6 ms·

> Colella is now apparently living the flexible work schedule life in full—NPR reports he is now working as an Uber driver. and being GPS tracked more intensiv

> Colella is now apparently living the flexible work schedule life in full—NPR reports he is now working as an Uber driver. and being GPS tracked more intensively than ever before. oh, sweet irony :D

jxramos 9y ago
I laughed at that piece too, but I didn't know if it was toned as just matter of fact or some sort of pejorative closing to point out the uncertain work conditions he has to now face as a karmic payback of sorts.
- wutbrodo 9y ago
  It could have been completely sincere: I know people who are happy to drive Uber/Lyft precisely because of the completely flexible hours. I think you're probably right that Ars intended it as a pejorative though.
lakechfoma 9y ago
It's not that he didn't want to be tracked, it's that he wanted to play golf on company time. With Uber, he gets to play golf whenever he wants. Makes sense
- bitL 9y ago
  Think about it - he's 60, probably realized he is not going to achieve anything in life, likely worked a lot before for little benefit to himself (we have no clue if company promised things and later "forgot about them" etc.), so maybe golf was the only thing that was making his work bearable and kept him sane/happy/productive. Now compare it to finance guys, where banks pay them regular brothel visits to relieve their stress and make them more productive. I have more sympathies to this old man...
  - jodrellblank 9y ago
    he's 60, probably realized he is not going to achieve anything in life If you're not rich, you haven't achieved anything.
    - IntelMiner 9y ago
      That's a very empty assessment of life
      - jodrellblank 9y ago
        That's why I was calling it out, not stating it. All we know about him is that he was a 60 year old employed electrician. To go from that to the parent poster saying he "probably realised he'll never achieve anything in life" is selling a pretty miserable story.
  - cylinder 9y ago
    Not achieve anything? How do you know this?
    - na85 9y ago
      Because he hasn't been given a luxurious exit because he didn't start a monads-as-a-service startup with no business model other than selling my personal data and hasn't been acquired by a unicorn.
  - toomanybeersies 9y ago
    He's an electrician, they get paid very handsomely in Australia.
raincom 9y ago
When I used to work as a security guard, I used to cheat my security rounds. Who wanted to make a round every hour or 30 mins. Things changed like 8 years ago, now every security guard needs to scan a bar code at various places to show that he/she is indeed doing his/her rounds.
- caf 9y ago
  Couldn't you just snap a photo of the barcodes, then scan a printout next time?
  - a3n 9y ago
    Couldn't he just ... do anything else except shirk?
    - caf 9y ago
      Certainly, but I'm actually questioning the efficacy of the barcode system in preventing shirking, not this individual's questionable choices.
    - tarboreus 9y ago
      What are you, a schoolmarm? Shirk away, I say.
  - fmj 9y ago
    The barcode is on their badge, the scanners are at the checkpoints. You could scan a copy, but if you're the only person in the building you'll still have to go to each scanner.
- RileyJames 9y ago
  Take photo of each barcode, print, scan in sequence... I imagine location would be tracked in tandem making it harder, or obviously suspect if there is no location data provided. It’s all very short sighted, they will eventually be caught & fired, most likely through non-technical means.
- 9y ago

jxramos 9y ago

I laughed at that piece too, but I didn't know if it was toned as just matter of fact or some sort of pejorative closing to point out the uncertain work conditions he has to now face as a karmic payback of sorts.

wutbrodo 9y ago
It could have been completely sincere: I know people who are happy to drive Uber/Lyft precisely because of the completely flexible hours. I think you're probably right that Ars intended it as a pejorative though.

lakechfoma 9y ago

It's not that he didn't want to be tracked, it's that he wanted to play golf on company time. With Uber, he gets to play golf whenever he wants. Makes sense

bitL 9y ago
Think about it - he's 60, probably realized he is not going to achieve anything in life, likely worked a lot before for little benefit to himself (we have no clue if company promised things and later "forgot about them" etc.), so maybe golf was the only thing that was making his work bearable and kept him sane/happy/productive. Now compare it to finance guys, where banks pay them regular brothel visits to relieve their stress and make them more productive. I have more sympathies to this old man...
- jodrellblank 9y ago
  he's 60, probably realized he is not going to achieve anything in life If you're not rich, you haven't achieved anything.
  - IntelMiner 9y ago
    That's a very empty assessment of life
    - jodrellblank 9y ago
      That's why I was calling it out, not stating it. All we know about him is that he was a 60 year old employed electrician. To go from that to the parent poster saying he "probably realised he'll never achieve anything in life" is selling a pretty miserable story.
- cylinder 9y ago
  Not achieve anything? How do you know this?
  - na85 9y ago
    Because he hasn't been given a luxurious exit because he didn't start a monads-as-a-service startup with no business model other than selling my personal data and hasn't been acquired by a unicorn.
- toomanybeersies 9y ago
  He's an electrician, they get paid very handsomely in Australia.

raincom 9y ago

When I used to work as a security guard, I used to cheat my security rounds. Who wanted to make a round every hour or 30 mins. Things changed like 8 years ago, now every security guard needs to scan a bar code at various places to show that he/she is indeed doing his/her rounds.

caf 9y ago
Couldn't you just snap a photo of the barcodes, then scan a printout next time?
- a3n 9y ago
  Couldn't he just ... do anything else except shirk?
  - caf 9y ago
    Certainly, but I'm actually questioning the efficacy of the barcode system in preventing shirking, not this individual's questionable choices.
  - tarboreus 9y ago
    What are you, a schoolmarm? Shirk away, I say.
- fmj 9y ago
  The barcode is on their badge, the scanners are at the checkpoints. You could scan a copy, but if you're the only person in the building you'll still have to go to each scanner.
RileyJames 9y ago
Take photo of each barcode, print, scan in sequence... I imagine location would be tracked in tandem making it harder, or obviously suspect if there is no location data provided. It’s all very short sighted, they will eventually be caught & fired, most likely through non-technical means.
9y ago