Dozens of fired Meta employees are writing 'badge posts' on social media(businessinsider.com)
businessinsider.com
Dozens of fired Meta employees are writing 'badge posts' on social media
https://www.businessinsider.com/fired-meta-employees-are-writing-badge-posts-on-social-media-2022-11
26 comments
It strikes me as a naturally human and totally understandable thing to do.
This seems like their way of reclaiming some agency over what happened to them, as well as trying to put a brave face on things. Also it probably helps them (re)connect with some sense of community — the article mentions they'd usually post these things on their internal forum, but they were ripped away from that community too quickly.
Some might even say it's a classy move — take a step back and reflect on the good parts, hand out some "thank you"s, etc.
I never got into the whole "posting on LinkedIn" thing — and I probably still wouldn't in this situation — but I think it is easy enough to empathize and see why someone might. These are weird and rough economic times, and they're just doing their best to stay afloat. Same as you or me.
This seems like their way of reclaiming some agency over what happened to them, as well as trying to put a brave face on things. Also it probably helps them (re)connect with some sense of community — the article mentions they'd usually post these things on their internal forum, but they were ripped away from that community too quickly.
Some might even say it's a classy move — take a step back and reflect on the good parts, hand out some "thank you"s, etc.
I never got into the whole "posting on LinkedIn" thing — and I probably still wouldn't in this situation — but I think it is easy enough to empathize and see why someone might. These are weird and rough economic times, and they're just doing their best to stay afloat. Same as you or me.
> In my opinion, these things work best quietly. Reach out on 1:1 basis to people you know and expand network. Don’t sob in public.
I concur but I noticed recently that with a lot of younger folks, it seems like a cultural shift.
Maybe encouraged is a strong word, but at the very least it's far more acceptable to make these things public than, say a decade or two ago.
I can't say it's wrong, per se, because I see the reasoning behind it. But there's a cultural clash.
I haven't hired anyone in a while, but if I had to posts like these would definitely result in a hard pass, no matter their skills.
I concur but I noticed recently that with a lot of younger folks, it seems like a cultural shift.
Maybe encouraged is a strong word, but at the very least it's far more acceptable to make these things public than, say a decade or two ago.
I can't say it's wrong, per se, because I see the reasoning behind it. But there's a cultural clash.
I haven't hired anyone in a while, but if I had to posts like these would definitely result in a hard pass, no matter their skills.
As a member of the younger generation, I would give you a hard pass for holding such a sentiment.
I know, that's implied. That's why I said it's a cultural class; both parties are unable to co-exist.
It's nothing personal. It's just, outside of FAANG and fields with a FAANG-like culture, the expectation is generally professionalism. At least in my field, if customers Google a company they don't want to see posts by employees of this nature. This sort of thing just doesn't fit.
It's nothing personal. It's just, outside of FAANG and fields with a FAANG-like culture, the expectation is generally professionalism. At least in my field, if customers Google a company they don't want to see posts by employees of this nature. This sort of thing just doesn't fit.
> I’m really not sure what these people are trying to achieve.
It's a cultutal rite of passage when leaving FB. When you leave voluntarily, it's posted on the FB internal workspace? thing and it serves as a way to let people know you've left and maybe leave a hot take on your way out or just leave your contact info for others and maybe thank people who made working in the swamp a little easier. Personally, when I left, I included a snarky email address and purposefully used an older badge with specific companies instead of the then current 'one company' branded badges. I've since started working with someone who recognized my domain from the badge post, as they had been working at FB around the same time, but didn't work with me then.
Since it's not possible for the people who were laid off to do it internally, some people are choosing to do it in public instead. And they probably didn't adjust the message to address the public really.
It's a cultutal rite of passage when leaving FB. When you leave voluntarily, it's posted on the FB internal workspace? thing and it serves as a way to let people know you've left and maybe leave a hot take on your way out or just leave your contact info for others and maybe thank people who made working in the swamp a little easier. Personally, when I left, I included a snarky email address and purposefully used an older badge with specific companies instead of the then current 'one company' branded badges. I've since started working with someone who recognized my domain from the badge post, as they had been working at FB around the same time, but didn't work with me then.
Since it's not possible for the people who were laid off to do it internally, some people are choosing to do it in public instead. And they probably didn't adjust the message to address the public really.
