Good luck to Brad at Google.

[icarus]

Learned from copperbadge's LJ:

Brad Fitzpatrick, the founder of LJ, is leaving for Google.

Good move, Brad. Best of luck to you.

I'd say we'll miss you but that's been true for two years. And really true the last couple months. Do you think Six Apart will stop digging once they hit China?

Comments

[ncp.livejournal.com]

Bad Bad Bad. I live in Tech Central, and am married to Technoman, so I know Google. If he's leaving SixApart for Google, then things at SixApart are much worse than they seem. That Fandom exodus better get up and running pretty soon...

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Really? Why? What's wrong with Google?

[ncp.livejournal.com]

Well, he's an engineer, so maybe he'll be okay. They're not very welcoming to non-engineers (Hubby didn't apply for a marketing job there for that reason). Also, they're a giant megalomaniacal company that is trying to swallow up everything in its path and take over the internets.

They have a cool cafateria though.

Still. There's probably a lot of internal stuff going on at 6A that's got him so disgusted that he's not sticking around to defend his baby. I forsee things getting worse now that he's not there as some sort of buffer between the asshats and their customers.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Cool cafeterias are good.

What I find interesting is the fact that Six Apart is apparently, at least suggested by this gossip columnist anyway, looking for a buyer.

Still. There's probably a lot of internal stuff going on at 6A that's got him so disgusted that he's not sticking around to defend his baby. I forsee things getting worse now that he's not there as some sort of buffer between the asshats and their customers.

He mentions that he has his stock, his two years are up, so he can do as he chooses. But what you say makes sense and fits the crazy mixed messages we're getting.

Icarus

[cheshyre]

Thanks for the info.

I'm in UI design, not a programmer, but have been approached a couple times by Google recruiters. I'm not in the Bay Area, so many of the benefits of being at HQ would be moot for me. So far, I haven't been interested, but nice to know about the corporate culture.

[ncp.livejournal.com]

Oh, Google is great for anyone who's actually on the techie end of things. From what I hear they've got pool tables and gaming consoles just lying around for people to take breaks and relax. It's like working in a really smart, really intense frat house. It's just everyone else who they look at funny. Hubby was a programmer before he went and got his MBA, and he says that even with his techie background, they would marginalize him because he's an MBA.

Also, he says they have a really flat hierarchy, not much scope for "moving up the ladder".

[skuf.livejournal.com]

Flat hierachy? Personally I consider that a plus…

[cheshyre]

On another community, somebody posted a link to http://insomnia.livejournal.com/682862.html about Brad's first baby, Freevote.com.

[quivo.livejournal.com]

That was an eerie read. While 6A obviously isn't anywhere near as bad as the company that bought up Freevote.com, they definitely seem to have the same sort of shine as that company did.

Also, how hypocritical is it that Brad was happy to call on fannish folk when LJ needed propping up, and evidently doesn't want to know us now?