New recruits? Those are cheap, they'll get to stay. The loyal employee that's received two promotions and 12 years worth of raises? We have a lovely three-month severance package for your years of hard work...
It's nice to finally see a well-reasoned rebuttal to the anti-public school rant that gets posted so frequently around here. Not that Mr. Libertarian doesn't have plenty of valid points, but one can only be so idealistic about society. The same species runs the US democracy as oppressive totalitarian regimes, you know.
It's important to be vigilant against those who would take our freedom, but in order to enjoy your short time on this Earth you have to find the good in society.
Since my dad can't write English I'll translate for him. This is a serious reply by the way.
The 'paying people to slander China' thing is not done by an agency and not done formally. Instead, it is done informally, by bosses of big media companies. A big part of the US society is controlled by a few large media companies. So a bosses (who don't like China) of some big media companies pay some of their employees to spread bad rumors, not only because the bosses dislike China, but also to gain more sales. After all, bad news sells better than good news. It is similar to astroturfing. While people in the US are allowed to criticize the government, employees won't dare to criticize their bosses or reveal this in fear of losing their jobs.
For someone who can't write English, your dad gets major geek cred for the astroturfing reference.;)
What I was referring to would be something more formalized, like a registered reference. Trying to extend the concept in a real-world job search world. But the more I've thought since posting that comment, the more I think it's a bad idea. So nevermind.:)
I'd be interested to see this concept extended to the social networking sites like friendster, orkut, or God forbid, myspace. That way the whole concept of references wouldn't be so shady and difficult to verify like the way it is today. I suppose that concept would be ripe for abuse, though.
What I don't understand in what you're describing is how it REALLY differs from monster and careerbuilder... I mean, don't they theoretically already have that functionality built in, even if nobody really uses it that way?
Send me a note at dancrowdus [at] gmail, I have some questions I want to ask you.
Like another poster here, I grew up with the 800XL which was the same age as me (born in '82). Only my dad had a rather unscrupulous friend at work who managed to fill two entire boxes of floppies (around 300) with pirated games. The games that came on cartridges would usually be small enough to fit 4 to a floppy. We also had every sort of office program, music transcription programs, educational schlock, and of course BASIC... I wouldn't be surprised if I had around 80% of everything available for the 800XL in my living room. Ah, good times...
I work from home. When they seized my machines, my company lost 2 weeks of work right there.. I had to hire an attorney to get my PC's back, and in the end it was 4 months before I had my machines returned to me. I took them directly to the local computer shop so I would have a witness when I powered them on, and sure enough, one of them was completely hosed.
Um... so tell me WHY you haven't brought a lawsuit against whatever police agency was responsible for this? It seems like you have lots of quantifiable monetary damage here, which is more than many valid wrongful search cases have.
Would you mind informing this video-loving user where you acquired these? I've been trying unsuccessfully for a while to saturate my hard drive with music videos...
I don't think your experience matches that of the employees at HP. HP technical contractors not only work side-by-side regular employees and get fewer benefits, but they also get PAID less. I would estimate on average the company will pay 90-100% of a comparable regular's salary to the contracting agency. The agency will then chop off 10-20% of that (that particular number I can't back up, having never been a contractor myself - I just know many of them).
Job security tends to be comparable, because they're treated almost exactly like regular employees. It sounds like you picked up the good end of the contracting stick - more power to you. The HP folks are the ones getting the shaft.
Good link. Here's a telling quote from that article...
"This is one of the rare instances where we not only protect our clients' innovations, but also help them realize new revenue streams by finding other applications for existing patents."
Seems like the "other applications" are frivilous lawsuits, "revenue streams" are huge cash settlements or jury awards...:\
Slashdot Mirror
I don't get it.
Thank you for the car analogy! I wouldn't have understood a word of your post without it.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't do it.
Please mod me down on principle.
(if you ever see me driving near you RUN)
D'y'like dags?
(Score: +1, WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou)
New recruits? Those are cheap, they'll get to stay. The loyal employee that's received two promotions and 12 years worth of raises? We have a lovely three-month severance package for your years of hard work...
It's nice to finally see a well-reasoned rebuttal to the anti-public school rant that gets posted so frequently around here. Not that Mr. Libertarian doesn't have plenty of valid points, but one can only be so idealistic about society. The same species runs the US democracy as oppressive totalitarian regimes, you know.
