Workplace Disruption Reported at Meta Amid AR and VR Push, Some Staff Defecting to Competitors Like Apple

[erikkfi]

They gussy it up with talk of being a total reinvention but they’re really just creating the next social network for a different screen, and trying desperately to be the manufacturer of the device this time, unlike with the smartphone.

I deleted my Facebook a couple of months ago and will never create another account with that company again, even if they rebrand a dozen times.

 

[tubular]

Ugh. Go away, Zuck.

 

[jdoll021]

Hmm, Tom Anderson's net worth: $60 Million
Zucks net worth: ~$100 BILLION
Zucks compensation: ~$24 Million/year

If financial success is your definition of stupid, I don't think that either are stupid at all.

Pretty sure I didn’t mention financial success. The difference is that Tom island hops with an attractive girlfriend(?) and is probably a pretty happy, stress free guy.

Zuck looks stressed and kind of miserable but his obsession with power, control, and relentless pursuit of more wealth is what’s making him that way. And greed makes EVERYBODY stupid, no matter how smart you may have been before you became one of the richest m*****f*****s on the planet (cough Musk cough cough).

What makes Tom smart is not that he’s richer, it’s that he used the money he got from selling MySpace to retire young and enjoy the good life rather than the relentless pursuit of more wealth, power, and control that would make anyone miserable. He may only be worth $60 million (a figure I find a bit dubious), but the way he lives his life means that will be more than enough for him.

 

[kc9hzn]

I prefer working for a place that allows me to show up and do. Because, look, to be blunt, the company I work for is never going to be my first priority, especially if they’re at leave to void the relationship at any time. Don’t ask for brain cycles on my time unless you’re paying me for it. And no, I probably won’t work a job where I’m on call at all times, for much the same reason I enjoy having the ability to disconnect from social media. I’ve got other stuff that’s more important to me than the stuff that’s important to you, and you’re not buying me, you’re just buying 40 or so hours of my time each week.

I’ve already been of the opinion that Silicon Valley firms are too demanding of their employees’ time and lives (all those fringe benefits like the cafeteria seem to be intended to make work your primary social network). May not be an insidious thing, maybe they want employees to feel connected. The trouble is that I like having boundaries between me and work, and I prefer a company that accommodates those boundaries.

Actually, elaborating on that thought, boundaries are a thing we need more of, while Silicon Valley is kind of obsessed with reducing boundaries. I’m not opposed to smartphones, there’s some real value to it (holding nearly unlimited music or books, for instance), but they’re very easy to use inappropriately (doom scrolling while sleep procrastinating, for example). But it takes some conscious effort to use smartphones in a mentally and physically healthy way. One of the things I like about my Apple Watch is that it acts as a front line filter for notifications (the stuff that’s really timely comes to my wrist, if it ends up on my phone, it’s a way lower priority). AR or VR (more the AR, less the VR) has some actual real world utility (VR is not something that seems very helpful out on the street as you walk to your destination, it’s more like it’s a destination itself), but it’s also something that seems like it’s very easy to let it intrude too often (if it’s in front of your face all the time). People already have a hard time managing notifications (or social media) in their face on a phone, it’ll be worse, and the need for boundaries will be greater, when it’s in your face at every waking minute.

 

[guerro]

Come on guys. I'm just like you. Come on in to my Meta verse and experience total artificial existence.

 

[kc9hzn]

Come on guys. I'm just like you. Come on in to my Meta verse and experience total artificial existence.

Oh jeez, that Zuckerberg profile pic is just icing on the cake! There’s something artificial about Zuckerberg for some reason (it’s some sort of affectation he puts on, kinda like Elizabeth Holmes) that makes him really off-putting and makes him seem like he could easily be AI generated.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I don't know... maybe I'm too old but this all metaverse thing smells like Second Life, deja vu.

My take is that it’s a Second Life that will make it easy for companies to buy into for advertising and profit from selling digital wares.

I always wonder if Sony’s kicking themselves for giving up on Home? It would have taken a good amount of work to get it working on their new systems, but, looking at the broader direction, it might have been worth keeping up (maybe not at the time, but in the long run… they did have some well produced third party content).

 

[dvanwinkle]

Pretty sure I didn’t mention financial success. The difference is that Tom island hops with an attractive girlfriend(?) and is probably a pretty happy, stress free guy.

