4 ms·

The "We're hiring" link shows the first position offered is a "Happiness Engineer", https://i.imgur.com/zSVeuYq.png https://i.imgur.com/zSVeuYq.png. > Our soft

The "We're hiring" link shows the first position offered is a "Happiness Engineer", https://i.imgur.com/zSVeuYq.png https://i.imgur.com/zSVeuYq.png. > Our software and services aim to provide a seamless experience, but when things don’t go as planned, our customers rely on us for help. Happiness Engineers are the frontline heroes ensuring we deliver the best experience for our users. Their role is crucial because they interact with our customers the most and make the biggest impression in their time of need.

vunderba 2y ago
As if the title of engineer couldn't get any more diluted. Reminds me of how everyone now is a "specialist". Call Flow Optimization Specialist - Works at the front desk answering the telephone
talldayo 2y ago
George Orwell is kicking himself for not thinking up that name first.
- wojciii 2y ago
  Someone should rewrite "1984" as it would work with todays technologies..
  - outrun86 2y ago
    It is, in fact, being written. It’s called the modern West.
    - robin_reala 2y ago
      We’re more Brave New World than 1984.
      - sbuk 2y ago
        Absolutely. The problem here is that people that generally parrot the “1984” meme haven’t read the book, let alone read any Orwell, or Huxley for that matter.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - dennis_jeeves2 2y ago
    Its called HN...
dqv 2y ago
Yeah, it's a cutesy title for customer support because you can't take yourself too seriously in jobs like this. Put very simply, people are fucking ass holes (and yes - you have to acknowledge this to excel at being a "Happiness Engineer" - it's not cynical to recognize that people have angry outbursts, because you have to know how to calm them down; pretending that people aren't mean is a one-way ticket to burnout). Even "nice" people can be ass holes; humans are complex and represent a whole spectrum of emotions [0]. Sometimes they don't know they're doing it, sometimes they do. There are social differences (what someone on the West Coast thinks is rude is not the same as what someone on the East Coast thinks is rude, and there are even difference between "microcultures" on the rules of social engagement; these rules might be intersubjective, but differ) that have to be negotiated often in one-time ephemeral interactions. Negativity is contagious and I cringe at the times that I unnecessarily injected negativity into an interaction where the other person/people didn't do anything to deserve it. I think there is maybe one other "weird" job title in that list, but otherwise they're all pretty normal, so this is probably one of the last things I'd criticize Automattic for. The fact that they describe customer support as "Happiness Engineering" suggests the nature of the title - we have to be a little goofy to help people. As a final note, for anyone thinking "I work in customer support and I don't like this yada yada", it's just not for you, and that's OK. No need to think up a huge rebuttal, it's just a different philosophy for those of us who like to help people and have a little bit of fun at the same time. I don't work at Automattic, but I like WordPress and don't really care too much about this drama. [0]: https://feelingswheel.com/ https://feelingswheel.com/
hoistbypetard 2y ago
They are definitely not the first place I've heard that term. I know System76 has been using it as a title for some time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoL4gqjaWnY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoL4gqjaWnY I doubt it originated there, either.
- FlamingMoe 2y ago
  ChatGPT implies Automattic may have been first, or least certainly led it to wide adoption: https://chatgpt.com/share/6701e039-0e74-8012-b821-dea9789564c1 https://chatgpt.com/share/6701e039-0e74-8012-b821-dea9789564...
starkparker 2y ago
On the req they want candidates with senior/"tier 3" support experience or TAM experience, but the salary band is $40,000-$75,000. That's garbage pay, "and we pay in local currency", so they're offshoring without saying it out loud. It's a job for someone's happiness, but probably not the support eng's.
- oefrha 2y ago
  > they're offshoring without saying it out loud No, they’re an entirely remote company hiring across the globe for any position, and they’re pretty clear about that beginning in the h1 title of their hiring page. This is just your “on-shore” bias talking.

vunderba 2y ago

As if the title of engineer couldn't get any more diluted. Reminds me of how everyone now is a "specialist". Call Flow Optimization Specialist - Works at the front desk answering the telephone

talldayo 2y ago

George Orwell is kicking himself for not thinking up that name first.

wojciii 2y ago
Someone should rewrite "1984" as it would work with todays technologies..
- outrun86 2y ago
  It is, in fact, being written. It’s called the modern West.
  - robin_reala 2y ago
    We’re more Brave New World than 1984.
    - sbuk 2y ago
      Absolutely. The problem here is that people that generally parrot the “1984” meme haven’t read the book, let alone read any Orwell, or Huxley for that matter.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- dennis_jeeves2 2y ago
  Its called HN...

dqv 2y ago

Yeah, it's a cutesy title for customer support because you can't take yourself too seriously in jobs like this. Put very simply, people are fucking ass holes (and yes - you have to acknowledge this to excel at being a "Happiness Engineer" - it's not cynical to recognize that people have angry outbursts, because you have to know how to calm them down; pretending that people aren't mean is a one-way ticket to burnout). Even "nice" people can be ass holes; humans are complex and represent a whole spectrum of emotions [0]. Sometimes they don't know they're doing it, sometimes they do. There are social differences (what someone on the West Coast thinks is rude is not the same as what someone on the East Coast thinks is rude, and there are even difference between "microcultures" on the rules of social engagement; these rules might be intersubjective, but differ) that have to be negotiated often in one-time ephemeral interactions. Negativity is contagious and I cringe at the times that I unnecessarily injected negativity into an interaction where the other person/people didn't do anything to deserve it. I think there is maybe one other "weird" job title in that list, but otherwise they're all pretty normal, so this is probably one of the last things I'd criticize Automattic for. The fact that they describe customer support as "Happiness Engineering" suggests the nature of the title - we have to be a little goofy to help people. As a final note, for anyone thinking "I work in customer support and I don't like this yada yada", it's just not for you, and that's OK. No need to think up a huge rebuttal, it's just a different philosophy for those of us who like to help people and have a little bit of fun at the same time. I don't work at Automattic, but I like WordPress and don't really care too much about this drama. [0]: https://feelingswheel.com/ https://feelingswheel.com/

hoistbypetard 2y ago

They are definitely not the first place I've heard that term. I know System76 has been using it as a title for some time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoL4gqjaWnY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoL4gqjaWnY I doubt it originated there, either.

FlamingMoe 2y ago
ChatGPT implies Automattic may have been first, or least certainly led it to wide adoption: https://chatgpt.com/share/6701e039-0e74-8012-b821-dea9789564c1 https://chatgpt.com/share/6701e039-0e74-8012-b821-dea9789564...

starkparker 2y ago

On the req they want candidates with senior/"tier 3" support experience or TAM experience, but the salary band is $40,000-$75,000. That's garbage pay, "and we pay in local currency", so they're offshoring without saying it out loud. It's a job for someone's happiness, but probably not the support eng's.

oefrha 2y ago
> they're offshoring without saying it out loud No, they’re an entirely remote company hiring across the globe for any position, and they’re pretty clear about that beginning in the h1 title of their hiring page. This is just your “on-shore” bias talking.