A mortgage and tuition for kids is a powerful motivator.

To be fair, I'd say "good engineers" especially where Comcast is, probably choose their employer not the other way around. Not to say whether they are right or wrong for working there, but we shouldn't pretend "good engineers" are otherwise destitute.

The yuppy nuremberg defense. From the excellent movie "thank you for smoking"

Evil is often banal.

You guys sound like you're 20.

You think things in the world are so "obviously" black and white.

Comcast making shitty business decisions is not burning Jews in ovens. And the fact your not immediately laughed out of the room when you make such comparisons is the real sad reflection of society in this thread.

There are other companies doing much more evil things.

A good person doesnt blindly follow orders period. You dont get to call yourself a good person just because you signed a mortgauge or had a kid. If your actions are bad, then you are bad.

Reality forces a choice between lesser evils at times.

"Good" as in morally upright? (in which case true).

or

"Good" as in technically competent? (in which case untrue).

These are not separate concerns. Morality is a necessary part of competence.

[citation needed]

In any case, here the intended meaning was clearly "technical ability", which doesn't require morality

If there's one belief I think needs to be more widespread in technical circles, it's this. Good engineers recognize the impact of their engineering, and engineer for social good. We don't remember programmers because of how good their programming was, we remember them because of how good the programs they made were.

it's the engineer part that suggests the moral uprightness. without that, it's more "developer"

"good" as in having the qualities required for a particular role, as per Google.