Personally, I agree with you. That being said, these posts originally appeared on consumer Facebook (but only visible to FB employees) and as such it was also about saying goodbye to friends you'd worked with. The sappiness just carried over to Workplace, and now LinkedIn apparently.
It's networking for people who need jobs, in the style of the current trend.
> daddy Zuck
After reading this phrase I think I need to take a long vacation from reading most major news sites until like 2024 or so when this all blows over.
After reading this phrase I think I need to take a long vacation from reading most major news sites until like 2024 or so when this all blows over.
All these people were happy to facilitate the destruction of society and spread fake news. I have no sympathy.
Weird to see meta employees humanized in this way. They all made the choice to throw their lot in with zuck, and they continued to make that choice every day they showed up for work.
It's hard to feel sympathy, everyone there can get a lower paying job that is beneficial to society and they choose not to. That's on them. Nobody at meta lacks other options.
It's hard to feel sympathy, everyone there can get a lower paying job that is beneficial to society and they choose not to. That's on them. Nobody at meta lacks other options.
I have no sympathy for facebook as a company, but i find it hard to believe that someone would find it weird to have human express human feelings upon being fired. They're not "humanized", they're humans.
Right, but it's sort of like seeing, I dunno, a documentary about some human facet of a murderous dictatorial regime. In a way it's mortifying to be viscerally reminded that humans capable of being hurt are casually inflicting so much harm on humanity. That they're completely insulated from the second and third order effects of their work. Just following orders without thought.
you should probably get some distance from IT for a while to get some perspective. Facebook was in the advertising business... Not better but not worst than what this sector previously did to help brands manipulate the opinion.
It's certainly a great loss to have so many brilliant minds work in that crappy business, but let's not compare that to any kind of atrocities humans have been capable of in the west in the 20th century.
It's certainly a great loss to have so many brilliant minds work in that crappy business, but let's not compare that to any kind of atrocities humans have been capable of in the west in the 20th century.
You may be right, I hope you are. I make posts in this vein partially in the hope that someone will convince me I am wrong because it would be a hell of a burden lifted off my shoulders if I could exist in this world without feeling constantly assaulted by FB/Microsoft/Apple/Amazon etc.
To be clear though, while I think ads/fake news etc are bad, they're not the main reasons I am so negative. I believe that at their core, these organizations operate under incentive structures that encourage dis-empowering people at every turn. Regulatory and userbase capture allow them to continually make choices that hurt users and help their bottom line.
It feels like they are emblematic of a world view where normal people aren't trusted with the power of the computer. Where it's okay to play zero sum games. That's vile.
To be clear though, while I think ads/fake news etc are bad, they're not the main reasons I am so negative. I believe that at their core, these organizations operate under incentive structures that encourage dis-empowering people at every turn. Regulatory and userbase capture allow them to continually make choices that hurt users and help their bottom line.
It feels like they are emblematic of a world view where normal people aren't trusted with the power of the computer. Where it's okay to play zero sum games. That's vile.
Step away from the computer and you will no longer be 'constantly assaulted' by tech companies
Sure, but I really really love the computer actually. I'm here because I love it and because I want it to be better for everyone.
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> Say what you will about social media, Meta, or daddy Zuck himself, but I am SO very grateful for everything this Company has done for me - it's hardly an exaggeration to say that Meta saved my life.
this is the cringiest one I've heard so far. No wonder it came from someone in middle management
this is the cringiest one I've heard so far. No wonder it came from someone in middle management
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> because they lost access to systems after learning they were laid off, they switched to LinkedIn instead to say farewell
LinkedIn? What sort of verdict on Facebook is that?
LinkedIn? What sort of verdict on Facebook is that?
Do they think they'll get a job at LinkedIn?
I’m really not sure what these people are trying to achieve.
Appeal to FB that they love it so much that pretty please rehire them?
Appeal to others to hire them, well there are much better ways to write those notes.
Personally, and maybe this is my bias against FB speaking, but if a person is saying that their entire worth was FB and FB this and that, and how lucky they were to be at FB, well it doesn’t give me much confidence in the abilities of a person.
On top of that, there’s another set of people offering intros and mock interviews and such to strangers. Great for getting some likes, but not sure how much they will really help if say 100s/1000s of people were to ping them suddenly.
In my opinion, these things work best quietly. Reach out on 1:1 basis to people you know and expand network. Don’t sob in public.