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Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

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Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#151
post #42

Just wanted chime in with second a second anecdote that I was going to post. We needed a Django developer. Put an ad on Upwork at the high end of the recommended salary range. The ad specified US Eligible worker for legal reasons. Of the 10 or so applicants, seven flat out refused to appear on webcam so I decided to talk to the eighth. This person claim to be in Seattle. Having lived there I asked them two relatively…

Quoted post unavailable.

People like you is why I gatekeep candidates off my security team. Everyone that I hire is vetted and vouched for by someone.

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but, frankly? That is a form of psychopathy. Please don't take that offensively. I'm not throwing the word around. I don't mean "evil". I don't think it's "evil", I'm even jealous. Not just of money. Of the rationality. The rest of us don't do this stuff because we'd feel horribly bad for doing it, to the point benefits would outweigh the costs. I'd hazard a guess that most people would also say it was fine giv…

OP's getting dunked on but he has a point: There are no consequences anymore for wrongdoing, unless it's one of a few very specific (often mortally violent) wrongdoings. So, the wrongdoers get a major advantage with no risk. To be honest, sometimes I feel like a sucker for not taking advantage. The whole spectrum from "criminal" to "mere asshole" goes unpunished. I could walk into a store in San Francisco today, righ…

>It's like society hardly even functions anymore.

Because it doesn't. We aren't meant to live like we live. We're hyper-individualized, alienated, and atomized by our relations to the means of production. We're all mercenary wage slaves just trying to get enough scratch to escape the rat race for a few years before we kick the bucket. Nearly all of those that don't really have this concern (aka the already-set-for-life crowd) seem to be preternaturally greedy and devoid of empathy.

The deterioration of society under these conditions isn't exactly surprising.

Hoping to retire to either Europe or the middle of fucking nowhere within a decade.

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#153
post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why don't you view it as a moral question?

You should just ask whatever question you have, rather than trying to get somebody else to interrogate themselves about your values. Put yourself out there.

That was the question I had :)

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#155
post #24

I've been on the other side of this, hiring fake people. I'm actually going to stop using Upwork after almost 10 years. It's such a cesspool of fraud now that I can't figure out how to find the honest people. As an example, I recently hired someone who showed his face on video and had great communication skills. Next time we did a call, he had no video and sounded totally different. It turned out to be a subcontracto…

the other side of that is Upwork exclude legit people for vague and often made up reasons, I tried to sign up as I was curious, almost instantly disabled for "fraud" - thought it was pretty funny, especially after seeing all the obviously bogus tenders etc

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#156
post #42

Just wanted chime in with second a second anecdote that I was going to post. We needed a Django developer. Put an ad on Upwork at the high end of the recommended salary range. The ad specified US Eligible worker for legal reasons. Of the 10 or so applicants, seven flat out refused to appear on webcam so I decided to talk to the eighth. This person claim to be in Seattle. Having lived there I asked them two relatively…

Refusing to be on web cam without a compelling reason is a huge red flag by itself.

I very seldom feel inclined to refuse, but I even more seldom feel comfortable on camera. Which is to say in most circumstances I avoid being on camera when I can. I’ve been remote most of my career, nothing changed the last few years to introduce new stressors around this. I just don’t like being on video, or interacting with other people on video. It gives me a firm but unspecific sense of unease is unlikely to be “compelling” to anyone who doesn’t relate… so, huge red flag I guess? Not sure what you think it flags, but I’m glad you’re not requesting meetings with me.

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#157
post #42

Just wanted chime in with second a second anecdote that I was going to post. We needed a Django developer. Put an ad on Upwork at the high end of the recommended salary range. The ad specified US Eligible worker for legal reasons. Of the 10 or so applicants, seven flat out refused to appear on webcam so I decided to talk to the eighth. This person claim to be in Seattle. Having lived there I asked them two relatively…

Quoted post unavailable.

[deleted]

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#158
post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> society sends no signal that I am a problem beyond outrage when I admit it Aren't you only admitting it to people who can't DO anything about you, except express outrage? Why don't you tell your boss your scheme, and see if they only thing they do is "express outrage"? Your behavior is very anti-social, and your rationalizations for why it's OK are very weak.

The outrage from my employers would be that they are not getting more from me for the same amount of money. They are clearly currently satisfied with my performance. By not having terminated me (and I survived two layoffs across the three companies, so they had a chance to do just that very easily), they do not have an issue with my current output.

Stop being abusive?

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. Start your own business and you'll see the pain that this kind of shenanigans causes. Your problem is your lack of experience is also giving you a lack of empathy.

If they had a problem with me, I am sure that my performance would be complained about by now.

You are abusing the good faith that managers employ to help people going through tough times without requiring explicit explanation.

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#160
post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're pretty early in your career to be so sure "there are no consequences for my actions". It's possible you'll get away with it. It's possible also that you'll get discovered, fired from all three jobs, and then have a situation where it becomes difficult to get a non-entry job because you don't have any experience you can refer to. Also, what university was this? It doesn't sound like mine.

Companies often do not check resumes deeply. To prevent discovery at one job from having cascading effects, I had fake jobs on my resume to get the other two. Pretended to be my own manager for the background check for one of them. I am getting friends into tech firms with six figure salaries with nearly entirely manufactured resumes. I admit that there is risk, but the payoff is also tremendous and there seem to be…

Are you just stuffing the place with more whites and asians?
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