Zuck looks stressed and kind of miserable but his obsession with power, control, and relentless pursuit of more wealth is what’s making him that way. And greed makes EVERYBODY stupid, no matter how smart you may have been before you became one of the richest m*****f*****s on the planet (cough Musk cough cough).

What makes Tom smart is not that he’s richer, it’s that he used the money he got from selling MySpace to retire young and enjoy the good life rather than the relentless pursuit of more wealth, power, and control that would make anyone miserable. He may only be worth $60 million (a figure I find a bit dubious), but the way he lives his life means that will be more than enough for him.

That makes sense. Your original post seemed more about the money and less about the lifestyle. I completely agree that more money isn't going to make anyone happier once you're at over 10 figures, other than marginal numbers. So I completely agree with you that Tom is living a more stress free life. I can't call him smarter or more stupid one way or the other, but I can certainly get behind the more stress free lifestyle.

 

[jdoll021]

I wish this disgusting company would hurry up and disappear. People really need to stop using Facebook instagram and WhatsApp.

Yeah, I stopped using it regularly years ago. I’ve gone from jumping on once every couple of months to almost not at all. In fact, I don’t even remember the last time I was on there. I think it’s been almost a year (and I’m a lot happier!). I only got an Instagram account because one of our martial arts teachers likes to post his workout vids there. Since I don’t always get to catch his Zoom class, it’s handy to have it.

I’d love to get my family on Signal, but that’s an uphill battle.

I think people would be a lot better off without these things. But, given how far apart everyone is from each other, I do understand why they exist.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

As horrible as a company as Facebook is, I agree with them, if you don't have a positive attitude toward the company then you should leave. I would think most companies have this same sentiment.

Lol what is this. If you don't have a positive attitude toward the company?

Facebook is basically a public utility now. If I delete my account, I become estranged from my friends and family. I won't have any idea what is going on. I will always be out of the loop and forgotten. I won't see invitations to events. I'll be the last to know when someone dies. Yes, it sucks, yes, it's a dystopian nightmare, but that's the way it is.

 

[BWhaler]

These employees should be toxic and unwelcome at companies like Apple.

At this point, they know what they did, and it's not like they can't easily find another job with insane comp package.

 

[MysticCow]

if you can't get excited about the work that you're doing, you're going to naturally underperform.

But that is a difference from "selling your soul." I love my job. I am excited for my job every single day. I did not sell my soul to that company and will only work my contracted hours.

I love my job. I love who I work with. BUT...I did not give or sell my soul to that company and those companies should never expect you to put in more than your contracted hours.

 

[Nuno Lopes]

Your point #3 assumes a lack of better options.

I assume no such thing. If people have better options for themselves makes no sense to stay regardless.

 

[JamieLannister]

you anti-FB haters crack me up. So I guess it's wisdom to work under SJ at apple when he pushes 90+ hour weeks. When you are at the top like Zuck then you can do whatever you want. SJ could've retired but he latched on to apple (and it's his baby after all).

At the end of the day these guys make so much money per second you aren't even in their place value. Just **** and stop the BS. Go woke, go broke!

 

[zorinlynx]

What makes Tom smart is not that he’s richer, it’s that he used the money he got from selling MySpace to retire young and enjoy the good life rather than the relentless pursuit of more wealth, power, and control that would make anyone miserable. He may only be worth $60 million (a figure I find a bit dubious), but the way he lives his life means that will be more than enough for him.

This is what I often wonder. Once someone gets well into the 8-figures range, what's the point of continuing to try to get more? You can already live the rest of your life in the lap of luxury with 8-figures, especially if well invested. People who just want to keep acquiring more wealth and power are society's parasites and not worthy of admiration.

Another name that reminds me of how Anderson is living his life is Steve Wozniak. He's done good with life, doing a lot of teaching and charity work.

 

[Zdigital2015]

I'm still not clear on what amazing, useful (profitable) thing Facebook expects to do with "the metaverse". There's incredible potential for games, a vast multiverse of connected worlds with a common architecture. That's a cool idea.

But that doesn't seem to be the focus here, and I'm extremely skeptical that this will end up anywhere interesting. A metaverse concept is more or less completely orthogonal to other useful things you might do with AR or VR.

