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How to become an unpaid technical support worker for Google

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Re: How to become an unpaid technical support worker for Google

#31
post #2

People do anything for points on StackOverflow. It's pretty much the same thing

Maybe it's just personal but when I respond a question in SO I feel I am giving back to the community... This feels more like giving it to Google. Google already monetize their service by making me see ads(which is fair). SO monetize their service by showing me employment opportunities (which to me is better). Google model doesn't need the community to work... The entire SO model is a paying forward knowledge transfe…

But it is not different. They both show ads, and neither would make any money unless the ads had benefit to a significant amount of users.

The only thing SO has done different is better branding towards top contributors, and judging from your post they've done it by targeting ads towards the top contributors.

Re: How to become an unpaid technical support worker for Google

#32
post #24

This is what made me ditch Gmail. After using it for several years, I stumbled across a serious bug that removed all email from my inbox. I tried contacting support, but there was none; all I got were replies from top contributors pointing me to other people with the same issue. It becsme clear that there was no way to escalate the issue or get help from someone who could actually investigate the bug or help restorin…

Google provides paid email (which includes support) under the service of Google Apps for Work. You can call or email an actual Google tech support employee 24/7 for core services when you need help (number will be in the admin panel). But when you're getting a product for free, especially email (Hotmail/Live Mail, Yahoo, AOL, Gmail, etc) you really can't expect any provider to provide comprehensive one-on-one support…

I wonder if the outcome would have been much different if the jakobegger did have Google Apps.

In my experience, a common problem with support is that they lack the knowledge and capabilities to deal with certain types of support requests. At some point, some support requests need to be escalated to the product owners within the organization. Some organizations are simply not prepared for those types of support requests.

Email does seem like a service that should be recoverable, though. If you depend on it heavily enough, you should probably:

(a) Own the domain that emails are going to. (so that if Google stumbles, you can switch providers)

(b) Have full records of all accounts & aliases. (so that you can continue to receive incoming mail following any switch of providers)

(c) Backup all email regularly. (so that you don't lose all existing mail in the event of needing to switch providers)

Re: How to become an unpaid technical support worker for Google

#34
post #12
post #9

One of the most beautiful things about the internet is that it enables platforms for individuals to create value and then receive no share of that value. We see much lamenting about lack of innovation in "business plans" around here, and yet we have an historic opportunity to examine the relationship between value creation and compensation. Why is the Etsy IPO plan so exceptional? Why do so menu community members of…

Or Stackoverflow? They are monetizing free support from thousands of developers, and it's arguably made the internet a better place.

yes especially when you know that there could have been worse companies like experts exchange

Re: How to become an unpaid technical support worker for Google

#35
Microsoft has had their MVP program for over 20 years! https://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/overview.aspx

"Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals, or MVPs are exceptional community leaders who actively share their high-quality, real-world deep technical expertise with the community and with Microsoft. They are committed to helping others get the most out of their experience with Microsoft products and technologies."

These people are going to exist whether there's a program or not, so why not create a program to recognize them?

Re: How to become an unpaid technical support worker for Google

#36
post #12
post #9

One of the most beautiful things about the internet is that it enables platforms for individuals to create value and then receive no share of that value. We see much lamenting about lack of innovation in "business plans" around here, and yet we have an historic opportunity to examine the relationship between value creation and compensation. Why is the Etsy IPO plan so exceptional? Why do so menu community members of…

Or Stackoverflow? They are monetizing free support from thousands of developers, and it's arguably made the internet a better place.

Yes, it has.

However, it's a bit more subtle than that. Yes, Stackoverflow is making some money, but everyone who contributes gets a few things out of it too:

1. They get the use value of the overall result. This is a non-trivial value. Linux operates under similar dynamics. A lot of "free" code was written, and it was written to improve on the use value in the body of code they found at the time.

Anyone finding Stackoverflow sees a lot of use value and they may well see improving on it in a similar way.

2. Reputation. I like to think of this as "feed the net and the net feeds you." Back in the USENET days, I was very highly active on SGI computers. Sometimes I wondered about the overall value of that. Then I got stuck on some painful Oracle installation issue. All I had to do was ask, and within an hour I got a nice script mailed to me along with a thanks for all the filesystem / disk questions I sorted out for people. (thanks Jerry)

Given the dollars in play at the time, that script was worth a ton!

3. Network, similar to reputation. My many interactions on the net has often resulted in knowing people who I could help or get help from or start projects with.

Clearly, this all must be balanced and weighed by everyone involved. People who do too much might seem over exploited or suffer opportunity costs of various kinds. And we all see what is worth what a little differently too.

But, it's not exactly free. There is value exchanged and accumulated. Making sure that happens is worth something. Maybe it's worth about what Stackoverflow is taking in.

USENET worked, until it didn't. And when it didn't, it all went down hard. Huge value lost. Maybe that won't happen this time, and frankly I think that's worth a profit to somebody because the use value is high enough to be painful should it go missing.

Re: How to become an unpaid technical support worker for Google

#37
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. Is it me or has there been a noticeable increase in Google gate-brigade posting on HN recently? Things like these, very integral part of the existing internet framework are used for pointless 'big scary Google, Google is the new Microsoft ' imagery. Anyone with data care to do a sentiment analysis/ vote-brigading analysis?

In this instance, people are angry about the fact that Google makes a ton of money from these services but feels no obligation to provide support for them. More generally, welcome to the new normal. The money-spewing circleparty is fizzling out, thankfully. People increasingly feel safe and confident in challenging the morality and societal value of these corporations. Blasé compliance is no longer expected in tech a…

Why would people expect more support without actually paying for it?

Google actually does support the free offerings pretty well. They just don't do it on a case by case basis. Anybody who wants that has the option to pay Google to get it.

Otherwise, Google does invest time into making sure it works well for everyone and isn't just letting it all sit out there slowly breaking...

Re: How to become an unpaid technical support worker for Google

#38

It gives lonely people a chance to build professional credibility. Why the hate? Is it really that different from a software company requiring you to learn the latest technologies in your free time?

Because they have the money to pay support staff but choose not to.

Your example is irrelevant because that's part of a paid career, not free labor farmed with manipulative YouTube videos.

Re: How to become an unpaid technical support worker for Google

#39
post #2

People do anything for points on StackOverflow. It's pretty much the same thing

StackOverflow is an economy, though. You can spend your points (question bounties), the points serve as an indication of your expertise (eg. to potential employers), and having more points leads to "privileges" on the site. (eg. 200 points => reduced ads)

For the time being, at least, Google's Top Contributor program doesn't seem to offer any practical benefits.

Re: How to become an unpaid technical support worker for Google

#40
post #36
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or Stackoverflow? They are monetizing free support from thousands of developers, and it's arguably made the internet a better place.

Yes, it has. However, it's a bit more subtle than that. Yes, Stackoverflow is making some money, but everyone who contributes gets a few things out of it too: 1. They get the use value of the overall result. This is a non-trivial value. Linux operates under similar dynamics. A lot of "free" code was written, and it was written to improve on the use value in the body of code they found at the time. Anyone finding Stac…

Also it's important to remember that all user content posted on Stackoverflow is licensed under CC-by-SA, so if Stackoverflow started going south, someone else can fork the data and continue hosting it.

The data dumps are hosted at the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/stackexchange

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