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The Tech Worker Handbook

techworkerhandbook.org

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Re: The Tech Worker Handbook

#21

Post by Mtinie »

ForHackernews wrote: post #14

I don't really understand why we keep being told that these insiders who got rich at surveillance-tech companies are the ones we now have to rely on to fix the monster they've belatedly come to fear. What is there to learn from these so-called "whistleblowers"?

A lot? I personally don’t remember a major whistleblower—in the legal usage of the term—who asked to be the sole savior who can fix the problem they identified.

It’s quite easy to lose sight of the whole picture while you are siloed working on a portion of the whole. I commend anyone who makes the public aware of bad corporate or governmental actors, even if it took them a while to come around to making their decision. That they may have profited in the past is immaterial. That’s an ethical dilemma they will need to resolve on their own.

Re: The Tech Worker Handbook

#23

Post by aspieandproud »

moksly wrote: post #20

Regulating big tech is a democratic issue. It’s not up to the individual tech worker to do so, and I’m not convinced that all these movements aren’t “soft-solutions” organised by big tech to avoid people working on real solutions. Solutions like legal intervention from the EU and whatever government you are under. Poor working conditions are solved by forming unions. In Denmark we have strong unions, and while their…

UK has the highest tech salaries in Europe and trade unions were buried in the 70s.

I am fine if you guys seek protection of unions.

But never, ever, ever, interfere with my relations with employers.

Re: The Tech Worker Handbook

#24

Post by Eiriksmal »

quadrifoliate wrote: post #15
tptacek wrote: post #5

This seems pretty fluffy. I read through the "Legal Handbook" and it doesn't seem as much like a handbook as it does a long article about what it's like to be a whistleblower, along with some very high level stuff about what it's like to engage a lawyer. Like, a really basic thing here is that the legal advice starts by asking people to evaluate whether the misconduct they're thinking about violates laws. But it prov…

> a simple thing that the handbook doesn't talk much about is "when to quit", let alone when and how to engage in concerted action with other team members, and what the risks/benefits of that are. That may be because often trotted out as a convenient solution to any sort of wrongdoing by a lot of privileged people who themselves have their pick of jobs in US companies. It's a convenient null hypothesis that could be…

I can't resist this bikeshed, but you've written the Maximum Hacker News aside of the week. I have several car factory service manuals. They do not include cost benefit analyses on when to remove a vehicle from service. Instead, they are full of flow charts on how to diagnose problems. Each flow chart ends with a "If nothing failed a test, but the symptom persists, replace the entire part/assembly."

The goal is to pinpoint which piece of an assembly might have failed and only repair or replace that one piece. eg bad wiring harnesses, a single controller in a complex system such as antilock brakes, a single fuse, etc.

The decision whether to keep attempting to repair an ailing car, or stay in a role that supports a company doing "wildly illegal stuff" is beyond what tech writers can determine for you--even given thousands of pages of information in dozens of PDFs.

Re: The Tech Worker Handbook

#25

Post by flooow »

aspieandproud wrote: post #23
moksly wrote: post #20

Regulating big tech is a democratic issue. It’s not up to the individual tech worker to do so, and I’m not convinced that all these movements aren’t “soft-solutions” organised by big tech to avoid people working on real solutions. Solutions like legal intervention from the EU and whatever government you are under. Poor working conditions are solved by forming unions. In Denmark we have strong unions, and while their…

UK has the highest tech salaries in Europe and trade unions were buried in the 70s. I am fine if you guys seek protection of unions. But never, ever, ever, interfere with my relations with employers.

As a highly paid UK tech worker, this scab does not speak for me.

Re: The Tech Worker Handbook

#26

Post by aspieandproud »

flooow wrote: post #25
aspieandproud wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

UK has the highest tech salaries in Europe and trade unions were buried in the 70s. I am fine if you guys seek protection of unions. But never, ever, ever, interfere with my relations with employers.

As a highly paid UK tech worker, this scab does not speak for me.

30k is not highly paid. Also, nobody asked you and nobody cares if you feel identified.

Re: The Tech Worker Handbook

#27

Post by trangus_1985 »

aspieandproud wrote: post #23
moksly wrote: post #20

Regulating big tech is a democratic issue. It’s not up to the individual tech worker to do so, and I’m not convinced that all these movements aren’t “soft-solutions” organised by big tech to avoid people working on real solutions. Solutions like legal intervention from the EU and whatever government you are under. Poor working conditions are solved by forming unions. In Denmark we have strong unions, and while their…

UK has the highest tech salaries in Europe and trade unions were buried in the 70s. I am fine if you guys seek protection of unions. But never, ever, ever, interfere with my relations with employers.

>UK has the highest tech salaries in Europe and trade unions were buried in the 70s.

Regardless of what we may or may not disagree upon, connecting these the way that you have betrays your ignorance of how salaries, employer relations, and unions work.

Re: The Tech Worker Handbook

#28

Post by aspieandproud »

flooow wrote: post #25
aspieandproud wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

UK has the highest tech salaries in Europe and trade unions were buried in the 70s. I am fine if you guys seek protection of unions. But never, ever, ever, interfere with my relations with employers.

As a highly paid UK tech worker, this scab does not speak for me.

I don't think I will take your sheit job when you go on strike, don't worry!

Re: The Tech Worker Handbook

#29

Post by aspieandproud »

trangus_1985 wrote: post #27
aspieandproud wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

UK has the highest tech salaries in Europe and trade unions were buried in the 70s. I am fine if you guys seek protection of unions. But never, ever, ever, interfere with my relations with employers.

>UK has the highest tech salaries in Europe and trade unions were buried in the 70s. Regardless of what we may or may not disagree upon, connecting these the way that you have betrays your ignorance of how salaries, employer relations, and unions work.

[flagged]

Re: The Tech Worker Handbook

#30

Post by trangus_1985 »

aspieandproud wrote: post #29
trangus_1985 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>UK has the highest tech salaries in Europe and trade unions were buried in the 70s. Regardless of what we may or may not disagree upon, connecting these the way that you have betrays your ignorance of how salaries, employer relations, and unions work.

[flagged]

>I have been an employer, an employee, a contractor.

Curious, what are you right now?

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