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This job-centric lifestyle seems to point to a problem of sustainability rather than economics. Jobs are never endless, moving somewhere or creating a town for

This job-centric lifestyle seems to point to a problem of sustainability rather than economics. Jobs are never endless, moving somewhere or creating a town for one particular job or factory will always end in deserted towns and closed factories, and not adapting to what is happening around you always ends in tears. Nothing new here... If you want to work, you should look for what people need rather than whatever you did for a job 20 years ago. For example, we'll always need energy and food, but we won't always need cowboys and coal miners. Instead of trying to be a coal miner, try to be an energy worker.

protomyth 9y ago
> For example, we'll always need energy and food, but we won't always need cowboys and coal miners. Cowboys are part of the food sector. Ranching to be specific. Herding cattle, fixing fences, and doing all the other choirs on a ranch will probably be a while down the automation trail. Making some bad decisions like not moving the cattle from the summer grazing area to the winter grazing area quick enough can cost a lot of money.
- frutiger 9y ago
  If I understood `oneplane` correctly, that's exactly the point. Coal miners are in the energy sector, and cowboys are in the food sector. Whether or not a specific worker in those industries will be required may change over time, but the general demand for the output of those industries likely will not.
- Animats 9y ago
  "We don't fix fence, we build fence" - King Ranch slogan. Herding cows with a drone.[1] I ride, and I know people who work cattle from horseback, but the number of people still doing that is small. Drones are becoming incredibly useful in the industries where somebody has to check on things over a large area. From farming to power line inspection, it's become far easier to look at hard-to-reach areas. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni-YxR2j8-g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni-YxR2j8-g
  - protomyth 9y ago
    > I ride, and I know people who work cattle from horseback, but the number of people still doing that is small. Cowboys have been using ATVs for years. The definition of cowboy is not that limited.
jjoonathan 9y ago
That's a good strategy for an individual, but if a boat is taking on water there are probably better uses of time than teaching people to cling to floating detritus. It's something they probably could have figured out on their own and it doesn't address the underlying issue.

protomyth 9y ago

> For example, we'll always need energy and food, but we won't always need cowboys and coal miners. Cowboys are part of the food sector. Ranching to be specific. Herding cattle, fixing fences, and doing all the other choirs on a ranch will probably be a while down the automation trail. Making some bad decisions like not moving the cattle from the summer grazing area to the winter grazing area quick enough can cost a lot of money.

frutiger 9y ago
If I understood `oneplane` correctly, that's exactly the point. Coal miners are in the energy sector, and cowboys are in the food sector. Whether or not a specific worker in those industries will be required may change over time, but the general demand for the output of those industries likely will not.
Animats 9y ago
"We don't fix fence, we build fence" - King Ranch slogan. Herding cows with a drone.[1] I ride, and I know people who work cattle from horseback, but the number of people still doing that is small. Drones are becoming incredibly useful in the industries where somebody has to check on things over a large area. From farming to power line inspection, it's become far easier to look at hard-to-reach areas. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni-YxR2j8-g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni-YxR2j8-g
- protomyth 9y ago
  > I ride, and I know people who work cattle from horseback, but the number of people still doing that is small. Cowboys have been using ATVs for years. The definition of cowboy is not that limited.

jjoonathan 9y ago

That's a good strategy for an individual, but if a boat is taking on water there are probably better uses of time than teaching people to cling to floating detritus. It's something they probably could have figured out on their own and it doesn't address the underlying issue.