Fierce Nerds - Hackdot

Re:Fierce Nerds by whatshisface on Tuesday May 18, 2021 @03:20PM (#27199680)

PG, if you asked him, might describe himself as defending people who do real work from a larger culture that all too often prioritizes serving the status quo over accomplishing the goals that the status quo was established to accomplish. One example of that would be SpaceX doing the launch vehicle design work that the NASA/Boeing/Big Government Contractor complex was established to do. At the same time, SpaceX works its people extremely hard and is lead by a billionaire with abnormally unsophisticated PR. So there you have cultural and business forces set against a new company that has nothing going for it except the fact that it actually does stuff. Actually doing stuff is a surprisingly small advantage in a world that is interested in so many other qualities.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fierce Nerds by jvanderbot on Tuesday May 18, 2021 @05:25PM (#27201384)

I would like people to stop believing that this is a real example, at least around here (I'm close to a few NASA missions). SpaceX was selected by NASA for some lunar lift services, and everyone I know is quite excited by US's expanding lift / launch capabilities. I think that I and those around me exist in these roles to serve the needs of the nation and priorities of congress and the scientific community, and will use any tools at our disposal to do so.

Other companies may fight this, sure, but stop throwing NASA (an exploration agency) in with those who would benefit from suppressing SpaceX.

Personal opinion.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fierce Nerds by whatshisface on Tuesday May 18, 2021 @05:27PM (#27201416)

SpaceX + vendor-agnostic NASA contracts are a world away from the cost-plus launch vehicle design projects with heavy involvement from NASA engineers that got us to the moon, built the ISS, and also spent a long time going nowhere once the corruption caught up with the system.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fierce Nerds by jholman on Wednesday May 19, 2021 @06:16AM (#27206622)

I'm not close to any NASA missions at all, so this is just my take.

It seems clear that NASA is more happy than not about what SpaceX is bringing to the table. Any model that spins a NASA-vs-SpaceX narrative is confused and wrong. I think that's an agreement with your point.

But when you look at what SpaceX is operating in opposition to, whether it's cost-plus bids, or closed contracts for various launch services, etc etc, NASA has been very much a part of that whole system.

So, my point is, it makes sense to talk about SpaceX's model vs the model of "the NASA/Boeing/Big Government Contractor complex".

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fierce Nerds by ziziyO on Tuesday May 18, 2021 @03:45PM (#27200037)

Why can’t we have both? A job where we can “actually do stuff” without getting mistreated by psychotic billionaires. There’s a lack of compassion in tech.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fierce Nerds by elteto on Tuesday May 18, 2021 @04:20PM (#27200484)

Assuming you are in the US: I’d say that, if anything, tech is a fantastic little bubble when compared to the rest of corporate America. We, the “nerds”, exert a level of control over our work/careers that is unparalleled in other industries. We have plenty of opportunities available if we dislike our current situation. Tech companies provide excellent benefits and compensation. Maybe only doctors have the same level of mobility/compensation.

You will always be mistreated by someone if you work for a corporation. We have it easier than almost everybody else, really.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fierce Nerds by b3morales on Tuesday May 18, 2021 @04:42PM (#27200782)

Speaking as someone who has come to my tech career later in life (and after another career), this is absolutely correct. All industries have their problems: software is no exception, there are things that could be better. There are bad days, even bad months.

But at nearly 6 years in I still wake up every day amazed that I get paid as much as I do to do this thing that I really enjoy. With overall reasonable hours. Without having to deal with the general public. Considered an asset despite the fact that I cost so much and write bugs. And with people banging on my door constantly to get me to work for them. I feel extremely fortunate.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fierce Nerds by fshbbdssbbgdd on Tuesday May 18, 2021 @04:41PM (#27200772)

Maybe there is something wrong with our society that tends to cause organizational dysfunction and make it hard to do stuff. Perhaps it takes someone seriously atypical (maybe a little psychotic) to manage to build an institution that can actually accomplish things at scale in this environment. If there are 10000 well-adjusted bureaucrats standing between you and your aspiration to build electric cars and rockets, it will take some serious force of personality (a personality disorder?) to defy all of them.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fierce Nerds by username90 on Wednesday May 19, 2021 @04:01AM (#27205821)

Because big companies would never let a person like Elon Musk create something like Space X internally.

[ Parent | on HN ]