Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by simias 2620 days ago
I applaud your principles and voting with your wallet, however I find your comparisons frankly ridiculous and tone deaf.

The people murdered by warlord funded by blood diamonds didn't really have a choice. Exploited coffee farmers in the third world who barely make enough to survive also don't really have a choice if they want to feed themselves and their families. They can't exactly say "well screw this farm, I'm going to go write code for Morgan Stanley instead".

The 20-something freshly graduated CS engineers who sent their resume to get hired by those big name devs did so willingly and were probably very happy when they got hired. They most likely could've easily gotten a well paying job elsewhere and if their working conditions really become unbearable they'll probably do just that.

Should we still support this bad industry? Probably not and I think you're right to boycott these games, but it's nowhere near comparable to those other things you talked about.

2 comments

My apologies, some analogies are definitely tone-deaf. Developers, producers, QA in North Carolina definitely have more options than most people on the planet. And I am definitely not in a position to tell them what to do with their lives. Voting with the wallet is probably the most effective way available to me personally,
Voting with your wallet doesn't apply here since Fortnite is free to play.
so what? they increase human suffering in proportional amounts. Or are you saying suffering as a human being over how many years of game development(stress/emotional distress) doesn't matter compared to suffering in africa. It isn't an either or situation even though you talk as if it is.

suffering is suffering, you must acknowledge it wherever it happens. people in jobs don't have choices a lot of times either.