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Ask HN: Where are laid off employees gathering?

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Re: Ask HN: Where are laid off employees gathering?

#191

Post by AndrewKemendo »

throwawaaarrgh wrote: post #14

It just occurred to me that so many people were laid off, we could start the world's largest software co-op (and arguably one of the largest tech orgs, period). We could build software products that every industry needs, that every worker owns a part of and can vote on org-wide decisions. Literally everyone you need was laid off... Tech people, business people, marketing, sales, etc. We just need a forum and some vol…

Yes! Happy to support. This is the only workable way to organize in the long run and is exciting to see this as the top comment.

Please let me know how I can help via the email in my profile.

FWIW I'm starting a residential trash/recycling cooperative to roll back the capitalistic accretion of all public works, so anything anarchic-syndicalist I will support however I can.

Re: Ask HN: Where are laid off employees gathering?

#192

Post by ryanSrich »

fergie wrote: post #34

Related question: are any actual software engineers getting laid off or is it just support/admin/management who work in the tech sector? (I have been dealing with consulting contracts for software engineers lately, and was surprised to see that hourly rates are significantly higher than they were 5 years ago)

Yes. Google laid off several very high level engineers. Engineers that were likely making 7 figures.

Re: Ask HN: Where are laid off employees gathering?

#193

Post by christkv »

throwawaaarrgh wrote: post #14

It just occurred to me that so many people were laid off, we could start the world's largest software co-op (and arguably one of the largest tech orgs, period). We could build software products that every industry needs, that every worker owns a part of and can vote on org-wide decisions. Literally everyone you need was laid off... Tech people, business people, marketing, sales, etc. We just need a forum and some vol…

Co-ops can work however they bring a lot of problems. My kids are in a co-op run school where I'm the treasurer (all families are co-op members). Only the teachers are paid.

There is so much drama and you always have a share of people who don't pull their weight and the resentment that comes with that.

Another thing people never remember is that depending on your country you are on the hook for your share of the looses incurred if the co-op runs with a loss. Your are not insulated from the losses in the same was as if you are just a shareholder.

Re: Ask HN: Where are laid off employees gathering?

#194

Post by BurningFrog »

bilqis wrote: post #180
BurningFrog wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Strong disagreement! Software is the high paying industry with the least gatekeeping I'm aware of. I never got around to finish my degree. Neither did Bill Gates. I've worked with highschool dropouts and Harvard graduates. And by and large, nobody cares!

Did you also have generational wealth and networking like Bill Gates?

Not in the slightest :)

Re: Ask HN: Where are laid off employees gathering?

#195

Post by mxkopy »

marcusverus wrote: post #101
throwawaaarrgh wrote: post #14

It just occurred to me that so many people were laid off, we could start the world's largest software co-op (and arguably one of the largest tech orgs, period). We could build software products that every industry needs, that every worker owns a part of and can vote on org-wide decisions. Literally everyone you need was laid off... Tech people, business people, marketing, sales, etc. We just need a forum and some vol…

It's hard to imagine such an organization working out over the long term. The incentives are all wonky! The more you contribute, the more you sacrifice by joining a coop. The less you contribute, the more you gain. I for one can't think of a less attractive idea than taking a product idea that I love and turning ownership and creative control over to a group of strangers. And that's probably why these things are so r…

> Horray, effective altruism!

Yup, there we go

Re: Ask HN: Where are laid off employees gathering?

#196

Post by bequanna »

throwawaaarrgh wrote: post #14

It just occurred to me that so many people were laid off, we could start the world's largest software co-op (and arguably one of the largest tech orgs, period). We could build software products that every industry needs, that every worker owns a part of and can vote on org-wide decisions. Literally everyone you need was laid off... Tech people, business people, marketing, sales, etc. We just need a forum and some vol…

I think that org might end up quite heavy with Product and HR Managers.

Re: Ask HN: Where are laid off employees gathering?

#197

Post by danuker »

bilqis wrote: post #176
danuker wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A co-op doesn't mean everyone must share profits equally. How about an internal market where people bid for tickets? There are crypto projects facilitating governance of organizations. They could help both enforce and simplify keeping records. Example: https://aragon.org/ Edit: Earlier I suggested hiring people for internal-money, but that might be tax evasion. Don't do it without consulting lawyers in your country.

No reason to turn everything into market, and use blockchain for voting automation or partial governance, especially seeing what clownshow DAOs have been.

You could have a plain Reddit clone web server for governance, and whatever compensation the group deems fair, to account for the work done by each member.

Re: Ask HN: Where are laid off employees gathering?

#198

Post by JohnFen »

asdff wrote: post #129
JohnFen wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those people have a huge leg up right now in large swaths of the industry anyway. The issue with the "proof of work" standard is it sets up a difficult conundrum. You need to work to join the guild, and you need to be a guild member to get most work.

You can get hired for guild work as a non guild member, usually you join the guild after though.

Sure, it's obviously possible. If it weren't there would never be new actors on the scene.

But the number of times I've heard directors and such tell stories about how they wrote a line for a non-speaking part as a favor to the actor in the role, solely to allow them to get their SAG card, is disturbing.

It's indicative of a high degree of gatekeeping.

Re: Ask HN: Where are laid off employees gathering?

#199

Post by mywacaday »

nanomonkey wrote: post #41
throwawaaarrgh wrote: post #14

It just occurred to me that so many people were laid off, we could start the world's largest software co-op (and arguably one of the largest tech orgs, period). We could build software products that every industry needs, that every worker owns a part of and can vote on org-wide decisions. Literally everyone you need was laid off... Tech people, business people, marketing, sales, etc. We just need a forum and some vol…

Loomio [ https://www.loomio.com/ ] would be a great forum, cooperative decision making tool for running such a group. The next step would be building out any tools that are not covered by loomio and the likes.

I had to go check and see if that was a basecamp product, style looked very similar on first glance

Re: Ask HN: Where are laid off employees gathering?

#200

Post by ofchnofc »

whatshisface wrote: post #113
marcusverus wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard to imagine such an organization working out over the long term. The incentives are all wonky! The more you contribute, the more you sacrifice by joining a coop. The less you contribute, the more you gain. I for one can't think of a less attractive idea than taking a product idea that I love and turning ownership and creative control over to a group of strangers. And that's probably why these things are so r…

> The more you contribute, the more you sacrifice by joining a coop. The less you contribute, the more you gain. How do you think co-ops work? Are you imagining a flat organizational structure like Valve Software? An open source project plus invoices? Those are all interesting ideas, but co-ops presently work like employee-owned business and usually have managers and compensation structures that fit the obvious way t…

>HN's tendency to GPT whenever exposed to something it doesn't know about is driving me nuts today. :-)

today? checks created date.

I mean, lol, this place was basically blasting anyone who dared say GPT Bing was going to be less than the revolution of our lifetimes. Right before it went off the rails.

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