News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by JoeAltmaier on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @08:00AM (#28220013)
Don't go.

My young friend went on contract for a year, doing fishery research. After a few months they said "We aren't going to pay you any more. You can't leave because the boat won't come back until {whenever}. And if you say anything, we won't give you the recommendation you need as a young researcher doing a PhD."

She had to stay for months working for nothing. It's slavery, and they know it, and that's how it works.

Don't go.

Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by AlbertCory on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @11:38AM (#28222766)
I stopped at M.S., but I know many Ph.D.'s.

The horror stories of things they endure would fill hundreds of volumes. One told me another prof just stole her dissertation topic, and she lost two years. Innumerable others get caught in academic politics because another prof doesn't like theirs.

As many people say below, being a whistleblower brings a heavy personal cost, and no one should say "you should publicize this" without being aware of that.

Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by BurningFrog on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @09:44AM (#28220833)
This says more about conditions for PhD students than about the Falklands.
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by skrtskrt on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @01:01PM (#28224069)
Academia is a ridiculous racket at this point.

The ratio of people that can make a living doing research to people that are entering PhD programs is way, way off, which naturally produces a zero-sum hypercompetition "market" among PhD students that can only end in "success" by people able and willing to work crazy hard for no money for years on end - aka the already-rich, the desperate true believers, the delusional, or some combination of those three.

To make things worse, all the money in universities is being sucked up by the explosion of the self-licking ice cream cone of middle management catering to the "student experience" or whatever else.

Look up the absolute explosion of management salaries in universities in the last 20 years.

Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by cookieswumchorr on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @08:27AM (#28220160)
she had to stay, ok. but why keep working? Jobs can be scarce on an island but maybe you can find something that pays more than zero. Or work remote. Or just take vacation if you have some reserve
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by JoeAltmaier on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @08:56AM (#28220400)
The recommendation, remember? The research? She was a PhD student.
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by gruez on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @09:39AM (#28220782)
Sounds like it's more of a problem with phd students than with Falkland islands.
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by dasudasu on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @09:15AM (#28220556)
Employers can pull the "non recommendation" thing anywhere under any circumstance. Why would this occurrence be at all special? That’s like saying they got mugged by someone, don’t go there.
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by Kluny on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @12:30PM (#28223584)
I think you can get a job in most fields fairly easily without references if your resume is good. I don't think it's possible to get a job without references in academia.
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by JoeAltmaier on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @02:22PM (#28225182)
The boat - she was trapped. Elsewhere you can find another position, move, change schools, something.
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by Workaccount2 on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @10:11AM (#28221125)
Technically, just to be that guy, she worked all the extra time and was compensated for it with a recommendation.
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by midev on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @11:11AM (#28222162)
That would be fine if that was the initial offer. But it wasn't. It was a bait and switch. It wasn't until she was trapped that they pulled her pay.

That's criminal, and it's worrying you're justifying it under an account named "Workaccount2"

Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by ctvo on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @10:31AM (#28221448)
Technically, just to be that guy, many slaves worked all the extra time and was compensated with eventual freedom.
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by aww_dang on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @08:23AM (#28220136)
Can you say who held the contract?
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by bbarnett on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @08:29AM (#28220180)
It would.

And after their hold on her was over, she should have screamed to the hills.

While I get the reluctance, at the same time, not yelling about it means others get burned.

That's just plain wrong.

Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by pessimizer on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @10:11AM (#28221114)
Whistleblowing can severely hurt you, from destroying your career to killing you. People who demand it blindly probably haven't ever had to make a hard choice about it.

I recommend against it in almost all cases for people I care about, because people have this natural infatuation for victims that is obviously prurient (whether it's love, reverence, hate, or even disgust) and you yourself are going to end up the center of the storm.

If they decide to do it anyway because they're better people than me. I try to make sure they don't do it stupidly, and work with them on a careful plan that minimizes their personal danger and has the best chance of succeeding.

Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by nradov on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @03:03PM (#28225724)
In the book "Close Calls" by Stratis Kas, Dr. Sonia Rowley tells a heartbreaking story of having to endure constant sexual harassment from one of her colleagues during a field research expedition. She was already a PhD and nominally in charge but decided not to blow the whistle because that would have set her research back by years. It's never an easy decision.

https://stratiskas.com/closecalls/

Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by JoeAltmaier on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @08:57AM (#28220414)
Her professor counseled her against reporting. They needed the contact to get PhD students positions and recommendations. Reporting it online meant throwing up obstacles to herself for holding other academic positions.

A PhD student is hostage against the system.

Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by gnopgnip on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @12:21PM (#28223468)
They can file a wage claim like any other employee. In fact employers on the islands are required to hold a bond to prevent this kind of thing in the first place.
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by bbarnett on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @09:23AM (#28220631)
Her professor counceled her to let him trap others in the same situation?!? Fine professor.

Sounds like she should wait until after she gets her phd, then scream. And, while leveling accusations at the professor too.

He's as guilty as they are.

Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by HappySweeney on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @09:36AM (#28220755)
Were I in this situation, I would be quite sure the professor is receiving kickbacks.
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by bbarnett on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @09:27AM (#28220667)
You should council your friend to keep as much data, write everything down (keep a log book), keep backups of emails etc.

Don't let time, let scum win.

Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by JoeAltmaier on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @09:54AM (#28220950)
I did, but as a tall white middle-class male counseling a short young inner-city woman of color it's a little difficult without being patronizing. Her response was "This is not even the worst thing that's been done to me; I have to let some of it go."
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by pc86 on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @10:12AM (#28221140)
Would you have felt more comfortable counselling her if you were 3 or 4" shorter?
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by throwaway98797 on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @09:48AM (#28220885)
Not all want to fight the just fight. By fighting you become the victim twice.

Yes, you may save others but I cant blame someone for makinf the pragmatic choice for their lives and family.

Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by morpheos137 on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @08:40AM (#28220251)
she went on a contract. Why did she expect a raise?
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by ghola2k5 on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @08:42AM (#28220261)
"she had to stay for months working for nothing" - looks like it wasn't a raise she way after, but they stopped paying her at all?
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by JoeAltmaier on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @08:58AM (#28220417)
Yes
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by Kihashi on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @09:42AM (#28220815)
GP mis-wrote it a bit- "We aren't going to pay you [anymore]". Meaning that they stopped paying her.
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by hungryforcodes on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @08:53AM (#28220368)
Who can say it's even the truth though. Do you have a reference? For sure she would have filed complaint or something. It's super convenient no one has questioned you on this...
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by JoeAltmaier on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @08:56AM (#28220396)
I understand doubt, you don't know me. But I'm not sure what you want?

She's now an officer in my son's startup.

Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by defaulty on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @09:05AM (#28220475)
It sounds like an awful experience. Was this recent or 30 years ago?
Re:Why do so many people move to the Falkland Islands? (2009) by JoeAltmaier on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @09:52AM (#28220926)
Three or four years ago.