Tell HN: I'm Afraid We're Shutting Down • Hacker News Board

Re: Tell HN: I'm Afraid We're Shutting Down

#141

Post by throwaway92394 » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 9:21 PM UTC

javajosh wrote: post #119

torbTurret wrote: post #81

“These are some of the most sincere, honest, and heroic people I’ve ever met.” Yeah, I think we’re too hard as a nation on ex-cons. But they’re not heroes because they went through self-imposed hardships (and almost always at the expense of someone innocent). And they’re certainly among the lower rungs of honesty by categorization. Nowhere near the top. If this sounds harsh, just act their victims.

America is so strange. On one hand, nearly everyone thinks the system doesn't work. And yet, they tacitly assume the justice system works. They think it works just like on TV - innocent until proven guilty, detail-oriented public defenders and judges, and scrupulously honest prosecutors and police. It's nothing like that. The justice system is a machine that chews people up, and spits out convicts, and it operates wi…

> In fact, they get paid well to do it. Your typical family law attorney should be arrested, tried and convicted, and they've destroyed countless families, harmed countless children.

I was with you up until this. While I understand the view that what many attorneys do is immoral or wrong - generally speaking to my knowledge there isn't widespread illegal behavior?

I understand but don't fully agree with the view that laywers are "evil" - but the way I see it is they are skilled at playing by the rules of the law. This makes them incredibly powerful (for both sides of people that can afford it), but if they are generally playing by the law - thus not arrestable. Tearing a family apart because the mother is an A hole and lies about things the father does might be immoral - but it's not illegal for an attorney to represent them.

Re: Tell HN: I'm Afraid We're Shutting Down

#142

Post by notch656a » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 9:21 PM UTC

btilly wrote: post #129

notch656a wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Emigration honestly is the most logical option for a felon. A few nations will accept local background checks in the immigration process, so if you move to a state where you don't have a record you can just get your police report from a place where your record is clean. Another option is to go live in a Compact of Free Association nations such as Micronesia or Marshall Islands. US citizens are authorized to live and…

How is a person with a criminal record, no job, no support network, and no savings supposed to move to another country?

Several options

1) Marshall islands or Micronesia. Buy flight on credit, do farm or whatever labor you can to eat while you get booted. No visa needed to live or work.

2) Some nations such as Argentina have effectively no immigration enforcement. Once you're in the country you're good and you can file a court case to become a citizen immediately (you'll have to wait 2+ year for it to be granted). In the meantime the legal system in Argentina has to treat you as a citizen while you're waiting on your case.

If you truly have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING and no access to credit you may be able to hitchhike and/or work on boats/yachts to get to any nation in the Americas.

3) Or, not recommending it, but you can be like the illegal immigrants. Enter somewhere on a tourist visa and take informal jobs like illegal immigrants do. Seems to work for some of them in a variety of European and South American countries.

4) Join a foreign militia/military. French foreign legion, Ukraine. Also YPG and some Kurdish militias I think still accepts recruits and they don't require anything past your flight which you could buy on credit. French foreign legion will grant you citizenship after two contracts and will feed you in the meanwhile, even while you're trying out.

5) Work with an English teaching organization that does not perform FBI background check. Some exist but they may not be plentiful. They may help you get a job in a new nation.

6) Marry a Brazilian (or few other nations). Many jurisdictions in Brazil will issue a permanent residence visa without much scrutiny if you are married or have a Brazilian child. Believe Cape Verde also gives instant citizenship for marriage.

7) IF you can enter Philippines on 'Balakbayan' visa (married to Filipino) then you'll be issued a 1 year visa without scrutiny. After 6 months in the country they don't require background checks from anywhere but Philippines. Wait 7 months after entering, use your spouse to apply for work and permanent visa.

Re: Tell HN: I'm Afraid We're Shutting Down

#143

Post by lovich » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 9:23 PM UTC

mynameishere wrote: post #124

hooande wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

how large was the "pandemic bailout"? it looked like two checks from the govt and Was this enough to make a large number of people stop working, even now into mid-2022? I really feel like the impact of several thousand dollars would be gone after a year, at most. yet many businesses near me are still under staffed and having trouble hiring.

I often read /r/povertyfinance, and they were not hiding the fact that it was a damn bonanza. Most people made it perfectly clear that they were doing very responsible things with the "free" money, but you know... A lot of people for various reasons have never seen more than a thousand or two in their checking account at once (typically, from tax refunds). So, 8000 is a once-in-a-lifetime amount of wealth. It's sad t…

What does that have to do with people no longer wanting to work shit jobs in 2022? If anything this should increase the incentive to work as that money is already spent and the government hasn’t been handing out any more

Re: Tell HN: I'm Afraid We're Shutting Down

#144

Post by scardycat » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 9:24 PM UTC

Have you considered switching to a non-profit? I am not saying for-profit is bad but you may have more avenues for fund raising as a non-profit.

Alternatively, gofundme for this would be very successful I would assume. You could also think of a some sort of corporate sponsorship. Corporates can write off for supporting program like this. Again, non-profit here would help a lot.

