[jplasmeier]

I found this piece revolting. The author feigns a conscience so that you too, conscientious engineer, can stomach working for the modern day equivalent of big tobacco. To be clear I don’t have a problem with anyone who works at Meta, but I do have a problem with taking the moral high ground in doing so. Admit it’s the wrong thing to do but too fun/lucrative to pass up, your life and that of the people around you will benefit.

[heywoodlh]

Yeah, I tried hard to read this post as un-judgmentally as I could and found it very difficult to agree with how "righteous" it came off. It made me feel like I was metaphorically gagging reading the following quotes:

> The people at this company actually believe in the mission of bringing the world closer together.

> I have seen people at various levels of the company fight for the interests and safety of the billions of people who use our services

> people who rely on us to be good stewards of their data

That being said, I can completely respect staying for an intellectually stimulating environment, loving the content of your job, awesome compensation (autonomy, pay, etc.) and a company culture that feels comfortable to you.

As other comments have said it feels comparable to someone working at the digital equivalent of a Big Tobacco company and sharing how what they are doing is beneficial.

I would love to be checked on this which is why I am commenting: am I too in a bubble? Is my reaction to the perceived righteousness of Meta too much of me being overly anti-Meta?

P.S. sincere thanks to the post's author for putting their views out there -- although I disagree with their stance I applaud them for feeling fulfilled and caring about what their company does

[throwaway758697]

I just joined Meta. I don't believe in the vision, or the mission, or the pillars, or whatever. I don't use Facebook, or WhatsApp, or Instagram, or any other Meta properties. I took the job for the money (I don't need or care about the name on my resume), and I plan to move on in a year when I don't need to repay the hiring bonus.

Listening to the self-righteous drivel they ram down our throats during orientation has made me literally and physically gag on multiple occasions. It's painfully self-serving, and it has made me dislike the company more than I did from the outside.

I 100% see social networking as digital tobacco, and I take pleasure in my other projects that I think are more helpful for mankind (or at least not negative). But Meta pays really well, and it's that pay that will allow me to pursue my other hobbies and interests.

Have I sold my soul? Probably. In a year I'll see if it was worth it.

[trowawee]

Seriously, just say "I like money and interesting technical problems and don't really care about the bad stuff FB has done/is doing/will do." At least people who work at Exxon and Raytheon and Altria (the artist formerly known as Phillip Morris) don't publish little screeds about how important their work is, and how they're just misunderstood.

[hotpotamus]

I've been around the block a few times, but I've never ever heard anyone tell me they don't deserve whatever money they've got. And I mean everyone from day laborer to executive to thief; they're all the heroes of their own story and they can always justify their actions.