I see how it can be devastating to their ego, but no, I don't see a particular difference in a company spending money for clout vs. a person spending time for clout. The underlying motivation is the same.
replyDo you really think people dedicate their life to mathematics for clout?
replyIf clout was the goal I don’t think becoming a lifelong mathematics academic would be the first step
for many fairly strong mathematicians, the career calculus is fame and status (mild though it may be) through mathematics or anonymity but financial reward in tech or finance. Yes, clout by becoming a lifelong academic is in fact rational for some and part of their motivation. Of course they really like what they do as well, but earning the respect of the peers they know are also respected by a large swathe of society is very important.
replyI think you’re right that some of the angst here is due to a fairly insular community having its culture disturbed by commercial forces.
replyYeah that’s totally fair!
replyI guess that type of “clout” feels different to me.
Wanting to be validated by peers for your talents in a niche field vs. using millions to try to solve a math problem that you don’t really care about with AI to market the gigantic company you work for.
Yeah bro, same for probably the majority of this site that write software for a living and/or hobby.
replySorry I’m not entirely sure what you’re trying to say
replyHow good were you at those “A is to B as C is to D” SAT questions?
replyNo need to be rude. I didn’t want to misinterpret when responding.
replyI can see how what is happening to mathematicians is similar to what is happening to coding.
I’m not sure what your broader point is? Mathematicians shouldn’t be upset? Coders should? Something else?
The point is that nearly every white collar worker is in the same boat right now, and the majority of them probably have already had much more profound impacts to their fields. So yeah, we can certainly imagine what it’s like for mathematicians.
replyOkay. I agree with all that you said in your latest comment.
replyFrom your first comment it seemed like you were disagreeing with me but I’m not sure how.
That’s why I asked for clarification.
Edit: BTW I’m a web developer and designer, Not a mathematician