Re: Tell HN: I'm Afraid We're Shutting Down

#145

Post by RBBronson123 » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 9:24 PM UTC

There seems to be some confusion here over my use of the expression, "The Great Resignation." https://www.investopedia.com/the-great-resignation-5199074 This is a economic/workforce phenomenon that began amidst the pandemic and continues. (The NY Times reported today that there are 11.4 million unfilled jobs. That's historically off the charts.)

My company operates/ed a job board and a staffing business. Both ran like traditional job boards (Indeed, Zip Recruiter, etc) and staffing companies (Kelly, Adecco, etc.), except being focused entirely on the formerly incarcerated. This is how large employers source many, many employees.

The staffing business was much larger. In this model, we serve as the hirer-of-record, and essentially lease out the workers to our client employers, who cover all our costs (wages, unemployment insurance, taxes, etc.) plus our mark-up (profit). It's a high volume, low margin business.

During the Great Resignation, we found it took 10x the time and effort to get someone placed, eroding our already thin margins. Plus, if a worker left (which they began doing at a great rate), we're obligated to replace them. All of this made it pretty much impossible for us to make money. (Again, we're a for-profit business). I hope this clarifies things.

Re: Tell HN: I'm Afraid We're Shutting Down

#146

Post by FpUser » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 9:26 PM UTC

I am usually very cynical when I hear about companies with good intentions. This however touched every string of my heart. You do not have to be so humble as you've done an amazing and honorable job. You helped people to get out of that death spiral where fucked-up Government on par with some big corporations are trying to keep them in.

To them - rot in hell fucking vultures.

To you - thanks and praise for what you've done and best luck for whatever you do in the future.

Re: Tell HN: I'm Afraid We're Shutting Down

#147

Post by phpisthebest » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 9:26 PM UTC

hooande wrote: post #100

netsharc wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Great Resignation is curious, if I could speculate maybe it was the pandemic bailout and markets bubble (crypto too) making people think "I've got money now!". Now that everything is tumbling down, I wonder if people will start returning to work. Except now most businesses have seemingly stopped hiring yet again (even retail/hospitality?), so I guess whichever way it goes, OP is in trouble.

how large was the "pandemic bailout"? it looked like two checks from the govt and Was this enough to make a large number of people stop working, even now into mid-2022? I really feel like the impact of several thousand dollars would be gone after a year, at most. yet many businesses near me are still under staffed and having trouble hiring.

Direct Payments was part of the story.

I saw more than a few people that when from 2 income house holds to 1 because of Student Loan payment defers and the increase cost of Child care made is possible for one of the parents to just stay home..

We also sadly lost a lot of people to covid, and many older people have chosen to retire rather than return to the office.

I think these 3 things are more impactful on the employment market than the direct payments

Re: Tell HN: I'm Afraid We're Shutting Down

#148

Post by ManuelKiessling » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 9:26 PM UTC

RBBronson123 wrote: post #99

When I announced the launch of 70 Million Jobs on HN back in 2017, it proved to be one of the most widely read and discussed posts ever on the site. I was totally blown away. Once again, I am struck by the incredibly sensitive and supportive tenor of the reactions to my news here. For some context, besides having a criminal record, I was/am a solo founder who somehow talked his way into Y Comb. Perhaps most surprisin…

This might really be a stupid question and I can imagine you have other things to do right now, so zero hard feelings if you don’t answer: But regarding this whole Great Resignation thing, not only in this specific context but in general — there is one thing that I just don’t get: What on earth are these Resignators doing? Where do they go? I mean all those people have to end up SOMEWHERE in the job market, don’t they?

Re: Tell HN: I'm Afraid We're Shutting Down

#149

Post by gcheong » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 9:32 PM UTC

joenathanone wrote: post #123

pplante wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, that is the law. A nanny I employed in CA had put her two weeks in with us, then the last day of work she no-showed last minute. With two working parents you can imagine how well that was received. Anyhow, I told her to not come finish out her last day. So then she applies for unemployment a few weeks later. I got a notice from EDD and responded to it with the facts around her unemployment request, thinking sure…

You can appeal the ruling, all the way up to presenting your case before a judge(at least in AZ).

Probably hard to justify spending the time to pursue it in most cases.

Re: Tell HN: I'm Afraid We're Shutting Down

#150

Post by PragmaticPulp » Thu, Jun 02, 2022, 9:32 PM UTC

GartzenDeHaes wrote: post #101

starik36 wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a conversation with an HR friend of mine recently. According to her, she is inundated with fake requests for unemployment from people that never worked at her employer. Or people join, then quit promptly and apply for unemployment. This is in California. I would think the state would have protections against this type of thing, but maybe not.

You have to be "unemployed through no fault of your own" to be eligible for unemployment. https://edd.ca.gov/en/unemployment/eligibility/

> You have to be "unemployed through no fault of your own" to be eligible for unemployment.

Technically, yes, but the system is so overwhelmed in many locations that unemployment requests are almost automatically approved. You have to work hard to appeal it after the fact and a lot of employers just give up.