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Re:Bye, Amazon by ajhurliman on Monday May 04, 2020 @02:01PM (#23071218)
When I switched from mechanical engineering to software engineering people would ask me how the switch went, and I would tell them it was like I became a new class of citizen. The pay was better, I didn't get drug tested anymore, management was friendly, the rules were lax.

This made a lot of people uncomfortable (software engineers didn't want to acknowledge the privilege they've been living with and non-software folks interpreted it as bragging). I think it must be pretty tough to understand the gap unless you've been in both.

Re:Bye, Amazon by myu701 on Monday May 04, 2020 @02:54PM (#23071841)
> This made a lot of people uncomfortable (software engineers didn't want to acknowledge the privilege they've been living with and non-software folks interpreted it as bragging). I think it must be pretty tough to understand the gap unless you've been in both.

I agree. Anecdote: The difference in treatment between a permatemp ('seasonal' worker at an entertainment facility working more than 9 months per year, later round-the-clock) and F.T.E. is massive.

In the former, you are guilty until proven, if not innocent, then merely suspicious.

In the latter, you are innocent until proven guilty or more commonly incompetent.

I'm glad I work at one of the latter places now.

Re:Bye, Amazon by cardiffspaceman on Monday May 04, 2020 @03:56PM (#23072552)
I've known of DBAs who had drug-testing.
Re:Bye, Amazon by twomoretime on Monday May 04, 2020 @03:16PM (#23072113)
>software engineers didn't want to acknowledge the privilege they've been living with

Maybe people would be less hostile to the idea if you didn't dismiss the fruits of their labor with accusations of "privilege." It's kind of insulting to be told that you effectively didn't earn part or all of your success because of your race and/or gender.

Re:Bye, Amazon by ajhurliman on Monday May 04, 2020 @03:41PM (#23072405)
Maybe privilege is the wrong word (I never used that word in these discussions), and race/gender is completely tangential to this conversation.

I'm not trying to say that the status is unearned, either, but I see why developers wouldn't want to agree with me. It's not humbling at all, and can appear arrogant.