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Interesting comment on Reddit: "I had a job interview with MtGox a couple of weeks ago for a frontend developer position. After talking about their technical e

by davedx 13y ago

Interesting comment on Reddit: "I had a job interview with MtGox a couple of weeks ago for a frontend developer position. After talking about their technical environment I declined the position. Contemplated publicizing my story, but I have zero proof that the interview took place. But fuck me is their environment fucked up. Either way, I have been recommending to my friends to move any BTC away from Gox as soon as possible, and regret not bringing this advice into the open. I'm a Tokyoite, so if you want to talk to me about the job Interview, or just drink a beer, send me a DM." "I was told that up until a few weeks [at time of the interview] ago, there was hardly any development environment to test changes. Most changes were done straight on the production environment. Typing this made me throw up in my mouth. The guy who interviewed me was very friendly, but I felt like a psychiatrist more than a job candidate. The dude went on about how shitty the atmosphere is at the offices, and what he told me about Mark seems to be spot on from what OP has said. Interview guy, if you read this, sorry yo."

jessedhillon 13y ago
Can you post the link?
- studio816 13y ago
  http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/1x9gue/my_protest_at_mtgox_offices_5_to_7th_february/cf9ct0o http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/1x9gue/my_protest_a...
3pt14159 13y ago
I believe it. I've talked to a backend developer at Coinbase, he said their codebase is a mess and that he wouldn't hold any in their system. Also I submitted: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7169114 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7169114 a couple of days ago based on what I found on Reddit. And this is Coinbase, the good guy. MtGox has always been a clusterfuck. This feels like the internet used to feel like. Back when you just used to assume that a credit card transaction wouldn't go through. Why? "Because internet". Bitcoin is so young and immature.
- stcredzero 13y ago
  I've talked to a backend developer at Coinbase, he said their codebase is a mess and that he wouldn't hold any. This, and a few other things I've witnessed firsthand makes me wonder if Y-Combinator doesn't need better technical intelligence or some form of auditing. It could be done in a non-intrusive spirit of openness. Basically position it as a "show and tell" focused on technical process. Just have companies show what they're proud of, and if they so choose, show what they're ashamed of/what extent of technical debt they're in.
  - 3pt14159 13y ago
    I think that YC embraces technical debt. Exponential market growth means you can hire developers to re-write the problems in a couple years.
    - enraged_camel 13y ago
      Unless, of course, you are a company like Mt Gox and your technical debt is so huge that it sinks you. This is not a dig at Coinbase. I'm just suggesting that endorsing technical debt in the finance sector may not be smart.
      - cookiecaper 13y ago
        There are many types of technical debt. It's something that accumulates organically in any real world project, because the real world doesn't care if your code is a paragon of programming excellence or not. It's expected, and simply part of the process, to develop technical indebtedness. The important part is controlling that indebtedness so that it doesn't cause major disruptions -- this usually means periodically cleaning up old debts and ensuring you have a robust system of monitors and failsafes. In a niche like finance, you certainly have to be more aggressive to ensure that no serious breakages or irrevocable indebtedness make their way into critical transaction code.
        stcredzero 13y ago
nils-- 13y ago
I worked at Gox as a PM for about three weeks before walking out. Currently looking for a new job. sigh. Would be willing to share my story, with proof, but sadly I'm not a good writer. :( But I can confirm that it is as screwed up as the commentor on Reddit wrote. Not even the developers would trust their money or BTC to Gox.

by davedx 13y ago

jessedhillon 13y ago

Can you post the link?

studio816 13y ago
http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/1x9gue/my_protest_at_mtgox_offices_5_to_7th_february/cf9ct0o http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/1x9gue/my_protest_a...

3pt14159 13y ago

I believe it. I've talked to a backend developer at Coinbase, he said their codebase is a mess and that he wouldn't hold any in their system. Also I submitted: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7169114 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7169114 a couple of days ago based on what I found on Reddit. And this is Coinbase, the good guy. MtGox has always been a clusterfuck. This feels like the internet used to feel like. Back when you just used to assume that a credit card transaction wouldn't go through. Why? "Because internet". Bitcoin is so young and immature.

stcredzero 13y ago
I've talked to a backend developer at Coinbase, he said their codebase is a mess and that he wouldn't hold any. This, and a few other things I've witnessed firsthand makes me wonder if Y-Combinator doesn't need better technical intelligence or some form of auditing. It could be done in a non-intrusive spirit of openness. Basically position it as a "show and tell" focused on technical process. Just have companies show what they're proud of, and if they so choose, show what they're ashamed of/what extent of technical debt they're in.
- 3pt14159 13y ago
  I think that YC embraces technical debt. Exponential market growth means you can hire developers to re-write the problems in a couple years.
  - enraged_camel 13y ago
    Unless, of course, you are a company like Mt Gox and your technical debt is so huge that it sinks you. This is not a dig at Coinbase. I'm just suggesting that endorsing technical debt in the finance sector may not be smart.
    - cookiecaper 13y ago
      There are many types of technical debt. It's something that accumulates organically in any real world project, because the real world doesn't care if your code is a paragon of programming excellence or not. It's expected, and simply part of the process, to develop technical indebtedness. The important part is controlling that indebtedness so that it doesn't cause major disruptions -- this usually means periodically cleaning up old debts and ensuring you have a robust system of monitors and failsafes. In a niche like finance, you certainly have to be more aggressive to ensure that no serious breakages or irrevocable indebtedness make their way into critical transaction code.
      - stcredzero 13y ago

nils-- 13y ago

I worked at Gox as a PM for about three weeks before walking out. Currently looking for a new job. sigh. Would be willing to share my story, with proof, but sadly I'm not a good writer. :( But I can confirm that it is as screwed up as the commentor on Reddit wrote. Not even the developers would trust their money or BTC to Gox.