> unions often diminish individual accomplishments and liberties in favor of what begins as collective interest

Is that why NFL players have no individuality and are basically just substitutes of each other? I doubt anyone even knows any individual football player's name, since the union has so diminished their individual accomplishments.

Who even knows the names of movie stars anymore? They just go by their SAG-AFTRA member IDs since the union has made them all practically interchangeable.

They are pretty interchangeable, but I have to say I am a bit partial to actor 958309 from SAG-AFTRA 5757, his performance in Inception was pretty great.

I heard 958309 got a flogging for that performance because it violated union bylaws that forbid one member from making other members look like slackers. That'll show him for being a prima donna and giving it his all!

> often

Ah, that one must be the exception that proves the rule - i always forget about that.

The first obstacle to general software engineering unionization is getting software engineers convinced that their problems stem from shitty management, and not incompetent peers.

Which problems? Being paid well? Having a fun and interesting job? Have you ever worked a union job, did the union make shitty management suddenly disappear? Shitty management is often just swallowed up by the union itself. And I don't think I have incompetent peers, I think my peers are perfectly competent precisely BECAUSE the profession is not unionized. The fastest way to a pool of incompetent peers is by assuring the continued employment of incompetent people under the umbrella of collective protection.

I believe you just made my point for me.

You said that I believe my problems come from incompetent peers, and not shitty management.

I said that not only do I not believe my problems come from incompetent peers, but that I don't actually have any problems. And to the extent that I've worked under shitty management, I've had sufficient leverage to alter my situation accordingly. When I feel as though software engineers are systemically incapable of possessing the degree of leverage so as to alter their situations to a more optimal one, within reason, then I would be willing to consider bringing forth the myriad of problems that come with collectivization in order to attempt to access additional leverage. The landscape at the present could not be described as I have.

So no, I haven't proved any of your points. Nothing that you said applies to what I said.

I think you misread the question you are replying to.

The question is sarcastic.

Yes, thank you for getting it.

Screen Actors Guild member Tom Cruise would like to chat with you about negotiating based on leverage, since you seem to have some misconceptions about what a collective bargaining agreement does what to the workplace.