undefined | Better HN

0 pointsnytesky2y ago0 comments

I sympathize with your perspective, when most programmers were really nerds was a magical time.

I do wonder if we are indulging in an “eternal September” mindset though.

0 comments

7 comments · 3 top-level

zer00eyz2y ago· 3 in thread

I have been theorizing that they all get FAANG jobs now.

Free everything, stock options, good pay....

Crush the competition before it gets its feet under it. It isnt that we dont have as many nerds, they are all just "locked up".

mech4222y ago

I sometimes think FAANGs select for that group... Basically, all they have to offer is the paycheck. Outside of a few 'interesting' departments, most FAANG stuff seems to be the same sort of work you'd get in any other industry. And they make sure to run you thru a gauntlet of interviews for the positions.

I think a lot of the "lifelong geek" crowd just finds more 'interesting' work (for whatever qualifies as 'interesting' to them...) in other companies without jumping thru all the hoops (and for less pay, of course). Lots of startups, niche companies, etc offer challenges that can make up for the lower pay.

eru2y ago

I used to work at Google (and even Facebook for a very short time). They ain't what they used to be.

ghaff2y ago

To be somewhat cynical, they're big companies. Big companies have lots of process, layers of management, fiefdoms, etc. etc. Doesn't matter if you're Google, Facebook, or a big bank.

1 more reply

anal_reactor2y ago· 1 in thread

The times when IT department smelled like pizza, sweat, and Mountain Dew lol

To be honest I don't think we'll ever go back to this. The only reason why this existed was that programming was socially unattractive, so developers self-selected to be people with certain personality characteristics. Once the society recognized the importance of IT jobs, it started pumping all sorts of people into the industry. There's no coming back, unless a) programming becomes a bad career choice again or b) all people get the luxury of working jobs that interest them

Der_Einzige2y ago

Don't worry, programming remains very unattractive. Where and how one gets their money matters. You can literally watch the "ick" reaction happen within fractions of a second of mentioning to them that one is working as a "software engineer".

I find that if it's not an ick, it's resentment. Normies are catching on that huge amounts of tech bros are "overpaid" (working ~10 hrs a week at a rest and vest retirement home like Microsoft), and they're becoming luddites over the impact of AI in their industries.

They call San Jose "Man Jose" for a reason. Women don't like tech-bros, and it shows.

spamizbad2y ago

I think there's a bit of generational shift at play here. Elder-millennial earnestness vs younger millennial/Gen-Z social anxious binary view of things as either "based" or "cringe" (and openly geeking out about stuff definitely fits their "cringe" definition, whereas its endearing to older millennials).

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse