News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by setgree on Sunday October 16, 2022 @01:39PM (#33225504)
This reminds me of management consulting.

The consultants come in, recommend you fire 10% of your workforce, and when you pull the trigger you say, sorry McKinsey made us do it! Likewise, the recommendations made by the software are non-binding, but if pushed you say “well the algorithm said to do it.”

In either case, it’s the c-suite/property manager making the call. But it seems that we like a measure of distance between ourselves and unpleasant decisions. The algorithm/well-groomed 20-somethings provide a kind of plausible deniability.

The answer is, of course, a ton more housing.

Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by PinesOfRome on Sunday October 16, 2022 @01:46PM (#33225553)
In, fire 30% of the workforce, new logo, boom! Out. You are now a fully trained management consultant.
Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by ls15 on Monday October 17, 2022 @03:06AM (#33230559)
There is still the question which 30% are to be fired.
Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by krageon on Monday October 17, 2022 @03:46AM (#33230790)
Start with whoever nobody likes. You can probably find the least-liked 30% of the company by asking around. The big upside is you will get less grumbling for firing them! Everyone wins!
Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by blaser-waffle on Monday October 17, 2022 @01:51PM (#33237287)
If you ask around people will get nervous and figure out what's going on. Inevitably some will leave -- usually those who are motivated and well qualified.

The ones you want to fire will still be there.

No no, you do it quietly and based on numbers. "Likes" is too subjective and will lead to discrimination lawsuits. Start with highest salary, easiest to replace, and/or middle management.

Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by ls15 on Tuesday October 18, 2022 @01:01AM (#33243158)
So all the managers?
Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by HideousKojima on Sunday October 16, 2022 @01:47PM (#33225558)
>The answer is, of course, a ton more housing.

And lower demand by restricting immigration.

Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by dang on Sunday October 16, 2022 @02:31PM (#33225974)
"Eschew flamebait. Avoid generic tangents."

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by Vt71fcAqt7 on Sunday October 16, 2022 @03:07PM (#33226284)
Is it flaimbait to discuss demand in a discussion about supply?
Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by codefreeordie on Monday October 17, 2022 @12:12PM (#33235639)
Depends on whether or not your post offends the narrative. When it does the narrative enforcer comes out.
Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by anigbrowl on Wednesday October 19, 2022 @02:41PM (#33266219)
It is when you oversimplify a complex issue. There might have been a good point were there an absolute shortage of housing, but there isn't. Much of the scarcity in the housing market is wholly artificial, and blaming immigrants or restricting their arrival would have absolutely zero impact on landlords' propensity to extract economic rents without providing any additional value.
Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by Vt71fcAqt7 on Wednesday October 19, 2022 @09:08PM (#33269738)
>zero impact on landlords' propensity to extract economic rents without providing any additional value.

That isn't what's causing the problem. It's that demand is greater than supply. Rent is lower in rural areas becuase nobody wwnts to live there. Even if rent was free you would have the same problem that there simply isn't enough housing. Immigrants almost invariably live in cities, and they do drive up prices.

Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by richbell on Sunday October 16, 2022 @01:51PM (#33225600)
While I don't know your intentions behind this comment, I'll add that high immigration is a core policy in places like Canada explicitly so they don't have to solve any problems around labour or financial policy. Skilled immigrants tend to have lots of money to spend and no debt; unskilled immigrants are exploited in schemes where they work below minimum wage at menial jobs (e.g., https://financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/foreign-work... or https://jacobin.com/2021/12/coffee-chain-fast-food-labor-pay...).

I used to work for a government employment centre. It was depressing how many highly educated people emigrated to Canada for promises of a better life and ended up driving Ubers because they were mislead about earning potential or education equivalency.

Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by tonyarkles on Sunday October 16, 2022 @07:12PM (#33228039)
Man, even skilled labour… there was a gas station near my old house in Saskatoon. One night I was chatting with the guy that was working and we got to talking about work a bit. Turns out he actually has a Masters in Electrical Engineering, but the easiest way for him to come to Canada was to be sponsored by Petro-Can and work at the gas station for, I don’t recall exactly, 2-3 years. He was looking for volunteer work to do to try to stay sharp in the meantime. Crazy!
Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by Akronymus on Monday October 17, 2022 @07:42AM (#33232237)
I find immigration to be a net negative. Sure some people get a better lot by emigrating, but in the process there is brain deain and such. So instead of them helping their own country to better themselves, their own country gets worse.

and thats why allowing immigration to give them a chance of "a better life" is IMO unethical.

Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by richbell on Monday October 17, 2022 @11:39AM (#33235087)
> Sure some people get a better lot by emigrating, but in the process there is brain deain and such. So instead of them helping their own country to better themselves, their own country gets worse.

I've met a lot of smart immigrants who left their country because there was no opportunity for them to contribute or improve. Often there's so much corruption or racial/religious discrimination that it's a choice to sink or swim.

Of course, the prospect of "a better life" even in the most dire circumstances is becoming less attainable when the local population are already struggling. I've seen several articles similar to this one, where the reception from people is "I'm struggling to pay my rent too, why doesn't anyone do a story on that?"

https://ottawa.citynews.ca/local-news/ukrainian-newcomers-st...

Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by noobermin on Sunday October 16, 2022 @09:16PM (#33228841)
Why not both? As other commenters have said, this is clear collusion by proxy, which should be illegal. There needs to be an increase in supply yes but this should also be illegal.
Re:Rent Going Up? One Company’s Algorithm Could Be Why by 8f2ab37a-ed6c on Monday October 17, 2022 @02:07AM (#33230240)
Russ Hanneman parenting.