Re:Is it unethical for me to not tell my employer I've autom...
by TheOtherHobbes on Wednesday June 28, 2017 @05:07PM
(#14658418)
There are two and a half competing forces in companies.
The first is the pursuit of profit. The second is the maintenance of hierarchy and status.
(In more humane companies the half force is an explicit dedication to benign personal and social improvement of all participants. But let's ignore that for now.)
Many companies are willing to sacrifice profits in order to maintain hierarchy.
Aside from the bugs, which are questionable, the only "crime" in any of these stories is lèse-majesté - the narcissistic wounding of someone who considers themselves a superior in the implied hierarchy.
People with authoritarian tendencies tend to consider this a far more serious crime than petty theft.
Being more competent, better informed, and more efficient should be a positive attribute, not a social challenge. But it's incredibly hard to set up a corporate culture which is a genuine performant meritocracy where status depends entirely on competence and ability.
Most companies are a very long way from this ideal. Many have an explicitly feudal mindset, where innovation and competence in underlings is not only threatening, it's terrifying.
The first is the pursuit of profit. The second is the maintenance of hierarchy and status.
(In more humane companies the half force is an explicit dedication to benign personal and social improvement of all participants. But let's ignore that for now.)
Many companies are willing to sacrifice profits in order to maintain hierarchy.
Aside from the bugs, which are questionable, the only "crime" in any of these stories is lèse-majesté - the narcissistic wounding of someone who considers themselves a superior in the implied hierarchy.
People with authoritarian tendencies tend to consider this a far more serious crime than petty theft.
Being more competent, better informed, and more efficient should be a positive attribute, not a social challenge. But it's incredibly hard to set up a corporate culture which is a genuine performant meritocracy where status depends entirely on competence and ability.
Most companies are a very long way from this ideal. Many have an explicitly feudal mindset, where innovation and competence in underlings is not only threatening, it's terrifying.