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Let the Other 95% of Great Programmers In

paulgraham.com

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Re: Let the Other 95% of Great Programmers In

#651

Post by kamaal »

chetanahuja wrote: post #567
chetanahuja wrote: post #380

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So basically you're proposing protectionist policies to limit supply and thus inflate the price of labor (that is, you). Would you also support similar arguments for say, oh I don't know, taxi or hotel prices in the area where you live so the existing pool of taxi drivers or hotel owners can protect the income they are making?

Downvotes don't faze me but I find it telling that I don't see an actual reply to my point regarding protectionist policies. If you find yourself instinctively downvoting my comment, please also take a minute to form a coherent reply to it and post it. Why is it ok for the (American) hacker news crowd to demand a legally mandated supply shortage to keep the prices of their labor inflated while it's not ok for (usuall…

You make a few valid points. But the issue is like always, every one feels their work is the most important occupation in the universe and every one else must just accommodate to whatever the conditions there are.

Even more specifically if there really programmers out there who are best of the best. Making a lot of money would be least of their problems.

Re: Let the Other 95% of Great Programmers In

#652

Post by kar2014 »

mgkimsal wrote: post #579
kar2014 wrote: post #455

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or they could offshore and you could day dream about your double salary all you want. That is a possibility, wait, it is a reality, already happening.

Then let them carry on. Most of these companies are global in nature already. My naive view of the plea for more foreign tech workers to enter the US is that the majority of those controlling the money just really really really like like in SF and don't want to leave. When there's talk of tech worker shortage, there's not even any really serious effort to look around the US. Nope, the hive mind is in SF, and they'll…

I'm sure, you understand that equates directly to jobs moving to other countries. Do you prefer to keep jobs in the country or kick them elsewhere?

Re: Let the Other 95% of Great Programmers In

#653

Post by shanusmagnus »

chetanahuja wrote: post #567
chetanahuja wrote: post #380

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So basically you're proposing protectionist policies to limit supply and thus inflate the price of labor (that is, you). Would you also support similar arguments for say, oh I don't know, taxi or hotel prices in the area where you live so the existing pool of taxi drivers or hotel owners can protect the income they are making?

Downvotes don't faze me but I find it telling that I don't see an actual reply to my point regarding protectionist policies. If you find yourself instinctively downvoting my comment, please also take a minute to form a coherent reply to it and post it. Why is it ok for the (American) hacker news crowd to demand a legally mandated supply shortage to keep the prices of their labor inflated while it's not ok for (usuall…

I didn't downvote you, but maybe other people did because, as my original reply suggested, you're arguing against a position that nobody was taking. Nobody was talking about eliminating immigration, and not re-legislating immigration policy at the behest of MSFT and GOOG or Paul Graham cannot reasonably be translated as a 'mandated supply shortage.'

Re: Let the Other 95% of Great Programmers In

#654

Post by chetanahuja »

shanusmagnus wrote: post #653
chetanahuja wrote: post #567

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Downvotes don't faze me but I find it telling that I don't see an actual reply to my point regarding protectionist policies. If you find yourself instinctively downvoting my comment, please also take a minute to form a coherent reply to it and post it. Why is it ok for the (American) hacker news crowd to demand a legally mandated supply shortage to keep the prices of their labor inflated while it's not ok for (usuall…

I didn't downvote you, but maybe other people did because, as my original reply suggested, you're arguing against a position that nobody was taking. Nobody was talking about eliminating immigration, and not re-legislating immigration policy at the behest of MSFT and GOOG or Paul Graham cannot reasonably be translated as a 'mandated supply shortage.'

"Nobody was talking about eliminating immigration,"

That's a strawman. Eliminating immigration is not the only way to restrict supply of software developers.

"and not re-legislating immigration policy at the behest of..."

The fact that you felt the need to add a couple of other "baddies" after "at the behest of" should be an indicator that the original argument is weak. This entire thread thread is filled with software engineers making the argument that increased supply of software engineers is going to decrease wages. That's exactly what happens in a free market of labor.

As a thought experiment, imagine a world who got a job offer from a US company was free to move to the US and start working. Any situation short of that is a legally mandated labor supply shortage.

Re: Let the Other 95% of Great Programmers In

#655

Post by shanusmagnus »

chetanahuja wrote: post #654
shanusmagnus wrote: post #653

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't downvote you, but maybe other people did because, as my original reply suggested, you're arguing against a position that nobody was taking. Nobody was talking about eliminating immigration, and not re-legislating immigration policy at the behest of MSFT and GOOG or Paul Graham cannot reasonably be translated as a 'mandated supply shortage.'

"Nobody was talking about eliminating immigration," That's a strawman. Eliminating immigration is not the only way to restrict supply of software developers. "and not re-legislating immigration policy at the behest of..." The fact that you felt the need to add a couple of other "baddies" after "at the behest of" should be an indicator that the original argument is weak. This entire thread thread is filled with softwa…

"Any situation short of that is a legally mandated labor supply shortage."

Well duh. But again, that's not the point of TFA.

You're clearly eager to advocate that laborers should be free to move about the world and work wherever they want. That's cool, knock yourself out. But it's another thread than this one.

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