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This is strange to me. I feel like I am very cynical about the business, but I have almost no ill will toward other programmers or their approaches at all. For
by zwkrt 5y ago
This is strange to me. I feel like I am very cynical about the business, but I have almost no ill will toward other programmers or their approaches at all. For me the issue is looking up the managemet chain, or outside at the effects of my changes.
I can safely say that I have never as a programmer implemented a feature that I thought made anyone's life better. My software has consistently turned the screws in on people's lives, either in their work life by making monotonous internal tools or in their personal life by removing autonomy and choice. I take magicians and turn them into mechanical Turks. I take people and turn them into consumers/users/addicts.
This isn't supposed to be a diatribe, just contributing my N=1 that Notes from the Magic Bus seems cute and superficial to me, defending the culture of office politics by elevating it to the importance of actual politics.
- Karrot_Kream 5y ago> I can safely say that I have never as a programmer implemented a feature that I thought made anyone's life better. My software has consistently turned the screws in on people's lives, either in their work life by making monotonous internal tools or in their personal life by removing autonomy and choice. I take magicians and turn them into mechanical Turks. I take people and turn them into consumers/users/addicts. Shouldn't you take a systemic approach? Individuals can do lots of things, but until it turns systemic, is there a reason to adopt this negativity-first mindset? (And even then, I think OP makes a good case for why one shouldn't.) Kids were shitty to me in middle school, but I don't think I should indemnify all of humanity because of that.
- zwkrt 5y agoWhy would I take a systemic approach to my own singular life? I make art now, and I get a lot of joy in it. The path out wasn’t to change myself but to remove myself from what I found to be soulless work.
- Karrot_Kream 5y ago> The path out wasn’t to change myself but to remove myself from what I found to be soulless work. These aren't mutually exclusive. It's possible for something to be bad _for you_ but not be bad _for everyone_, especially if there are particular circumstances around you that cause the experience to be bad. It's like deciding never to date again after a bad relationship (which certainly has crossed the minds of friends of mine). It's not about changing yourself, it's about keeping an open mind.