alt Hacker NewsThis 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.
You’re misreading my comment.
Other than the Star Trek bit, I’m not really responding to the post at all. I’m talking about the trend of people who have made ones, tens, or hundreds of millions moaning about the “tech industry” (whatever that is) now that they’re getting out.
My point, you can make whatever impact you want with tech and don’t have to think much about “THE INDUSTRY”. Talk to high school aged kids today and a lot of them look at going into tech as if they’d be lobbyists for big tobacco.
"I left left the "TECH INDUSTRY" to jar pickles in my Vermont farmhouse. It changed everything." or "I created surveillance capitalism and now I'm telling you to make your iPhone grayscale." make for great headlines, NPR segments, and TED Talks, but, who benefits from it?