I'm in my late forties and have wasted over 20 years of my life developing services and solutions in the advertising and web industry that enable companies to sell as much as possible. During this time, I was always expected to deliver more performance for less money. Maximizing profits for entrepreneurs who have no qualms - their sole goal (with exceptions proving the rule) is to accumulate as much money as possible, to the point where they no longer know what to do with it. I didn't really have a choice because in the heavily contested agency business you have to be thankful to find any clients at all. With my work, I have contributed to advancing surveillance capitalism, developing software that serves almost exclusively to promote sales and spreading worthless content. All results that exacerbate rather than alleviate humanity's problems. Lately, I've been trying to sell AI (specifically LLMs) that don't really work well in any application and waste enormous amounts of energy - and in most cases, classical, algorithmic approaches would be significantly more efficient.
I've had enough. I want to do something in my life that truly benefits humanity. Something that helps people live better and more sustainably. Something that helps save our planet. And something that contributes to my children having a better future than currently seems likely.
I'm very good with computers, have experience in system administration (primarily Linux) and can program. I'm also a good writer and able to communicate very well in English and German. I would also like to continue working with computers and the internet, but on projects that have real value, meaning, and dignity.
And all of this should also bring in enough money so that I can provide my family with a decent standard of living, without us having to turn every penny over twice. And that seems to me a pretty hopeless endeavor. Or does anyone here know of any project or company that aligns with my values?
Anyone else share my experiences or feelings?
I've had enough. I want to do something in my life that truly benefits humanity. Something that helps people live better and more sustainably. Something that helps save our planet. And something that contributes to my children having a better future than currently seems likely.
I'm very good with computers, have experience in system administration (primarily Linux) and can program. I'm also a good writer and able to communicate very well in English and German. I would also like to continue working with computers and the internet, but on projects that have real value, meaning, and dignity. And all of this should also bring in enough money so that I can provide my family with a decent standard of living, without us having to turn every penny over twice. And that seems to me a pretty hopeless endeavor. Or does anyone here know of any project or company that aligns with my values?
Anyone else share my experiences or feelings?