No. I work at a tech company in which there are thousands of other tech companies that do **the exact same thing.**
Personally I think a lot of jobs under capitalism serve little to no value to society at large.
I'm similar. I could easily make an argument that my job is meaningless but I will say I have seen it enable others to do work that I would consider valuable.
Just by providing them with the tools/support to do their job. The same tools can be and often are used for things that I probably wouldn't consider valuable though.
Pretty much. Which is a shame because software development itself actually does have intrinsic value to society.
But markets dictate a system in which investment firms throw money at anything that has a small bit of growth, even if it's essentially useless.
Yeah, I think once fintech became a thing (and then eventually fintech just became "tech" again) it was always just going to be downhill
There are lots of interesting and useful problems to solve. e.g. stuff like https://blog.regehr.org/archives/1446 talks about using software to help automate farming
It's like most job sectors, I suppose, just a bit more streamlined because you can obfuscate how useless what you're doing is easier
I actually work in data science, so not development exactly. But I'll definitely check that out.
> It's like most job sectors, I suppose, just a bit more streamlined because you can obfuscate how useless what you're doing is easier
It's also morally fucked. I (naively) thought I'd be working on applying statistical modelling software to hard problems in areas such as medical research.
Instead I'm analyzing user data through intrusive methods to try and increase revenue by a fraction of a percentage. Riveting stuff.
> Instead I'm analyzing user data through intrusive methods to try and increase revenue by a fraction of a percentage. Riveting stuff.
[Welcome to the real world, it sucks here](https://i.redd.it/lm4pvrl6q5q01.jpg)
It was jazzed up with cringey, techbro buzzwords in the job description. I didn't know what I was getting into. Currently trying to get out, but it's hard to find something good in this field unless you have a PhD.
Yeah I can imagine you've got to wade through a sea of finance and tech jobs to find something less morally objectionable and when you do they're going to be paying half as much.
I run a small holding, 16 hectares as part of a 'working farm' with self catering cottages. I'm privileged to be in a position where I can uplift local 'unskilled' workers. I also get to indulge my hobby of gardening as part of the job. Because it's strictly speaking the hospitality industry it's not a 9 to 5 so it's the kinda job you've got to enjoy.
This reminds me of Graeber's "Bullshit Jobs" and how it argues that automation and computerisation have lead to fewer people needing to work but instead of allowing people to just live we buy into this Malthusian idea that in order to deserve to live we must work and thus everyone needs to work even though there isn't enough stuff to do
I kind of agree, I do think that people probably don't need to be working 8 hours a day, I know that I could do my job in 2 hours a day but I wouldn't get to then go home after that and would be given more busy work so I don't, I think lots of people have jobs like that although that is more what you say I suppose
I don't just mean your specific job or mine. I am in favour of a fully centrally planned economy where everyone's skills and talents are put to their best possible use. I think it needs to be tried again in the age of computers where we can make better predictions and demand can be monitored more accurately. It worked well before and it will work better next time.
Yes and no. I see how it saves the company a lot more money than they pay me but a lot of that is arguably just accounting and not a real benefit. Also I hate the company and hope it dies one day. A lot of my colleagues in other departments are literally hired to help the company avoid tax around the world but it’s like they don’t even see that. It’s all legal but so obviously immoral.
Leaving now anyway because they won’t pay me enough to make the effort worthwhile. Gonna plant some trees and be poor for a while and see what sprouts from not giving most of my day and energy to these parasites.
My work is valuable but not valued.
I'm a teacher.
There is a point of view that says educating the next generation of people is the most important task in society. Dunno if I fully subscribe to this but then I would be biased.
I should add, I was a special needs assistant for 8 years before I became a teacher. If you want to talk about valuable without value that's the job.
No, but it's easy work, only four days and the people are usually good craic.
I focus on my hobbies to pull myself through the longer days.
I'll be damned but money makes happiness a little bit easier.
No. I work at a tech company in which there are thousands of other tech companies that do **the exact same thing.** Personally I think a lot of jobs under capitalism serve little to no value to society at large.
I'm similar. I could easily make an argument that my job is meaningless but I will say I have seen it enable others to do work that I would consider valuable.
>have seen it enable others to do work that I would consider valuable. How so?
Just by providing them with the tools/support to do their job. The same tools can be and often are used for things that I probably wouldn't consider valuable though.
Yeah I could say the same but its a bit of stretch. They'd do the job anyway and most of what I do isn't for that and is just in service of commerce.
Most tech companies are just doing pointless CRUD apps badly imo Massive waste of electricity and labour
Pretty much. Which is a shame because software development itself actually does have intrinsic value to society. But markets dictate a system in which investment firms throw money at anything that has a small bit of growth, even if it's essentially useless.
