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I know it pays little and is repetitive. But my question with this kind of analysis is always: why do they keep finding people to do it? There is another probl

I know it pays little and is repetitive. But my question with this kind of analysis is always: why do they keep finding people to do it? There is another problem which I find more worrisome: we are expecting gig workers (and most other workers) to subject to hardcore competition for their jobs, wages and terms. The argument (also my argument above) is that it leads to efficient and honest outcomes because it involves little to no coercion. But at the same time, governments are colluding with and bailing out the financial elites with every market crash. We did it with LTCM, in 2001, in 2008 and who knows when again. The bailout involves mass coercion of savers and an implicit punishment of those who were careful. It may have profoundly changed the mentality of the wealthy. For the last 10 years, "if it gets bad enough, there will be a bail out" has become standard investment wisdom. Socialism for those who own, free markets for those who don't. This contradiction is what'll ultimately do us in.

choot 8y ago
It's because some people have low IQ so they are not able to navigate through the meandering job. All they want is a simple job with a well defined task on which they can speed up and later achieve more objective output and not have to please a boss for subjective remark.
- Illniyar 8y ago
  Actually from what the study says a sizable chunk does this because they prefer work from home or unable to work in an office. Some anecdotes are provided of people with sick parents or young children who for them taking a full time caretaker would be a net loss.
  - choot 8y ago
    The reason they give is based on self evaluation. People are particularly bad at self evaluation. Keep in mind, most people don't know what their IQ is. And most don't consider themselves to posses less intelligence as they don't know what more intelligence feels like. See this video for relationship between job expectation and IQ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjs2gPa5sD0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjs2gPa5sD0
- afuchs 8y ago
  From my casual observation, someone's IQ and intelligence doesn't seem to be a dominant factor beyond the point where it is considered a disability. People with a level of intelligence that is measurably above average can still have difficulty finding and retaining jobs. There is a large group of people who can be expected to take whatever jobs they can find, out of necessity, regardless of their skills and aptitudes.
- Latteland 8y ago
  That comment is unfair, untrue, and like a statement from "1984" to justify removing health insurance and food stamps. "Those people are happy to have a simple, subsistence job, they don't need more."
Illniyar 8y ago
In regards to mechanical turk, the linked study[0] has some answers for you: For AMT US (roughly since they don't give out exact numbers): 8% - could not find other employment 10% -can only work from home 23% - prefer to work from home 1% - pay is better then other available jobs 43% - to complement pay from other jobs 4% - to ear money while going to school 3% - as a form of leisure 7% - enjoy it For AMT india (roughly since they don't give out exact numbers): 4% - could not find other employment 12% -can only work from home 24% - prefer to work from home 8% - pay is better then other available jobs 25% - to complement pay from other jobs 5% - to ear money while going to school 2% - as a form of leisure 14% - enjoy it [0] - http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_645337.pdf http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcom...
NeedMoreTea 8y ago
Well in the case of the UK, in response to the model some of the well known new entrants use, just about every delivery company now forces their drivers to be self employed, zero hours. There have been countless reports of extreme abuses by companies. What used to be a quite rare mode of employment that just a few chose, has become endemic, and seems like it's become near the default for the lowest paid fifth of our economy. That growth has been entirely in the last 15 years. They do it because the choice has become that or unemployment. Unemployment that will probably sanction them for not accepting a zero hour contract, or a self-employed driving or labouring job.
billyggruff 8y ago
Too much opacity in these markets, from the worker's side.
eeZah7Ux 8y ago
> For the last 10 years, "if it gets bad enough, there will be a bail out" has become standard investment wisdom. Plenty of private companies receive public funding disguised as defense costs and the output of their research goes to private investors. The transistor, GPS, Arpanet, etc ... > Socialism for those who own, free markets for those who don't. I get the point but the sentence is an oxymoron.
- goliatone 8y ago
  An oxymoron that seems to depict very well what the OP sees as the current state of affairs. You might not agree with the assessment, different matter
  - eeZah7Ux 8y ago
    No, I don't disagree with the analysis. I'm referring to the literal use of the term: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialism https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialism "any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods " I understand what the parent is trying to say and I agree with it, but "socialism only for the rich" is literally not socialism.
s73v3r_ 8y ago
"I know it pays little and is repetitive. But my question with this kind of analysis is always: why do they keep finding people to do it?" Why do you keep finding people to go into prostitution?
- unknown_apostle 8y ago
  Forced prostitution and trafficking aside, I think quite literally because some people want to.
shodan666 8y ago
>why do they keep finding people to do it? hunger
- unknown_apostle 8y ago
  Actually only 4-8% claim "could not find other employment". Source: see other commenter's reply, he looked it up.

