I was an early employee at a Proctorio competitor. We actually beat them to market but they managed to get more market traction than we did.
In complete transparency, I left because I didn't get paid enough - not because of ethical reasons.
Just-out-of-college me was sold hard on the argument: "Good students who work hard and don't cheat are getting screwed over by bad students - cheaters. There is no solution for this in online classes. We need to build one"
In hindsight, it is crazy how long a simple argument, being ethical itself, can rationalize other shitty decisions and compromises. It's kind of like a religion or a cult when you are in it. Constantly surrounded by other people who are drinking the same koolaid as you. You might feel a little uneasy, but hive-mind grabs ahold of you and when you see other devotees to the company vision, it soothes that uneasiness. Which no...is not good.
It wasn't until I was no longer an employee that I saw things much more clearly. In the "name of justice", we built an unethical product that fucked over many students. Plain and simple.
In complete transparency, I left because I didn't get paid enough - not because of ethical reasons.
Just-out-of-college me was sold hard on the argument: "Good students who work hard and don't cheat are getting screwed over by bad students - cheaters. There is no solution for this in online classes. We need to build one"
In hindsight, it is crazy how long a simple argument, being ethical itself, can rationalize other shitty decisions and compromises. It's kind of like a religion or a cult when you are in it. Constantly surrounded by other people who are drinking the same koolaid as you. You might feel a little uneasy, but hive-mind grabs ahold of you and when you see other devotees to the company vision, it soothes that uneasiness. Which no...is not good.
It wasn't until I was no longer an employee that I saw things much more clearly. In the "name of justice", we built an unethical product that fucked over many students. Plain and simple.
You know the phrase.
The road to hell... Good intentions...