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Re:Google’s Shadow Work Force: Temps Who Outnumber Full-Time... by sonnyblarney on Tuesday May 28, 2019 @09:41AM (#20029880)
"So my question is why was the article written? "

Because almost any other entity could claim it's economic pressure and financial reality.

Google is sitting on Fort Knox, they're one of the most cash flush companies in thew world ... and they can't be bothered to actually hire people.

At the last G event, Sundar brought out this hyperbolic weeping montage about how their AI helps poor people in India 'read' the cooking directions on food labels, even when they are illiterate (i.e. AI text to voice).

It was gushy and pulled hard on heartstrings.

Well then why can't they just hire people and treat them as human equals?

It's beyond hypocritical.

With a little bit of cynicism, it's understandable from a business perspective - hey, it's money.

But what irks me is the elements of 'social justice' coming out of these entities while they're blind to the very social ills that they are driving.

People wonder why we have inequality, or 'housing affordability' etc. - well - this is it.

Folks in the Valley seems to be stoked to solve big problems and work on 'AI' - while kind of ignorant to the fact there are trailer parks all over the Valley. Which is mind blowing.

Re:Google’s Shadow Work Force: Temps Who Outnumber Full-Time... by mruts on Tuesday May 28, 2019 @12:05PM (#20031455)
I mean, why should they? Clearly Google thinks how they do things is in the best interest of their shareholders. Maybe you could argue that contractors are detracting from shareholder value because their interests aren't aligned, but that's not the argument you're making.

What you're saying is, essentially, if a company is making a lot of money, then they should give that money to their employees. But the purpose of a company isn't to hire or pay people, it's to generate a return for your investors.

Re:Google’s Shadow Work Force: Temps Who Outnumber Full-Time... by stcredzero on Tuesday May 28, 2019 @04:13PM (#20033887)
If you take a longer view, then here's how justice gets served and the welfare of more and more people is increased over all of history: Power gets dispersed. Wealth and power goes from elite nobles to the merchant class, then there arises a middle class.

The problems come about when the dispersal of wealth and power are faked. (No real power is dispersed.)

Re:Google’s Shadow Work Force: Temps Who Outnumber Full-Time... by IOT_Apprentice on Tuesday May 28, 2019 @08:00PM (#20035648)
I suspect you should view Andrew Yang's interview on Joe Rogan's podcast. There is a job apocalypse coming and millions of people will be thrown out of work by tech firms relentless pursuit of machine learning and automation via robotics.
Re:Google’s Shadow Work Force: Temps Who Outnumber Full-Time... by tomcam on Tuesday May 28, 2019 @02:56PM (#20033173)
What’s wrong with trailer parks? What do you propose to replace them with?
Re:Google’s Shadow Work Force: Temps Who Outnumber Full-Time... by stcredzero on Tuesday May 28, 2019 @03:14PM (#20033349)
What’s wrong with trailer parks?

It's a big economic disadvantage. Your property depreciates rapidly. Meanwhile, you're still paying rent, and it's easier to get evicted.

What do you propose to replace them with?

How about communities of low cost housing, which allow for lower income people to build equity and which are somehow distinct enough to preclude co-option by well heeled tech employees? Maybe some kind of intentional community with such goals built into its charter?

Re:Google’s Shadow Work Force: Temps Who Outnumber Full-Time... by sonnyblarney on Tuesday May 28, 2019 @04:07PM (#20033844)
"What do you propose to replace them with?"

Homes.

Re:Google’s Shadow Work Force: Temps Who Outnumber Full-Time... by SpicyLemonZest on Tuesday May 28, 2019 @05:42PM (#20034693)
I think you may be misunderstanding what a trailer park is in this context. Most homes in most trailer parks aren't RVs or anything; they're reasonably normal houses built in the most cost-effective way, which happens to be building them in a factory and then shipping them to the final location on a trailer.
Re:Google’s Shadow Work Force: Temps Who Outnumber Full-Time... by tomcam on Tuesday May 28, 2019 @09:37PM (#20036112)
They are homes.