Chik-fil-a is only a useful example in so far as how well the ethical throughlines match things we've seen many times before, the media has taught us to care about, and how much time and effort political interest groups have spent highlighting those to the public. Ethical thinking on this topic will not be engaged, people will take the opinion their political affiliation and chosen memes have predestined them to take, and they'll act like it's serious thinking.
Parent poster said "Imagine being so dead inside you feel perfectly fine, even proud of working for Chic-fil-A, lol." Substitute in Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft or Twitter, and you might be approaching an interesting statement.
Where the ethics gets engaging are the day-to-day business model at any currently big or hot software company. Only a small subset of people have the background to comprehend the issues. And the people saying "let's stop and think about the consequences of this" gets steamrolled by the status quo that has money to make. That's where all the good examples live.
But it's a bit harder to come to terms with when the focus hits close to home. So we have whipping boys like Chik-fil-a. "At least I don't work THERE"
I agree that there are many important ethical questions that are bypassed in the day-to-day of those companies for sure, but at the same time I think there is an attitude here of "who cares what happens with the company's money once it leaves my area, they are solving interesting problems and the people working for them are doing intellectually engaging work".
Chik-fil-a is only a useful example in so far as how well the ethical throughlines match things we've seen many times before, the media has taught us to care about, and how much time and effort political interest groups have spent highlighting those to the public. Ethical thinking on this topic will not be engaged, people will take the opinion their political affiliation and chosen memes have predestined them to take, and they'll act like it's serious thinking.
Parent poster said "Imagine being so dead inside you feel perfectly fine, even proud of working for Chic-fil-A, lol." Substitute in Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft or Twitter, and you might be approaching an interesting statement.
Where the ethics gets engaging are the day-to-day business model at any currently big or hot software company. Only a small subset of people have the background to comprehend the issues. And the people saying "let's stop and think about the consequences of this" gets steamrolled by the status quo that has money to make. That's where all the good examples live.
But it's a bit harder to come to terms with when the focus hits close to home. So we have whipping boys like Chik-fil-a. "At least I don't work THERE"