alt Hacker NewsI see these kinds of proclamations all the time: “Tech failed me so I quit.”
I don’t relate at all.
I grew up poor, tech was a way to survive, not the path to a “woo woo socialist utopia”[0] a la Star Trek. Why would anyone think it would be? Tech isn’t special it’s just a tool. Tech didn’t fail, the political apparatus did.
Making yourself small and giving up your power to make a large scale impact is akin to wizards burning their spell books to focus on their dagger collections. Sure it might bring them joy, but they’re going to be doing 1d4-1 damage for the foreseeable future. And that’s if they ever even land a hit.
Tech is neither good nor bad. And, the demonization of tech and tech workers is at best unproductive, and, at worst will cause the conscientious to self-select out of tech.
People are free to do whatever they want but I wish we were giving people positive reasons to be in and in love with tech instead of trotting out trite jokes about <insert tech villain of the week> and showing nothing but surrender.
I’ve been burned out since 2013 but I don’t have the luxury of walking away or even taking a break. Even if I was rich I’d keep going because a) it’s what I love and b) unless you all want to elect me king it’s going to be the best way for me to make an impact in 2025.
I wish Jacob all the best.
Anyway, I’m going to quit swimming because teaching people to swim has increased the number of potential recreational drownings.
[0]: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S02E03. “Tell the Louvre to get off my back!” God, I love Carol Kane.
Also, in universe, Star Trek’s socialist utopia only came about after a period of inequality, instability, science run amok, tyranny, and war. So, we’re on track!
Replies
This feels like a cynical interpretation of Jacob's post.
I think it's perfectly reasonable for someone to want to retire with a feeling that their career was a net positive to society; and it can be very difficult to get that feeling when working in tech. So even if switching to being an EMT means his maximum individual impact is vastly reduced, it's far easier to make the claim that he's doing good.
I have many relatives that died in war. Specifically WWI, WW2, and Vietnam. The direct stories I’ve been told are insane - my grandfather ran communication wires on the German front line and he experienced great trauma.
Then I read books about these wars, and other wars throughout ancient time, and they casually mention so many killed and raped. People struggling to survive. The Japanese called Guadalcanal the “Island of Death” because so many starved and the cannibalism was rampant.
I’m not suggesting we ignore our problems today or minimize them based on what was common even 50 years ago. But it is very helpful to appreciate what we have now, the luxuries, the safety, the technologies, when our ancestors lived in such abject pain and difficulty.