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Comment by nialv7 | Hacker News Reader

I have no words. this is just… so sad.

Which part?

If you don't want to feel like a cog in a heartless money making machine, all of it.

I wouldn't take it quite as seriously as it takes itself. These articles like to lay down a view of the universe as if it was the first and last word but I don't think it is at all.

We couldn't function at all if all companies failed to do work properly because of some odd decision about what's a cost and what isn't. If you have a toll bridge then fixing the bridge isn't a cost....unless you actually WANT it to fall down.

It is not the responsibility of the rest of society to pay you a handsome salary for a programming hobby. If your code isn't generating enough value that someone wants to pay for it, it's about as useful as model trains.

I never said it is. I responded to the question about "what's sad about it", and having idealistic ideas about the IT is common among newer/fresh programmers. And (almost?) nobody wants to feel like a replaceable money making pawn, most[1] people in IT value self-realisation at least a bit. And some successfully gaslight themselves into believing that their backend work on their ad-sponsored e-commerce CRUD is somehow making the world a better place.

Having said that, "value" doesn't have to be measured in euros. I personally work in a semi-governmental institution, and the main focus of my team is reducing the amount of cybercrime in my country. I still need to provide that value to earn good money, but I enjoy that more than working to make investors rich (there's nothing wrong with that though, and it usually pays better).

[1] anecdotal, among my social groups, I don't really have hard data about this.

The part where employee whose work improves the life of people around them (by refactoring, work on tech-debt), or the life of people around the world in general (open source, accessibility, etc.) isn't rewarded financially. And somehow capitalists want me to believe people working to advance their own self interests will collectively benefit the society at large.

Also the part where employees have to constantly justify their own existences. I just want to work on interesting things and be left alone.

(To be fair I am exaggerating a bit, and I think the author is, too. I don't think the reality is as bad as presented.)

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