3 ms·

True in some cases, but I think most tech workers at Palantir or Google or whatever can easily find an enjoyable, well-paying job at a more ethical organization

True in some cases, but I think most tech workers at Palantir or Google or whatever can easily find an enjoyable, well-paying job at a more ethical organization.

geebee 7y ago
They sure can. In fact, with their experience and flexibility, as well as the cushion of money they made by monetizing massive amounts of personal data collected from the unaware, they can probably be hired well above the sorry schlubs who worked for those more ethical organizations for the entirety of their careers. I wonder how the career programmers who worked at these organizations and still need the paycheck will feel about a new director or architect from google who is now "giving back".
gpm 7y ago
I think most tech workers at Palantir, probably believe that Palantir is a force for good. Why would you seek out a job at a company in that business if you didn't believe in that business? Unlike Google (or Facebook) it's not a large enough choice to be a "default" employment option.
- birdyrooster 7y ago
  Because Palantir’s recruiting efforts are prolific, they spam engineers with emails and inmail, they spend tons of resources recruiting from college campuses with internships and swag. It’s hard to agree that anyone really has to seem out Palantir because I’m sure they’ve already been in contact.
- amyjess 7y ago
  Imagine you just got laid off. You apply for unemployment, update your resume, load up Indeed, type your biggest skill into the search bar, and apply to every company in your area that you even remotely think you may be qualified for. Palantir bites. In fact, Palantir is the first one to bite. You make it through the interview process and get an honest-to-goodness offer, few other companies are talking to you, and of those few, they're just now doing their initial phone screen. What do you do: take the offer or see if one of those phone screens pans out? Oh, and in most states if you decline a job offer, you lose your unemployment. If you decide to gamble and wait, you're gambling that you'll get an offer from someone else before rent comes due. Are you really willing to take that risk? Now let's throw in another twist: you've got a family. And let's even be generous here and say you've got a few other leads at or very close to the offer stage, so it's not like you're going to end up on the streets for nonpayment of rent. But all of your other leads pay so much less that your children's lives will be noticeably affected. You may not like what Palantir does... but are you willing to tell your kids that Christmas is cancelled and you have to move to a much smaller house in a different part of town thus ripping them away from all their friends at school?
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- burkaman 7y ago
  Because they pay a lot of money and offer absurd perks. Three meals a day, onsite laundry and haircuts, etc. People like money and free stuff.

True in some cases, but I think most tech workers at Palantir or Google or whatever can easily find an enjoyable, well-paying job at a more ethical organization.

geebee 7y ago

They sure can. In fact, with their experience and flexibility, as well as the cushion of money they made by monetizing massive amounts of personal data collected from the unaware, they can probably be hired well above the sorry schlubs who worked for those more ethical organizations for the entirety of their careers. I wonder how the career programmers who worked at these organizations and still need the paycheck will feel about a new director or architect from google who is now "giving back".

gpm 7y ago

I think most tech workers at Palantir, probably believe that Palantir is a force for good. Why would you seek out a job at a company in that business if you didn't believe in that business? Unlike Google (or Facebook) it's not a large enough choice to be a "default" employment option.

birdyrooster 7y ago
Because Palantir’s recruiting efforts are prolific, they spam engineers with emails and inmail, they spend tons of resources recruiting from college campuses with internships and swag. It’s hard to agree that anyone really has to seem out Palantir because I’m sure they’ve already been in contact.
amyjess 7y ago
Imagine you just got laid off. You apply for unemployment, update your resume, load up Indeed, type your biggest skill into the search bar, and apply to every company in your area that you even remotely think you may be qualified for. Palantir bites. In fact, Palantir is the first one to bite. You make it through the interview process and get an honest-to-goodness offer, few other companies are talking to you, and of those few, they're just now doing their initial phone screen. What do you do: take the offer or see if one of those phone screens pans out? Oh, and in most states if you decline a job offer, you lose your unemployment. If you decide to gamble and wait, you're gambling that you'll get an offer from someone else before rent comes due. Are you really willing to take that risk? Now let's throw in another twist: you've got a family. And let's even be generous here and say you've got a few other leads at or very close to the offer stage, so it's not like you're going to end up on the streets for nonpayment of rent. But all of your other leads pay so much less that your children's lives will be noticeably affected. You may not like what Palantir does... but are you willing to tell your kids that Christmas is cancelled and you have to move to a much smaller house in a different part of town thus ripping them away from all their friends at school?
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
burkaman 7y ago
Because they pay a lot of money and offer absurd perks. Three meals a day, onsite laundry and haircuts, etc. People like money and free stuff.