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Can you expound on why you feel this way? Personally, I prefer the strength of intrinsic rewards. Gamification seems to devalue my effort. But I'm not denying t

by mkenyon 14y ago

Can you expound on why you feel this way? Personally, I prefer the strength of intrinsic rewards. Gamification seems to devalue my effort. But I'm not denying that it works for people. It might not be a perfect solution, but an 80% solution is better than not preparing for an interview or not being active (FitBit). Why dismiss this outright?

chubot 14y ago
I think it's less about the gamification than about the disturbing trend of "tasteless nerds who want to work at Google at all cost". It seems people just want to get in the door and they don't even care about what they're working on or whether it's the right job for them. I guess the fantastic Google PR team from 2004 did a number on the psyche. It becomes implanted in people's heads that if they work for Google, that means they're automatically successful. (note: I work there and don't think that) I guess it is true, outside the Bay Area, that if you tell someone you work at Google, you will get your ego flattered. In the Bay Area this was true until 2007-2008 or so.
- eshvk 14y ago
  There is a good reason for someone young in their career to work at Google: Studying how large systems were designed, built and how they handle cruft. Sure there are hot Startups where you get to reinvent the wheel but those opportunities come once in a while. These statements probably apply to any big company but Google is one of the most palatable ones in the bay area.
- ChuckMcM 14y ago
  I resonate with this, its fine to say "I am passionate about productizing a self driving car, and Google is the only place I can realistically see doing that." It is another to just want to "work at Google." So now that he's checked the box (do they still do slotting? If so the box isn't actually checked yet) what is his motivation, eat at all the cafes? Get a months worth of t-shirts? Hope he is wildly successful, and sad that the interview would be such a barrier.
  - zem 14y ago
    one of my primary motivations for joining google was because i really wanted to be in (what i felt, from talking to my friends that worked there, was) a place that was passionate about the quality and health of their codebase, and that was constantly striving not just for better things to do but for better ways to do those things. so far (18 months in), it has pretty much been everything i expected it to be. it's not true that i "don't care what i'm working on", but the basic engineering culture of google is such that i'm pretty sure i'd have been happy here even if i hadn't got my first choice of product area. i notice an overemphasis on hacker news about how there should be one Problem You're Passionate About Solving, and that that should be what drives you, but that's very much a psychology-of-the-individual thing.
- Apocryphon 14y ago
  Why "tasteless"?

by mkenyon 14y ago

chubot 14y ago

I think it's less about the gamification than about the disturbing trend of "tasteless nerds who want to work at Google at all cost". It seems people just want to get in the door and they don't even care about what they're working on or whether it's the right job for them. I guess the fantastic Google PR team from 2004 did a number on the psyche. It becomes implanted in people's heads that if they work for Google, that means they're automatically successful. (note: I work there and don't think that) I guess it is true, outside the Bay Area, that if you tell someone you work at Google, you will get your ego flattered. In the Bay Area this was true until 2007-2008 or so.

eshvk 14y ago
There is a good reason for someone young in their career to work at Google: Studying how large systems were designed, built and how they handle cruft. Sure there are hot Startups where you get to reinvent the wheel but those opportunities come once in a while. These statements probably apply to any big company but Google is one of the most palatable ones in the bay area.
ChuckMcM 14y ago
I resonate with this, its fine to say "I am passionate about productizing a self driving car, and Google is the only place I can realistically see doing that." It is another to just want to "work at Google." So now that he's checked the box (do they still do slotting? If so the box isn't actually checked yet) what is his motivation, eat at all the cafes? Get a months worth of t-shirts? Hope he is wildly successful, and sad that the interview would be such a barrier.
- zem 14y ago
  one of my primary motivations for joining google was because i really wanted to be in (what i felt, from talking to my friends that worked there, was) a place that was passionate about the quality and health of their codebase, and that was constantly striving not just for better things to do but for better ways to do those things. so far (18 months in), it has pretty much been everything i expected it to be. it's not true that i "don't care what i'm working on", but the basic engineering culture of google is such that i'm pretty sure i'd have been happy here even if i hadn't got my first choice of product area. i notice an overemphasis on hacker news about how there should be one Problem You're Passionate About Solving, and that that should be what drives you, but that's very much a psychology-of-the-individual thing.
Apocryphon 14y ago
Why "tasteless"?