> In these 13 words, you've just summed up everything that's wrong with our...
...two-party, winner-take-all political system.
Part of the problem is the electoral system. It needs reform. There are better processes: IRV (instant runoff voting); approval voting and PR (proportional representation for multi-candidate legislative districts); the use of NOTA (none of the above) on ballots; etc. See http://ny.lp.org/issues/election_reform.htm for more info about those.
Yes, Libertarians and other third parties have what you like about the D's (certain freedoms) and what you might like about the R's (fiscal responsibility). For the most part, they just mean what the Republicans say but don't implement: smaller government, true freedom--'hands-off' of anyone not hurting anyone else. But Libertarians recruit at Gay Pride and Marijuana Marches (May 4th, worldwide!), which is how it's so easy to tell them apart from Republicans/Conservatives. They are also 100% with the 'geek lobby' on cyber and privacy issues, unlike either of the two major parties. They don't want to tax OR regulate the internet.
It's NOT hopeless or out of your control, which is the sense I'm getting from this thread. Get active. Get involved. We are fortunate to live in the age of the Information Revolution--don't waste it.
For those who trend communist (voluntary, hopefully), go Green. Otherwise, support your local Libertarian Party (in the U.S., Costa Rica, and other counties), which is the closest thing to anarchism that you can vote for.
Correction: Maybe not when you were using it, but P* Classic did get 'real-time chat.' Prodigy chat rooms, in fact, are where Pseudo got its start. (http://www.pseudo.com/)
Why DON'T you take your own advice? I've left two companies so far, when the management got absolutely intolerable--when the 'con' list got longer than the 'pro' list.
Two truths I've learned in my first two internet jobs (since '94, when I graduated university):
- Once you lose absolutely all respect for managment because of their incompetance, there is no way they can earn it back. It's time to leave.
- When nobody in your chain of command knows what you do and how... when it's "assholes all the way up," it's time to leave.
You sound like you're at this point.
I'm consulting now. Perhaps not as much money as I could make, but I've got everything I need. No commute to the city, a little land in the country from those stock options from hell-job #2, and a little time to go visit it without my pager and lay in the hammock underneath the rustling birch leaves. (Did I mention splashing around in the 15-foot-wide brook to relax?) Someday, I'll be working and living from up there all summer. Now, I'm saving up to build a small building of some sort. I've 'paid for it' emotionally already, and will again, I'm sure--when the situtaion is right, 24-hour days CAN be bearable, even rewarding.
You just have to have a tranquil place to go to restore your sanity--under your desk doesn't count!
No mention in the article of the perks of being employed by such "creative" folks...Wild Turkey and beer ain't the only substances inspiring Alley net workers.
[CEO of Pseudo,] Josh Harris's parties are not to be missed! Raving with your co-workers, like the long hours, doesn't work for everybody.
Yes, you're always free to go somewhere else. No need for unions in NY, not while anyone who can run a Unix server can make more than the average U.S. family of four. (Getting an apartment in NY is another matter.)
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Part of the problem is the electoral system. It needs reform. There are better processes: IRV (instant runoff voting); approval voting and PR (proportional representation for multi-candidate legislative districts); the use of NOTA (none of the above) on ballots; etc. See http://ny.lp.org/issues/election_reform.htm for more info about those.
Yes, Libertarians and other third parties have what you like about the D's (certain freedoms) and what you might like about the R's (fiscal responsibility). For the most part, they just mean what the Republicans say but don't implement: smaller government, true freedom--'hands-off' of anyone not hurting anyone else. But Libertarians recruit at Gay Pride and Marijuana Marches (May 4th, worldwide!), which is how it's so easy to tell them apart from Republicans/Conservatives. They are also 100% with the 'geek lobby' on cyber and privacy issues, unlike either of the two major parties. They don't want to tax OR regulate the internet.
It's NOT hopeless or out of your control, which is the sense I'm getting from this thread. Get active. Get involved. We are fortunate to live in the age of the Information Revolution--don't waste it.
For those who trend communist (voluntary, hopefully), go Green. Otherwise, support your local Libertarian Party (in the U.S., Costa Rica, and other counties), which is the closest thing to anarchism that you can vote for.
http://www.lp.org/
http://www.gpus.org/
Please--our future depends on it.
Correction:
Maybe not when you were using it, but P* Classic did get 'real-time chat.' Prodigy chat rooms, in fact, are where Pseudo got its start. (http://www.pseudo.com/)
FuckITAR is a GREAT name for some easy-to-use encrytion software... ;-)
Why DON'T you take your own advice? I've left two companies so far, when the management got absolutely intolerable--when the 'con' list got longer than the 'pro' list.
Two truths I've learned in my first two internet jobs (since '94, when I graduated university):
- Once you lose absolutely all respect for managment because of their incompetance, there is no way they can earn it back. It's time to leave.
- When nobody in your chain of command knows what you do and how... when it's "assholes all the way up," it's time to leave.
You sound like you're at this point.
I'm consulting now. Perhaps not as much money as I could make, but I've got everything I need. No commute to the city, a little land in the country from those stock options from hell-job #2, and a little time to go visit it without my pager and lay in the hammock underneath the rustling birch leaves. (Did I mention splashing around in the 15-foot-wide brook to relax?) Someday, I'll be working and living from up there all summer. Now, I'm saving up to build a small building of some sort. I've 'paid for it' emotionally already, and will again, I'm sure--when the situtaion is right, 24-hour days CAN be bearable, even rewarding.
You just have to have a tranquil place to go to restore your sanity--under your desk doesn't count!
No mention in the article of the perks of being employed by such "creative" folks...Wild Turkey and beer ain't the only substances inspiring Alley net workers.
[CEO of Pseudo,] Josh Harris's parties are not to be missed! Raving with your co-workers, like the long hours, doesn't work for everybody.
Yes, you're always free to go somewhere else. No need for unions in NY, not while anyone who can run a Unix server can make more than the average U.S. family of four. (Getting an apartment in NY is another matter.)