It's important to be vigilant against those who would take our freedom, but in order to enjoy your short time on this Earth you have to find the good in society.
You do realize that inkjet printer companies often sell their printer hardware at a loss, then make all profit from ink sales, right?
You would be amazed at how many strategies are in place to keep people from buying replacement ink...
And my cavemen neighbors act like they have made sliced bread.
I'm an actor for Geico commercials, you insensitive clod!
It's funny how we've come to accept as status quo. It's too bad that you don't really even have the option of staying with a position that you like.
I wish I could give you "+1 Disturbing" mod points, but "Informative" will have to do. ...says the person who just posted.
Since my dad can't write English I'll translate for him. This is a serious reply by the way.
;)
The 'paying people to slander China' thing is not done by an agency and not done formally. Instead, it is done informally, by bosses of big media companies. A big part of the US society is controlled by a few large media companies. So a bosses (who don't like China) of some big media companies pay some of their employees to spread bad rumors, not only because the bosses dislike China, but also to gain more sales. After all, bad news sells better than good news. It is similar to astroturfing. While people in the US are allowed to criticize the government, employees won't dare to criticize their bosses or reveal this in fear of losing their jobs.
For someone who can't write English, your dad gets major geek cred for the astroturfing reference.
I like Perl and all, but you're going to have a hard time getting me to eat beer flavored yogurt...
What I was referring to would be something more formalized, like a registered reference. Trying to extend the concept in a real-world job search world. But the more I've thought since posting that comment, the more I think it's a bad idea. So nevermind. :)
Based on the stories I'm reading here, this is something that's been needed for a while.
I'd be interested to see this concept extended to the social networking sites like friendster, orkut, or God forbid, myspace. That way the whole concept of references wouldn't be so shady and difficult to verify like the way it is today. I suppose that concept would be ripe for abuse, though.
What I don't understand in what you're describing is how it REALLY differs from monster and careerbuilder... I mean, don't they theoretically already have that functionality built in, even if nobody really uses it that way?
Send me a note at dancrowdus [at] gmail, I have some questions I want to ask you.
Like another poster here, I grew up with the 800XL which was the same age as me (born in '82). Only my dad had a rather unscrupulous friend at work who managed to fill two entire boxes of floppies (around 300) with pirated games. The games that came on cartridges would usually be small enough to fit 4 to a floppy. We also had every sort of office program, music transcription programs, educational schlock, and of course BASIC... I wouldn't be surprised if I had around 80% of everything available for the 800XL in my living room. Ah, good times...
> a guy is fingered for a rape/ murder
That was it? Doesn't exactly sound pleasant, but it sure beats 10 years to life.
You're going to trust a stranger, of obviously less-than-optimal moral standards, inside your own home???
;)
Plus, if you're nice to the ones you don't regret, you set yourself up for repeat visits next time you're drunk and lonely and at the same bar.
I love when I wake up still drunk. It totally sucks the regret out of driving home the random girl I picked up last night.
I work from home. When they seized my machines, my company lost 2 weeks of work right there.. I had to hire an attorney to get my PC's back, and in the end it was 4 months before I had my machines returned to me. I took them directly to the local computer shop so I would have a witness when I powered them on, and sure enough, one of them was completely hosed.
Um... so tell me WHY you haven't brought a lawsuit against whatever police agency was responsible for this? It seems like you have lots of quantifiable monetary damage here, which is more than many valid wrongful search cases have.
Would you mind informing this video-loving user where you acquired these? I've been trying unsuccessfully for a while to saturate my hard drive with music videos...
I don't think your experience matches that of the employees at HP. HP technical contractors not only work side-by-side regular employees and get fewer benefits, but they also get PAID less. I would estimate on average the company will pay 90-100% of a comparable regular's salary to the contracting agency. The agency will then chop off 10-20% of that (that particular number I can't back up, having never been a contractor myself - I just know many of them).
Job security tends to be comparable, because they're treated almost exactly like regular employees. It sounds like you picked up the good end of the contracting stick - more power to you. The HP folks are the ones getting the shaft.
I laughed so hard I cried... :)
Good link. Here's a telling quote from that article... "This is one of the rare instances where we not only protect our clients' innovations, but also help them realize new revenue streams by finding other applications for existing patents." Seems like the "other applications" are frivilous lawsuits, "revenue streams" are huge cash settlements or jury awards... :\