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Why do people on HN constantly claim that companies are right to consider “a false negative is better than a false positive”, act like insane interview gauntlet

Why do people on HN constantly claim that companies are right to consider “a false negative is better than a false positive”, act like insane interview gauntlets are normal and desired, AND claim that people can easily change jobs? It’s not true. I live in the SF Bay Area, have worked as a SWE for 10+ years including at top companies like Google, and changing jobs is NOT easy and I’m sick of the implication it is. There are also a LOT of younger kids on HN who have never worked through a recession. Finally, just because you make an ok salary doesn’t mean a political voice is worthless. Why do doctors have the AMA? Engineers desperately need to stop boxing themselves out of the discussions, we absolutely need to organize, badly.

qzx_pierri 7y ago
You sound spoiled, but go off
- jschwartzi 7y ago
  I graduated 11 years ago when they were firing teachers because the school districts were going bankrupt. I had to take a job clerking in a warehouse to make ends meet. That was a lesson that all my prospects could go sour in a matter of a couple of months. So please tell me how I had an easy time because I'm an engineer now.
- wbronitsky 7y ago
  I'm always amazed that when people ask for dignity, respect and the ability to have agency in their own life, other people feel the need to put those people down, call them "spoiled" and assert that life is just fine for everyone, thank you. What I usually can't figure out is "why". Do you own a company? Are you part of management? Do you think that life should stay as it is and not get better for everyone? Genuinely curious.
- dang 7y ago
  Personal attacks will get you banned here. If you'd please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and take the spirit of this site more to heart, we'd be grateful.
  - qzx_pierri 7y ago
    sorry, I wasn't thinking. I won't do it again.
crmrc114 7y ago
Having family who worked with the UAW as well is IBEW I can tell you that Trade Unions in general are much better at 'holding a standard' and truly keeping their trade-craft respectable. However the UAW, the most worthless crap joke of a union that makes other unions look bad. Basically just protects people who show up to work drunk or drive forklifts into walls. Forces companies to do insane things to fire people who do nothing but drag down the common output of a factory. Be careful what you wish for and who you choose to put in control a good union can be a blessing... a bad union can be a millstone around your neck that ends up just being owned and, in the case of the UAW, is just a puppet for whatever company they serve. I will say that when with Amazon I talked to some of my peers in Germany and I was fascinated with the labor protections that were provided to staff over there vs. the USA. They have some kind of thing, like a "labor council" or something. This group had to be consulted before lots of things could be done. In this case I think that it kept the Amazon buildings across the pond much happier than the ones in the USA. (Obviously this is simply my opinion) I am on the fence, I was raised in a blue collar union family- even went to a little UAW brainwashing camp as a kid (Black Lake anyone?). My family members in IBEW have shown me that there are some very dedicated unions that do very good things and keep a trade from turning into a free market shitshow where everything becomes lowest bidder. If a union exists to truly protect staff AS WELL AS uphold high standards I think it will survive. When its just US V. Them...gimme` free crap, you are asking to be burned to the ground by competition.
- deleted 7y ago
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- deleted 7y ago
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- frandroid 7y ago
  That's the thing with Germany, they have a management-labour relations regime that is collaborative rather than combative... Management has accepted that they can improve their productivity if they work with their labour unions rather than against them. Employees get treated better and management gets good productivity out of their workers. Everyone wins. I wonder what it would take to introduce this model to North American companies without state coercion...
bitwize 7y ago
> Why do people on HN constantly claim that companies are right to consider “a false negative is better than a false positive”, act like insane interview gauntlets are normal and desired, AND claim that people can easily change jobs? If you were fired today you could walk into a new job by end of week, if you were any good. At least that's what Hackernews keeps telling me.
- LarryDarrell 7y ago
  Everyone on HN is a Top Performer who is consonantly held back by the mediocrity that surrounds them. Also, the hiring process is broken. Also, older workers have a hard time finding work. Also, I have work 60 hour weeks. Also, I have to be on call all the time even though they said it would only be one weekend a month. Also, it turns out the options I was given were worthless. Also, open floor plans are detrimental to my health. Techworkers have absolutely 0 issues that could be solved by any organizing!
AnimalMuppet 7y ago
Make your case. Why do we desperately need to organize?

qzx_pierri 7y ago

You sound spoiled, but go off

jschwartzi 7y ago
I graduated 11 years ago when they were firing teachers because the school districts were going bankrupt. I had to take a job clerking in a warehouse to make ends meet. That was a lesson that all my prospects could go sour in a matter of a couple of months. So please tell me how I had an easy time because I'm an engineer now.
wbronitsky 7y ago
I'm always amazed that when people ask for dignity, respect and the ability to have agency in their own life, other people feel the need to put those people down, call them "spoiled" and assert that life is just fine for everyone, thank you. What I usually can't figure out is "why". Do you own a company? Are you part of management? Do you think that life should stay as it is and not get better for everyone? Genuinely curious.
dang 7y ago
Personal attacks will get you banned here. If you'd please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and take the spirit of this site more to heart, we'd be grateful.
- qzx_pierri 7y ago
  sorry, I wasn't thinking. I won't do it again.

crmrc114 7y ago

Having family who worked with the UAW as well is IBEW I can tell you that Trade Unions in general are much better at 'holding a standard' and truly keeping their trade-craft respectable. However the UAW, the most worthless crap joke of a union that makes other unions look bad. Basically just protects people who show up to work drunk or drive forklifts into walls. Forces companies to do insane things to fire people who do nothing but drag down the common output of a factory. Be careful what you wish for and who you choose to put in control a good union can be a blessing... a bad union can be a millstone around your neck that ends up just being owned and, in the case of the UAW, is just a puppet for whatever company they serve. I will say that when with Amazon I talked to some of my peers in Germany and I was fascinated with the labor protections that were provided to staff over there vs. the USA. They have some kind of thing, like a "labor council" or something. This group had to be consulted before lots of things could be done. In this case I think that it kept the Amazon buildings across the pond much happier than the ones in the USA. (Obviously this is simply my opinion) I am on the fence, I was raised in a blue collar union family- even went to a little UAW brainwashing camp as a kid (Black Lake anyone?). My family members in IBEW have shown me that there are some very dedicated unions that do very good things and keep a trade from turning into a free market shitshow where everything becomes lowest bidder. If a union exists to truly protect staff AS WELL AS uphold high standards I think it will survive. When its just US V. Them...gimme` free crap, you are asking to be burned to the ground by competition.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
frandroid 7y ago
That's the thing with Germany, they have a management-labour relations regime that is collaborative rather than combative... Management has accepted that they can improve their productivity if they work with their labour unions rather than against them. Employees get treated better and management gets good productivity out of their workers. Everyone wins. I wonder what it would take to introduce this model to North American companies without state coercion...

bitwize 7y ago

> Why do people on HN constantly claim that companies are right to consider “a false negative is better than a false positive”, act like insane interview gauntlets are normal and desired, AND claim that people can easily change jobs? If you were fired today you could walk into a new job by end of week, if you were any good. At least that's what Hackernews keeps telling me.

LarryDarrell 7y ago
Everyone on HN is a Top Performer who is consonantly held back by the mediocrity that surrounds them. Also, the hiring process is broken. Also, older workers have a hard time finding work. Also, I have work 60 hour weeks. Also, I have to be on call all the time even though they said it would only be one weekend a month. Also, it turns out the options I was given were worthless. Also, open floor plans are detrimental to my health. Techworkers have absolutely 0 issues that could be solved by any organizing!

AnimalMuppet 7y ago

Make your case. Why do we desperately need to organize?