The Unemployed Working on OSS Projects

Roger_Explosion writes "In Australia the unemployed have to fulfill a 'mutual obligation' requirement in order to receive welfare payments. What this means is that recipients of welfare payments have to be involved in some sort of activity that improves their chances of finding employment. Until now this has included various types of community service and training and education programs. Recently an organisation called CommunityCode has been established to allow recipients to fulfill this requirement by contributing to OSS projects."

Comments

Bloody OSS Bludgers

[Timesprout]

Bludgers is such a great word

fine code

[hool5400]

Stoners and dole bludgers, what wonderful code they will create!

Re:fine code

[Anonymous Coward]

I bet they'll just write a bunch of slack ware.

REDS!

[Jukashi]

What happens when the aussie economy does better with a legion of state sponsored oss programmers? Awesome!

Well..

[BrianGa]

Maybe they can hire some of our unemployed (pre-India) tech workers.

centrelink workers

[boron boy]

Great, I can imagine trying to explain this to the centrelink workers (the people to whom you have to prove your mutual obligation).

Centrelink: so what jobs have you applied for in the last two weeks?

You: None, but i've been working on CommunityCode.org doing OSS development.

Centrelink: what?

You: I've been doing free software work to get experience and stay a productive member of society.

Centrelink: That's all well and good but I've got a job available at a chicken slaughterhouse I think you should apply for.

Groan.

Potential problem...

[Infinityis]

I can see it now...

1. OSS developers write custom management/accounting software for Welfare Program.
2. Welfare department welcomes cutomized management/accounting software with open arms (after all, they *sponsored* software).
3. OSS developers exploit a secret, built-in backdoor system
4. PROFIT!!!

No ???? needed

Code

[Phidoux]

if (unemployed) {
dole = dole * 2;
}
printPayslip();

Re:Sounds like a great idea

[carlos_benj]

Apparently they need plumbers desparately...

In the US we tried a covert plan to lure young people into the plumbing trade. The whole rap/hip-hop movement was to condition them to wear their pants at half-staff thinking that this would make for an easy transition and causing them to identify with those they dressed like.

The plan has utterly failed though. Now the plumbers' rates are sky-high so that they might be able to purchase plenty of BLING to wear after hours. We think the key factor in subverting our effort was the introduction of boxers to the youngsters from other factions. If the trend continues, plumbers will be wearing them soon as well.