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For what it's worth, I also wondered if this was a reaction to tech companies going fully remote and canceling their office lease. Especially because we just ha

For what it's worth, I also wondered if this was a reaction to tech companies going fully remote and canceling their office lease. Especially because we just had another article about how remote work is hurting small businesses 2 days ago, which started with the incredibly flawed assumption that people would stop going to local restaurants if they didn't accidentally walk past them on the way home from the office. And yes, offices are big business. And yes, they'll surely try lobbying and PR. Plus, the Atlantic has a history of "native advertising" https://www.adweek.com/digital/after-scientology-debacle-atlantic-tightens-native-ad-guidelines-146890/ https://www.adweek.com/digital/after-scientology-debacle-atl... I'd give it a 50% chance that this das paid for by real estate and a 50% chance that the author just wants to virtue signal by mixing in these seemingly less related topics.

bobthepanda 6y ago
I mean, small businesses will be getting tanked, but mostly in office districts with very high lunch foot traffic; the assumption of the increased lunch custom is kind of baked into rents and the business model, and commercial leases are measured in years.
- fxtentacle 6y ago
  The way you said it, it seems like small businesses are being screwed over by real estate companies. That's a different cause than people not going to the office.
  - bobthepanda 6y ago
    Really any restaurant model based on high, peaky lunch traffic is just going to get hosed. So I would imagine that in the worst case scenario, some food models, like the lunch truck, the NYC hot dog cart or the NYC deli, are going to have some severe issues generating enough cash even just to play their employees, since they are low-margin, high-volume businesses. At current volumes they will never make enough money to cover even non-rent costs at <$5 a sandwich.
    - srtjstjsj 6y ago
      I thought the hot dog carts were financed by the tourism board to make NYC look interesting on TV and movies. Do they have customers?
      - smabie 6y ago
        I like them. Also the $1 pizza places. Good shit
frompdx 6y ago
In this case I suppose I'll give The Atlantic the benefit of the doubt because they do clearly spell out their advertising and paid content guidelines in this document (pdf warning). http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/front/docs/ads/TheAtlanticAdvertisingGuidelines.pdf http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/front/docs/ads/TheAtlantic... They also make an effort to distinguish paid content from their editorial content like this article from College Board. https://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/the-college-board-2017/when-grades-dont-show-the-whole-picture/1479/#:~:text=Building%20on%20a%20study%20from,slight%20decline%20in%20SAT%20scores https://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/the-college-board-2017.... Nonetheless, I'm skeptical of the proliferation of these articles in general. On the one hand, it's the talk of the whole world. On the other, what are the motives of the individuals and publications producing this content? Are they perhaps victims themselves of a subtle PR campaign? Others have said I am being too skeptical and making assumptions. I don't disagree, yet I remain skeptical.
- necubi 6y ago
  Clearly you are someone who strongly believes in the superiority of remote work, but is it really that hard to believe that there are people who disagree? I'm a software engineer with no connection to the commercial real-estate industry, and I'm pretty sure I haven't been a "victim of a subtle PR campaign." And yet I find remote work alienating and psychologically difficult, and I'm eager for a return to the office. In addition to just...not enjoying remote work, I agree with the author that it would have been especially hard to be remote when I was younger. I would have missed out on a number of opportunities and connections that have been very helpful to my career.
  - frompdx 6y ago
    Clearly you are someone who strongly believes in the superiority of remote work For myself. I strongly believe remote work is a net gain for me and others like me. I appreciate that others do not feel the same way, but when the dust settles I stand to lose if I am the odd man out, no? I strongly believe that the sentiment conveyed in this article will be used as ammunition to drag those of us that prefer remote work back to the office. I'd prefer articles like this to find a balance that allows everyone to have their preference, but they seem to grapple for downsides that don't apply to everyone.

bobthepanda 6y ago

I mean, small businesses will be getting tanked, but mostly in office districts with very high lunch foot traffic; the assumption of the increased lunch custom is kind of baked into rents and the business model, and commercial leases are measured in years.

fxtentacle 6y ago
The way you said it, it seems like small businesses are being screwed over by real estate companies. That's a different cause than people not going to the office.
- bobthepanda 6y ago
  Really any restaurant model based on high, peaky lunch traffic is just going to get hosed. So I would imagine that in the worst case scenario, some food models, like the lunch truck, the NYC hot dog cart or the NYC deli, are going to have some severe issues generating enough cash even just to play their employees, since they are low-margin, high-volume businesses. At current volumes they will never make enough money to cover even non-rent costs at <$5 a sandwich.
  - srtjstjsj 6y ago
    I thought the hot dog carts were financed by the tourism board to make NYC look interesting on TV and movies. Do they have customers?
    - smabie 6y ago
      I like them. Also the $1 pizza places. Good shit

frompdx 6y ago

In this case I suppose I'll give The Atlantic the benefit of the doubt because they do clearly spell out their advertising and paid content guidelines in this document (pdf warning). http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/front/docs/ads/TheAtlanticAdvertisingGuidelines.pdf http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/front/docs/ads/TheAtlantic... They also make an effort to distinguish paid content from their editorial content like this article from College Board. https://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/the-college-board-2017/when-grades-dont-show-the-whole-picture/1479/#:~:text=Building%20on%20a%20study%20from,slight%20decline%20in%20SAT%20scores https://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/the-college-board-2017.... Nonetheless, I'm skeptical of the proliferation of these articles in general. On the one hand, it's the talk of the whole world. On the other, what are the motives of the individuals and publications producing this content? Are they perhaps victims themselves of a subtle PR campaign? Others have said I am being too skeptical and making assumptions. I don't disagree, yet I remain skeptical.

necubi 6y ago
Clearly you are someone who strongly believes in the superiority of remote work, but is it really that hard to believe that there are people who disagree? I'm a software engineer with no connection to the commercial real-estate industry, and I'm pretty sure I haven't been a "victim of a subtle PR campaign." And yet I find remote work alienating and psychologically difficult, and I'm eager for a return to the office. In addition to just...not enjoying remote work, I agree with the author that it would have been especially hard to be remote when I was younger. I would have missed out on a number of opportunities and connections that have been very helpful to my career.
- frompdx 6y ago
  Clearly you are someone who strongly believes in the superiority of remote work For myself. I strongly believe remote work is a net gain for me and others like me. I appreciate that others do not feel the same way, but when the dust settles I stand to lose if I am the odd man out, no? I strongly believe that the sentiment conveyed in this article will be used as ammunition to drag those of us that prefer remote work back to the office. I'd prefer articles like this to find a balance that allows everyone to have their preference, but they seem to grapple for downsides that don't apply to everyone.