6 ms·

Wonder what it's like to be a Facebook employee on HackerNews and see this

by Aaronstotle 6y ago

celim307 6y ago
I mean if you are still working there at this point you already knew similar things were going on
- 01100011 6y ago
  That's not really true. Working at a big company like that usually leaves you with very little visibility into anything except your small domain and whatever news the company publicly releases. Sure, you can watch the news, if you aren't working yourself to death. But if someone is paying you bags of money every week, it skews your perception just a bit and changes what you want to hear.
  - dylan604 6y ago
    Maybe if you're working for a DoD secret lab where groups aren't allowed to talk to members of other groups because of clearance levels and what not. Facebook is not, and people talk amongst themselves around the proverbial water cooler. "Hey, that other group is trying out something and it seems to be having good results. Maybe we should try something similar?"
    - 01100011 6y ago
      Have you worked for Facebook? I'm curious because my experience at another large valley company was that people rarely interacted between groups. When they did, the conversations tended to be more general and not specifically regarding work. Incidentally I've worked for a DoD contractor and the visibility was actually better in that environment. It was a smaller org(<1k employees) though.
s1artibartfast 6y ago
I imagine like any other day. "Ex-facebooker blasts facebook to promote new venture" This time they use a cigarette analogy
jakear 6y ago
This thread* is a good glimpse, they apparently have teams at FB dedicated to creating propaganda touting the great cause FB is working towards. Those that remain working there have seemingly bought in. * https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24510904 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24510904
goatinaboat 6y ago
Wonder what it's like to be a Facebook employee on HackerNews and see this Anyone who joined, or stayed at Facebook, in the last say 5 years, 100% knew about it and was OK with it. They’re probably laughing at everyone else taking so long to figure it out!
- dylan604 6y ago
  I could almost see it being like Grisham's The Firm. As a new employee, you're all bright eyed and busy tailed. Thinking about what you're going to buy, where you're going to live with all of the bags of cash you're earning. As you continue to work there, the bloom starts to fall off of the rose. Next thing you know, your consciousness starts to get an itch. You're either too dependent on that salary to voluntarily leave, or you've just decided "it's not that bad" and stick you head back in the sand and cashing that paycheck.
  - goatinaboat 6y ago
    I could almost see it being like Grisham's The Firm Or Devils Advocate, with Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves.
- uniqueid 6y ago
  Some part of the company is surely not okay with it. I assume many employees have been wrestling with their conscience for months or years. I had my own experience, once, leaving a company due to ethical concerns: it took me a year and a half to finally follow through and quit. I had coworkers who felt the same who stayed on for years. No doubt the thought that occurs to many FB employees when they read these articles is "I need to gather my resolve and get the hell out of here!"

Wonder what it's like to be a Facebook employee on HackerNews and see this

celim307 6y ago

I mean if you are still working there at this point you already knew similar things were going on

01100011 6y ago
That's not really true. Working at a big company like that usually leaves you with very little visibility into anything except your small domain and whatever news the company publicly releases. Sure, you can watch the news, if you aren't working yourself to death. But if someone is paying you bags of money every week, it skews your perception just a bit and changes what you want to hear.
- dylan604 6y ago
  Maybe if you're working for a DoD secret lab where groups aren't allowed to talk to members of other groups because of clearance levels and what not. Facebook is not, and people talk amongst themselves around the proverbial water cooler. "Hey, that other group is trying out something and it seems to be having good results. Maybe we should try something similar?"
  - 01100011 6y ago
    Have you worked for Facebook? I'm curious because my experience at another large valley company was that people rarely interacted between groups. When they did, the conversations tended to be more general and not specifically regarding work. Incidentally I've worked for a DoD contractor and the visibility was actually better in that environment. It was a smaller org(<1k employees) though.

s1artibartfast 6y ago

I imagine like any other day. "Ex-facebooker blasts facebook to promote new venture" This time they use a cigarette analogy

jakear 6y ago

This thread* is a good glimpse, they apparently have teams at FB dedicated to creating propaganda touting the great cause FB is working towards. Those that remain working there have seemingly bought in. * https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24510904 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24510904

goatinaboat 6y ago

Wonder what it's like to be a Facebook employee on HackerNews and see this Anyone who joined, or stayed at Facebook, in the last say 5 years, 100% knew about it and was OK with it. They’re probably laughing at everyone else taking so long to figure it out!

dylan604 6y ago
I could almost see it being like Grisham's The Firm. As a new employee, you're all bright eyed and busy tailed. Thinking about what you're going to buy, where you're going to live with all of the bags of cash you're earning. As you continue to work there, the bloom starts to fall off of the rose. Next thing you know, your consciousness starts to get an itch. You're either too dependent on that salary to voluntarily leave, or you've just decided "it's not that bad" and stick you head back in the sand and cashing that paycheck.
- goatinaboat 6y ago
  I could almost see it being like Grisham's The Firm Or Devils Advocate, with Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves.
uniqueid 6y ago
Some part of the company is surely not okay with it. I assume many employees have been wrestling with their conscience for months or years. I had my own experience, once, leaving a company due to ethical concerns: it took me a year and a half to finally follow through and quit. I had coworkers who felt the same who stayed on for years. No doubt the thought that occurs to many FB employees when they read these articles is "I need to gather my resolve and get the hell out of here!"