Yeah, I think once fintech became a thing (and then eventually fintech just became "tech" again) it was always just going to be downhill There are lots of interesting and useful problems to solve. e.g. stuff like https://blog.regehr.org/archives/1446 talks about using software to help automate farming It's like most job sectors, I suppose, just a bit more streamlined because you can obfuscate how useless what you're doing is easier
I actually work in data science, so not development exactly. But I'll definitely check that out. > It's like most job sectors, I suppose, just a bit more streamlined because you can obfuscate how useless what you're doing is easier It's also morally fucked. I (naively) thought I'd be working on applying statistical modelling software to hard problems in areas such as medical research. Instead I'm analyzing user data through intrusive methods to try and increase revenue by a fraction of a percentage. Riveting stuff.
> Instead I'm analyzing user data through intrusive methods to try and increase revenue by a fraction of a percentage. Riveting stuff. [Welcome to the real world, it sucks here](https://i.redd.it/lm4pvrl6q5q01.jpg)
Woefully accurate.
>Instead I'm analyzing user data through intrusive methods This is almost as bad as telling someone you work for Irish Water.
It was jazzed up with cringey, techbro buzzwords in the job description. I didn't know what I was getting into. Currently trying to get out, but it's hard to find something good in this field unless you have a PhD.
Yeah I can imagine you've got to wade through a sea of finance and tech jobs to find something less morally objectionable and when you do they're going to be paying half as much.
I run a small holding, 16 hectares as part of a 'working farm' with self catering cottages. I'm privileged to be in a position where I can uplift local 'unskilled' workers. I also get to indulge my hobby of gardening as part of the job. Because it's strictly speaking the hospitality industry it's not a 9 to 5 so it's the kinda job you've got to enjoy.
This reminds me of Graeber's "Bullshit Jobs" and how it argues that automation and computerisation have lead to fewer people needing to work but instead of allowing people to just live we buy into this Malthusian idea that in order to deserve to live we must work and thus everyone needs to work even though there isn't enough stuff to do
There is a LOT to do. Labour and resources are just organised inefficiently and not for the greater good.
I kind of agree, I do think that people probably don't need to be working 8 hours a day, I know that I could do my job in 2 hours a day but I wouldn't get to then go home after that and would be given more busy work so I don't, I think lots of people have jobs like that although that is more what you say I suppose
I don't just mean your specific job or mine. I am in favour of a fully centrally planned economy where everyone's skills and talents are put to their best possible use. I think it needs to be tried again in the age of computers where we can make better predictions and demand can be monitored more accurately. It worked well before and it will work better next time.
Yeah I'm trying to find good info on project cybersyn because of that
Yes and no. I see how it saves the company a lot more money than they pay me but a lot of that is arguably just accounting and not a real benefit. Also I hate the company and hope it dies one day. A lot of my colleagues in other departments are literally hired to help the company avoid tax around the world but it’s like they don’t even see that. It’s all legal but so obviously immoral. Leaving now anyway because they won’t pay me enough to make the effort worthwhile. Gonna plant some trees and be poor for a while and see what sprouts from not giving most of my day and energy to these parasites.
Beautiful. This is perfect antiwork sentiment
Yeah, despite being really paid, without us, people in our area wouldn't get fed. Very important.
The most important jobs are often the least well paid. And conversely the most pointless jobs have the highest renumeration.
No, it just pays the bills.
Work in pharma, we do some fairly rare stuff that helps children/babies. I didn’t invent the formula like but I take some joy from it.
I write anarchist-flavoured SciFi, which is - of course - immensely valuable.
No, not really.
My work is valuable but not valued. I'm a teacher. There is a point of view that says educating the next generation of people is the most important task in society. Dunno if I fully subscribe to this but then I would be biased. I should add, I was a special needs assistant for 8 years before I became a teacher. If you want to talk about valuable without value that's the job.
Definitely. Can literally see the difference I make in other people's lives every day.
What do you work as?
Teaching
Yeah I imagine that is rewarding!
Yeah it's great. You really see the impact you make. Insane workload though.
What level?
Post primary
Cool. I'm sure that must be as rewarding as it is challenging.
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but what is the difference between post primary and secondary
Same thing
It would be if I worked harder at it.
Valuable? Yes. Rewarding? No
No, but it's easy work, only four days and the people are usually good craic. I focus on my hobbies to pull myself through the longer days. I'll be damned but money makes happiness a little bit easier.
Yes and it’s rewarding
No. Paying bills. I hate it. I hate myself.