choot 8y ago

It's because some people have low IQ so they are not able to navigate through the meandering job. All they want is a simple job with a well defined task on which they can speed up and later achieve more objective output and not have to please a boss for subjective remark.

Illniyar 8y ago
Actually from what the study says a sizable chunk does this because they prefer work from home or unable to work in an office. Some anecdotes are provided of people with sick parents or young children who for them taking a full time caretaker would be a net loss.
- choot 8y ago
  The reason they give is based on self evaluation. People are particularly bad at self evaluation. Keep in mind, most people don't know what their IQ is. And most don't consider themselves to posses less intelligence as they don't know what more intelligence feels like. See this video for relationship between job expectation and IQ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjs2gPa5sD0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjs2gPa5sD0
afuchs 8y ago
From my casual observation, someone's IQ and intelligence doesn't seem to be a dominant factor beyond the point where it is considered a disability. People with a level of intelligence that is measurably above average can still have difficulty finding and retaining jobs. There is a large group of people who can be expected to take whatever jobs they can find, out of necessity, regardless of their skills and aptitudes.
Latteland 8y ago
That comment is unfair, untrue, and like a statement from "1984" to justify removing health insurance and food stamps. "Those people are happy to have a simple, subsistence job, they don't need more."

Illniyar 8y ago

In regards to mechanical turk, the linked study[0] has some answers for you: For AMT US (roughly since they don't give out exact numbers): 8% - could not find other employment 10% -can only work from home 23% - prefer to work from home 1% - pay is better then other available jobs 43% - to complement pay from other jobs 4% - to ear money while going to school 3% - as a form of leisure 7% - enjoy it For AMT india (roughly since they don't give out exact numbers): 4% - could not find other employment 12% -can only work from home 24% - prefer to work from home 8% - pay is better then other available jobs 25% - to complement pay from other jobs 5% - to ear money while going to school 2% - as a form of leisure 14% - enjoy it [0] - http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_645337.pdf http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcom...

NeedMoreTea 8y ago

Well in the case of the UK, in response to the model some of the well known new entrants use, just about every delivery company now forces their drivers to be self employed, zero hours. There have been countless reports of extreme abuses by companies. What used to be a quite rare mode of employment that just a few chose, has become endemic, and seems like it's become near the default for the lowest paid fifth of our economy. That growth has been entirely in the last 15 years. They do it because the choice has become that or unemployment. Unemployment that will probably sanction them for not accepting a zero hour contract, or a self-employed driving or labouring job.

billyggruff 8y ago

Too much opacity in these markets, from the worker's side.

eeZah7Ux 8y ago

> For the last 10 years, "if it gets bad enough, there will be a bail out" has become standard investment wisdom. Plenty of private companies receive public funding disguised as defense costs and the output of their research goes to private investors. The transistor, GPS, Arpanet, etc ... > Socialism for those who own, free markets for those who don't. I get the point but the sentence is an oxymoron.

goliatone 8y ago
An oxymoron that seems to depict very well what the OP sees as the current state of affairs. You might not agree with the assessment, different matter
- eeZah7Ux 8y ago
  No, I don't disagree with the analysis. I'm referring to the literal use of the term: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialism https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialism "any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods " I understand what the parent is trying to say and I agree with it, but "socialism only for the rich" is literally not socialism.

s73v3r_ 8y ago

"I know it pays little and is repetitive. But my question with this kind of analysis is always: why do they keep finding people to do it?" Why do you keep finding people to go into prostitution?

unknown_apostle 8y ago
Forced prostitution and trafficking aside, I think quite literally because some people want to.

shodan666 8y ago

>why do they keep finding people to do it? hunger

unknown_apostle 8y ago
Actually only 4-8% claim "could not find other employment". Source: see other commenter's reply, he looked it up.