[kev009]

Seems like younger tech companies finally realized IBM was full of mid to high end talent that is severely underpaid. For instance Facebook and Amazon have poached a lot of the Linux kernel talent that used to work on POWER arch and performance. Although the products tend to be interesting, seeing the sheer fame and popularity younger companies and contributors are enjoying must be a downer. It's bittersweet because a well run IBM would still deliver a lot more interesting projects than most startups that are hanging on for dear life until the big event like an IPO or acquisition.

[stonecharioteer]

I used to be in a trio of "hackers" as a kid. We were the ones who were always learning new stuff about programming. We picked up javascript before anyone else in our community at an early age, and we also explored Digit magazine CDs and discovered Ubuntu earlier. This was a time when most people didn't even have an internet connection (oddly me included) The two others who were with me were better at it than I was. One is at Broadcom, if you have a Samsung phone, your Bluetooth works because of her. Quite literally. She is the best at the drivers. The other is in some silo at IBM. He's been there forever, and he says he's found his peace there.

These two wrote their own music player in VB during high school, called it FireAMP. They used to do things that I couldn't understand. Right now, neither of them is even writing a blog. They're in their silos and I'm praying someone gets them out and helps them share their knowledge with the world.

They're the best programmers I know, and I've been at several conferences and spoken at a few. I wish they'd not sunk into their corporate holes so hard.

[danielscrubs]

I’ve rejected Facebook and my friend rejected Google offers.

We both found something we like more than chasing other peoples dreams, your friends are probably the same.

[iancmceachern]

They very likely are sharing their knowledge, just not for free, publicly, and not at the expense of their personal lives.

[sjtindell]

I have heard the same from a manager I know at Oracle. Not to say there’s a bunch of hidden talent there, but in the last couple years there has been a long string of good, high level people who got huge offers from FAANG and walked away. Oracle doesn’t even try to compete, and couldn’t. In most cases that person is also replaced by an offshore, sub-par employee with no money to hire a real replacement.

[harrygeez]

This seems to be a recurring pattern. Should we be worried? What if FAANG just poach all the good talents and put Intel, IBM, Oracle, etc out of business? Is this not anticompetitive?

[foxyv]

Competition implies that there are winners and losers. If FAANG just poaches all the talent, then Intel, IBM and Oracle will just have to start competing for the talent they need instead of resting on their laurels.

Anti-competitive would be if they agreed NOT to poach talent in order to keep salaries low.