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Comment by allset_ | Hacker News Reader

Presumably, not paying out for these bugs which often take weeks of research to find.

Who in their right mind bets on bug bounties to cover their basic needs? They should be highly employable with these kind of skills.

people with values different from yours, presumably

This is one it those answers that seems on the surface like it contains insight but on closer inspection it’s vacuous.

This could be rewritten as “because they aren’t you”, which is true but not a meaningful or educational answer.

Sure sounds like rhetorical questions or attacking the messenger. Someone can think the bounty industry is going to reward them for actually being exceptional and not look soon enough for other options then pivot to a stance that should give them some quick job offers. If I thought I found an intentional back door I would not engage with an embargo system from the same vendor but I am also not them.

> Someone can think the bounty industry is going to reward them for actually being exceptional and not look soon enough for other options then pivot to a stance that should give them some quick job offers

Sure. And that’s a meaningful answer to the question.

“people with values different from yours, presumably” is a condescending nonanswer.

This entire thread is generally weird.

If someone has this kind of exploit and can't get a bug bounty for it, and desperately needs the money, he can sell it for 100k+ in a shady black market

It was about as meaningful as the question it was answering.

> Who in their right mind bets on bug bounties to cover their basic needs?

Someone with a vulnerability worth as much as a two bedroom apartment?

Someone who doesn't have better options?

If you have those sorts of skills with a computer, you will have other options

Really depends on your background doesn't it? You could have convictions, be sanctioned, have visa problems, or all kinds of things that are not easily solvable.

To say nothing of mental health issues.

Or poverty. Or addiction.

Or that entire holy trinity.

Indeed, and this guy's personality seems a little "difficult" which might make the interview process short. I've known people with insane skills who have such weird personalities that they never get hired. Doing remote bug bounty stuff is a blessing for them.

Please let me know when finding a job in software engineering in 2026 is feasible for everyone with ‘computer skills’.

The guy doesn’t just have „computer skills“ if he found this.

Good luck convincing a HR automaton not looking at your resume for the job unposting of that.

Come on, with these skills you could convince someone to give you a job if you’re on the streets otherwise. You might not be a senior engineer in the exact thing you want but you won’t be on the streets.

It's not about your skills. It's about how well you can play the HR metagame. This inversely correlates with actual job skills.

Convincing someone, especially an HR person, has very little to do with computer skills.

We are, quite notably, in a huge hiring crisis where vast numbers of programmers and researchers can't even get interviews. It really is not that simple

Then you pay him since you see the value he’s creating so clearly.

This is a strange argument. I don't have the capital, desire, or skills to employee this guy, or anyone really.

Me not hiring someone doesn't mean the skills aren't valuable.

Good with computers and good with people/job search/finances are not the same thing, and are often inversely correlated.

King Terry was living proof this is not true.

Oh hell, no. Does anyone remember Sandboxescaper/Polarbear? Very skilled researcher, but also crashouts and mental problems.

Had a job at MSFT once, but is now struggling to earn money at all and is posting heart breaking stuff on Twitter. https://x.com/WeirdQuadratic

Hope she finds a way out and a more stable and fun job in the future.

If you take the statement at face value, that does not appear to be the case. If you don’t take it at face value, the underlying presumptions might be a lot of why they may not be employable.

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