoMeat & dairy Gambling Arms and defence
- omosubi 7y agoIn addition to those mentioned (gambling, adtech, military industrial complex), I'll add predatory lending companies. There are several in my city and my heart sinks a little each time a friend or coworker moves to one :/ to be fair I'm young and have no children so it's easy to say no to them. If I had kids or otherwise needed a job and those were the only options I might think differently. hopefully it never comes to that
- CM30 7y agoWell, it's not really a field as much as certain parts of said field, but anything government/military related associated with a dictatorship. In other words, the governments of countries like China/Russia/North Korea/Saudi Arabia/Iran/etc. But I'm not against working for any government, just any that's involved in a non democratic society. Obviously also any industry involved in pushing malware to the public too, since those adware programs have to come from somwhere. And I guess scammers/pseudoscience peddlers as well. Would never get involved with a company pushing anti vax stuff, creationism/intelligent design, stuff like homeopathy and alternative medicine, etc.
- billconan 7y agoWill never work for the fur clothing business.
- Eltintero 7y agoTime share business. Usually a Complete ripoff.
- potta_coffee 7y agoPorn, advertising, social media. They're all detrimental to society (imo).