4 ms·

I've been feeling this same way recently. Used to love checking here, seeing people's projects, finding the new trends and ideas. And I don't think hn has chang

I've been feeling this same way recently. Used to love checking here, seeing people's projects, finding the new trends and ideas. And I don't think hn has changed but more my perspective on the software industry (and the world?). I literally cannot think of the last time software has changed and made my life better. And there are endless examples of it making the world worse. All the issues caused by beloved industry giant AirBnB breaking regulations and ruining local neighborhoods. Software being the thing that caused the worst plane crash in years. Endless privacy violations from essentially every company. I've had to deal with Google's support recently and that was AI hell. Even products I consider good are only getting worse. I still have a decades old Photoshop because you could actually buy it back then and the new features really arent worth it. Software seems to be just a very efficient tool for the shareholders of the world to "capture value" and to find new and innovative ways to make our lives worse and more expensive. These days I mostly read out of habit and because there's always something happening (unlike the discords/forums im in which are nicer but less poppin') and really compared to other places its still nice But the right-wing anti-woke crowd and the optimistic "tech will save the world" types are hard to stomach for me. I've been dreaming of quitting the industry altogether, though there are a lot of benefits for staying. Maybe find one of the incredibly rare places that actually have a vision for the world (non-profit?). Even where I work at an accessibility company that ostensibly is making the world better it really feels more like spinning wheels and corporate power plays more than any real desire to do anything good. Because honestly, if the customer went for a competitors product that would be fine? Anyways sorry for the rambling. Things seem bleak and hopeless and regardless of whether things will ultimately get better (maybe? im not convinced) they will certainly get worse for the foreseeable future. I don't want to be part of the group making it worse and tech companies pretty much are. Yada yada captialism Certainly worse things to do than read hackernews tho :p

naet 4y ago
I think there's a capitalism culture that is killing a lot of what could have been good software. People are less interested in making something great or useful than they are getting a huge bag of money from VC / tech. I know before I got into professional programming I was frequently excited and working on side projects, including utility libraries, games and creative coding, and other things that I considered "valuable" just for the sake of doing them. Now I work for a digital agency building and maintaining a bunch of marketing websites that add, to my mind, zero "value" to the external world... maybe a corporate sale or two, but nothing actually helpful, useful, or even fun. Why do I do this? Because it was a relatively low friction way for me to make a decent living while keeping my general work hours low. I don't have any illusions about the industry being some grand savior; frankly, I'm not even sure things can last at this pace of investor propped up companies bleeding cash but still somehow considered a good investment, but I'm going to use it while it is profitable and live a modest life without too much worry until things do hit the fan. I think that if I made a career change out of tech I might have the time and energy to return to my old programming projects but when I've spent the better part of the day on someone else's web app I don't have much stomach for building my own on my spare time.
- yadoomerta 4y ago
  I know I should get this view, it seems a much healthier way to live. I just find it so overwhelmingly sad how much time and effort in the world is wasted on things like marketing. And it's gotten to the point at my job where it's a struggle to get the will to do anything knowing that at the end of the day it really doesn't matter. Several of my friends just got jobs at Google/Amazon/Microsoft recently and it's such a weird feeling being both very happy for them, knowing they're making the right choice, knowing I should be too, and this feeling of despair like I'm losing them forever to some horrible pit. & yeah feel that too. I've been idly working on my fun cute little website for a while now but it's hard to be motivated when at best it might amuse a few people for a few minutes. Still net positive but eeeeeh code enough at work already :p
BrianOnHN 4y ago
Thanks for the empathetic response. It's nice to know that I'm not alone or simply 'afflicted' as many of other comments suggest.
- yadoomerta 4y ago
  np. & I was very glad to see your post too It makes me sad how many people seem (wilfully?) deluded about what companies are doing. Gotta be a great time to solve interesting problems and make good money as long as you don't care what "problems" are being solved. Might be a happier life getting over it and just having work be work and not anything meaningful. About to see a therapist about this stuff as soon as I can figure out how insurance works :p let me know if you have any insights. Until then just vibing & dreaming of starting a combination boardgame cafe / local low-power radio station / art studio / event space / mixed-use residential house

naet 4y ago

I think there's a capitalism culture that is killing a lot of what could have been good software. People are less interested in making something great or useful than they are getting a huge bag of money from VC / tech. I know before I got into professional programming I was frequently excited and working on side projects, including utility libraries, games and creative coding, and other things that I considered "valuable" just for the sake of doing them. Now I work for a digital agency building and maintaining a bunch of marketing websites that add, to my mind, zero "value" to the external world... maybe a corporate sale or two, but nothing actually helpful, useful, or even fun. Why do I do this? Because it was a relatively low friction way for me to make a decent living while keeping my general work hours low. I don't have any illusions about the industry being some grand savior; frankly, I'm not even sure things can last at this pace of investor propped up companies bleeding cash but still somehow considered a good investment, but I'm going to use it while it is profitable and live a modest life without too much worry until things do hit the fan. I think that if I made a career change out of tech I might have the time and energy to return to my old programming projects but when I've spent the better part of the day on someone else's web app I don't have much stomach for building my own on my spare time.

yadoomerta 4y ago
I know I should get this view, it seems a much healthier way to live. I just find it so overwhelmingly sad how much time and effort in the world is wasted on things like marketing. And it's gotten to the point at my job where it's a struggle to get the will to do anything knowing that at the end of the day it really doesn't matter. Several of my friends just got jobs at Google/Amazon/Microsoft recently and it's such a weird feeling being both very happy for them, knowing they're making the right choice, knowing I should be too, and this feeling of despair like I'm losing them forever to some horrible pit. & yeah feel that too. I've been idly working on my fun cute little website for a while now but it's hard to be motivated when at best it might amuse a few people for a few minutes. Still net positive but eeeeeh code enough at work already :p

BrianOnHN 4y ago

Thanks for the empathetic response. It's nice to know that I'm not alone or simply 'afflicted' as many of other comments suggest.

yadoomerta 4y ago
np. & I was very glad to see your post too It makes me sad how many people seem (wilfully?) deluded about what companies are doing. Gotta be a great time to solve interesting problems and make good money as long as you don't care what "problems" are being solved. Might be a happier life getting over it and just having work be work and not anything meaningful. About to see a therapist about this stuff as soon as I can figure out how insurance works :p let me know if you have any insights. Until then just vibing & dreaming of starting a combination boardgame cafe / local low-power radio station / art studio / event space / mixed-use residential house