Think Ready Player One or Second Life, with Zuckerberg getting richer (among others), the rest of us getting poorer while we’re herded into crowded cities to rent shipping containers as dwellings, and be told that we like it.

 

[gaximus]

Lol what is this. If you don't have a positive attitude toward the company?

Facebook is basically a public utility now. If I delete my account, I become estranged from my friends and family. I won't have any idea what is going on. I will always be out of the loop and forgotten. I won't see invitations to events. I'll be the last to know when someone dies. Yes, it sucks, yes, it's a dystopian nightmare, but that's the way it is.

It's my opinion on what Facebook was wanting from their employees. Companies with employees that care about the company and believe in it, typically do better. And you you don't believe in the company, you shouldn't be there.

Unrelated to the post, I also deleted my Facebook account. I think it's a horrible company.

 

[jdoll021]

This is what I often wonder. Once someone gets well into the 8-figures range, what's the point of continuing to try to get more? You can already live the rest of your life in the lap of luxury with 8-figures, especially if well invested. People who just want to keep acquiring more wealth and power are society's parasites and not worthy of admiration.

Another name that reminds me of how Anderson is living his life is Steve Wozniak. He's done good with life, doing a lot of teaching and charity work.

It’s the seduction of power. It’s very hard to resist. I’m not sure what led to MySpace Tom’s decision to sell and check out, but in The Woz’s case, I think he’s gone on record as saying that his love of engineering, inventing, and learning about technology is what let him get out, more or less, early. Though, in his case, he didn’t really cash out. He left Apple but Steve Jobs left him on the payroll, so he draws a paycheck from Apple even though he doesn’t really work for them.

I think the key is if you have a passion that can override a desire for wealth or power. I read about a Silicon Valley couple many years ago who sold their startup for something like $450 million and spent their ”retirement” combining their love of flying, photography, and environmentalism by helping the California Coastal Commission chart coastal erosion on the California coastline.

We should all be so lucky to have our “jobs” and our “passions” align.

 

[jdoll021]

It's my opinion on what Facebook was wanting from their employees. Companies with employees that care about the company and believe in it, typically do better. And you you don't believe in the company, you shouldn't be there.

Unrelated to the post, I also deleted my Facebook account. I think it's a horrible company.

How do you delete Facebook? I use it so little it’s pretty much defunct, but I learned awhile ago that when you “delete” it, it’s actually still there on some cloud server somewhere. Unless you’re in the European Union where citizens there have the right to permanently delete these things?

 

[M.PaulCezanne]

I wouldn't have anything to do with Meta if it were the only solution available to prolong my life.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

It's my opinion on what Facebook was wanting from their employees. Companies with employees that care about the company and believe in it, typically do better. And you you don't believe in the company, you shouldn't be there.

Unrelated to the post, I also deleted my Facebook account. I think it's a horrible company.

Ahh, I missed that we were talking from an employment perspective. Yes, it's a soul-crushing experience to work for a company you hate. Nothing good comes of it, and the only way out is out.

 

[Unity451]

Why don’t I think VR will be a truly viable mainstream product? I think the motion sickness is largely an intractable problem short of brain stem jacks or other invasive technical solutions.

I once rode a rollercoaster at a Six Flags theme park (one that I've ridden uncountable times prior and is one of the least intense rides at the park) that was newly equipped with a VR headset to simulate riding on Santa's sleigh and flying around a city. I legit thought I was going to throw up and had to take the mask off. What an awful concept... give up actually riding a rollercoaster in real life for the literally nauseating experience of riding something imaginary in a pretend world. Hard pass for me.

 

[Daalseth]

Facebook/Meta might end up like MySpace.

OMG I hope so.

 

[ackmondual]

I guess Facebook will be dead in 5-6 years. I actually use it to keep myself informed on what's going on outside of my room.

A lot of my family and friends are still on there, and I doubt they'll be moving from there. That said, last time I can remember being on Facebook is perhaps, 8 months ago? I do like to check up on them from time to time, but, it's really not a priority (if it was, it wouldn't have been that long since my last visit). I call family on a regular basis. so no need to go through there.

Alas, some businesses heavily rely on Facebook

 

[Bandaman]

Facebook/Meta might end up like MySpace.

We can only hope.