4 ms·

> * Many hourly jobs love to schedule people at seemingly random times, so they'll never know from one week to the next what times they'll have free and can't m

> * Many hourly jobs love to schedule people at seemingly random times, so they'll never know from one week to the next what times they'll have free and can't make commitments outside of work.* A number of years ago I heard Reid Hoffmann on a podcast discussing how algorithms would replace management. How could technology replace the human demands of management? I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Now I see that this type of thing is what Hoffman meant. The human aspect would be removed. A faceless, nameless algorithm would take over. Scheduling some of the most vulnerable workers in our society to ensure they don’t cross over the 40-hour per week threshold for work that would require benefits or overtime but also to ensure they don’t get paid to work an extra minute when there may be a bit of downtime.

gavanm 5y ago
There's a book that takes this general idea in a direction. It's definitely intended as a commentary on society and the future, but you might enjoy reading it. https://marshallbrain.com/manna1 https://marshallbrain.com/manna1
- heymijo 5y ago
  Thanks for sharing that gavanm. Skimming it shows that others have thought about this much more than me. I look forward to reading it.
  - I-M-S 5y ago
    If you want to see a more optimistic (?) implementation of this idea in fiction, you might be interested in my podcast The Program audio series.
- mastersummoner 5y ago
  I read this a year or so ago. I remember finding the vision of the Utopian future absolutely fascinating, but I always find the sort of dystopia he described happening before that unrealistic. For me at least, it's hard to imagine there not being enormous pushback before society could get nearly that bad. I'm definitely a bit of a utopianist, but in my mind the power of consumers versus profit driven business people always is cyclical. I find it much more likely that the technology to autonomously create houses, grow and harvest food, and generally automate a sane, healthy life for a person will advance significantly, and some philanthropist trillionaire will buy up vast swathes of currently uninhabited land and turn it into a utopia.
MeinBlutIstBlau 5y ago
Algorithms will never replace middle management. I don't care how much code is thrown at it. Part of management is having faith in your leadership. If your leader is the CEO and all Caps and no in-between, it'd be utter chaos between departments. Expecting code to help out for a payroll issue that is clearly wrong but the HR algorithm thinks is right will not only incur legal liabilities, but no confidence in employees. People sometimes stay because they like their coworkers and have a good boss. Lead people with basically skynet and suddenly faith in the system plummets unless it's flawless from the start.
- Clubber 5y ago
  >Algorithms will never replace middle management. Believe me, if ownership thinks it can work "good enough," they will certainly try until it is. It won't be a robot like you think. Think Uber; an algorithm manages the drivers, they just aren't technically employees. Think Comcast technicians. They drive around all day and a computer tells them their next job and even how to get there. >Lead people with basically skynet and suddenly faith in the system plummets unless it's flawless from the start. What faith in the system are you referring to?

gavanm 5y ago

There's a book that takes this general idea in a direction. It's definitely intended as a commentary on society and the future, but you might enjoy reading it. https://marshallbrain.com/manna1 https://marshallbrain.com/manna1

heymijo 5y ago
Thanks for sharing that gavanm. Skimming it shows that others have thought about this much more than me. I look forward to reading it.
- I-M-S 5y ago
  If you want to see a more optimistic (?) implementation of this idea in fiction, you might be interested in my podcast The Program audio series.
mastersummoner 5y ago
I read this a year or so ago. I remember finding the vision of the Utopian future absolutely fascinating, but I always find the sort of dystopia he described happening before that unrealistic. For me at least, it's hard to imagine there not being enormous pushback before society could get nearly that bad. I'm definitely a bit of a utopianist, but in my mind the power of consumers versus profit driven business people always is cyclical. I find it much more likely that the technology to autonomously create houses, grow and harvest food, and generally automate a sane, healthy life for a person will advance significantly, and some philanthropist trillionaire will buy up vast swathes of currently uninhabited land and turn it into a utopia.

MeinBlutIstBlau 5y ago

Algorithms will never replace middle management. I don't care how much code is thrown at it. Part of management is having faith in your leadership. If your leader is the CEO and all Caps and no in-between, it'd be utter chaos between departments. Expecting code to help out for a payroll issue that is clearly wrong but the HR algorithm thinks is right will not only incur legal liabilities, but no confidence in employees. People sometimes stay because they like their coworkers and have a good boss. Lead people with basically skynet and suddenly faith in the system plummets unless it's flawless from the start.

Clubber 5y ago
>Algorithms will never replace middle management. Believe me, if ownership thinks it can work "good enough," they will certainly try until it is. It won't be a robot like you think. Think Uber; an algorithm manages the drivers, they just aren't technically employees. Think Comcast technicians. They drive around all day and a computer tells them their next job and even how to get there. >Lead people with basically skynet and suddenly faith in the system plummets unless it's flawless from the start. What faith in the system are you referring to?