6 ms·

Umarell

161 points by paganel 5y ago

cs702 5y ago
According to the OP, an umarell is someone who watches others doing work and offers unwanted advice. I suspect there are quite a few umarells on HN ;-)
adeltoso 5y ago
I'm left wondering, why is this here? Why was it translated in English, even.
- Borrible 5y ago
  To attract lurker. If you're lucky it elicites even some self-referential Statler and Waldorf comments. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statler_and_Waldorf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statler_and_Waldorf
- westoncb 5y ago
  I think because it's a consistent pattern, so its causes may reveal something interesting about human nature or society.
- aledalgrande 5y ago
  because it's hilarious
- klyrs 5y ago
  Not the first time that I've looked for an article about Italian culture, and there's articles in multiple languages but not Italian. I think that umarells are an interesting phenomenon. They sound like they were annoying construction workers (bikeshedding) but rather than treat them as a nuisance (loitering->fines or jail), a purpose was found: they get paid an honorarium for "jobs" most of us would find eyewateringly boring but provide value for the construction companies.
  - ruggi 5y ago
    Well, they don't annoy workers, not that much. They may exchange some word, probably opinions on what's the best way to do the job, but they are mostly quiet and observing.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- sasaf5 5y ago
  Because often software teams have one or two Umarells among the members.
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    It isn't rare to have teams consist exclusively of Umarells. Usually this is the result of evaporative cooling.
- tra3 5y ago
  This explains why YouTube channels like Andrew Camarata's [0] have a million plus subs. Something about watching people work is fascinating. [0] https://www.youtube.com/c/AndrewCamarata/featured https://www.youtube.com/c/AndrewCamarata/featured
  - sweuder 5y ago
    Andrew does a special kind of work to be fair. For the curious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4De2tMjPRCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4De2tMjPRCE
    - tra3 5y ago
      I'd argue that this is an exception not the rule. Normally he's very practical and pragmatic. I aspire to be like him.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
snvzz 5y ago
I find the concept amazing. Personally, I stay away from construction sites. Besides dangerous, they're loud and dusty.
slig 5y ago
Seinfeld did this bit back in the 90's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbPqWI90maA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbPqWI90maA
chewyshine 5y ago
Old school youtube...like letsdig18 and dirt perfect
- wrycoder 5y ago
  https://www.youtube.com/user/torbjornahman https://www.youtube.com/user/torbjornahman
DoreenMichele 5y ago
In 2015, the city of Riccione, approximately 130 kilometres (80 miles) southeast of Bologna, allocated an €11,000 budget to pay a wage to umarells to oversee worksites in the city – counting the number of trucks in and out to ensure materials were delivered/removed according to the receipts, and guarding against theft when the site was otherwise unattended. This is brilliant. We should do more stuff like this -- acknowledge that it adds value, slip the person a few bucks.
- gota 5y ago
  Not to mention involving older people in active duties is great for their mental health.
  - rajnathani 5y ago
    True (I upvoted). The downside though in terms of being near a construction site is that particulate matter [0][1] (and even road based noise pollution [2]), is linked with cognitive decline. [0] https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-11-forest-cars-power-factors-alzheimer.html https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-11-forest-cars-power-fac... [1] https://www.studyfinds.org/young-people-brains-air-pollution-alzheimers-parkinsons-als/ https://www.studyfinds.org/young-people-brains-air-pollution... [2] https://www.studyfinds.org/busy-roads-alzheimers-risk/ https://www.studyfinds.org/busy-roads-alzheimers-risk/
eric4smith 5y ago
Not surprising. If you're a guy, you're gonna be watching people doing work or creating things. If you're a gal, you're gonna be watching more relationship/people oriented content. All over the world, men are fascinated with these kinds of activities. I've seen men being fascinated by these things in every country and continent I've ever been on. I guess in Riccione, its more of a tradition to stand a look every day. I'm a programmer, but I'm watching videos about Construction, road painting, lawn care, truck driving, metalwork and CNC, factories, farming -- yeah, some relationship stuff too. But in general, that's the differences in genders when it comes to this stuff. No one should be surprised.
- zwaps 5y ago
  You know, you are probably right statistically, although the true coefficient is biased (maybe in either direction) due to selection effects and societal endogeneity. However, I always wonder, when people say things like "if you are a guy, if you are a gal" with such force and authority... what about the outliers, and what about the overlaps of these distributions? I know a gal who loves nothing more than analyzing ongoing construction sites. I certainly know several who love to watch programming videos. Wonder how that feels, when someone brings all the biotruths at ya, and you happen to sit at that point in the preference distribution where looking at technical going-ons is actually what you enjoy. Like, how large is the percentage of people who literally have never met any woman who is genuinely interested in technical things, and feel totally comfortable making such absolute statements? Must be some good percentage, at least.
  - mahathu 5y ago
    thank you!!
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - eric4smith 5y ago
    "I'm probably right statistically" - Please, let us try to accept the world as it is. Not as we would like it to be.
marcodiego 5y ago
Actually watching construction in Italy may seem very interesting. Where else in the world can you watch buildings from 300 A.D. close to classical and gothic architecture combined with modern engineering techniques?
- CRConrad 5y ago
  Greece, France, Spain? Even some places in Germany, I think.
indifferentalex 5y ago
You can also buy a 3d printed desktop Umarell here: https://www.superstuff.it/prodotto/umarell/?lang=en https://www.superstuff.it/prodotto/umarell/?lang=en Fun!
ReDeiPirati 5y ago
haha, it's crazy to see this on HN!! we really are in the best timeline.
mclightning 5y ago
We have the same thing in Turkey, although without an exclusive name or word for it. I guess similar mediterranean cultures, perception of elderly etc. and many other factors create this phenomena. But yeah, no idea why this has popped up on HN :D
andreacavagna 5y ago
The best part is to buy one of them that look at you building your code everyday: https://www.amazon.it/Superstuff-Umarell-Arancione/dp/B07TWHNRP6 https://www.amazon.it/Superstuff-Umarell-Arancione/dp/B07TWH...
Xenoamorphous 5y ago
So this is a global phenomenon? It's definitely a thing in my country.
- ruggi 5y ago
  Where are you from ?
AutumnCurtain 5y ago
This is also how my two year old likes to spend his time. What a charming idea, and how wonderful to see them embrace it in a productive way.
ucarion 5y ago
There's a great Seinfeld cold open about the magnetism men feel toward construction work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP8vExQYxus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP8vExQYxus
mikewarot 5y ago
Who wouldn't want to watch construction? It's the same drive that has me watch hours of machine shop videos, or other how it's made stuff. If it wasn't dangerous, and there were a machine shop with a picture window, I bet those same men would go watch the machinists when the weather was poor. Or the baker, candlestick maker, etc.

161 points by paganel 5y ago

According to the OP, an umarell is someone who watches others doing work and offers unwanted advice. I suspect there are quite a few umarells on HN ;-)

adeltoso 5y ago

I'm left wondering, why is this here? Why was it translated in English, even.

Borrible 5y ago
To attract lurker. If you're lucky it elicites even some self-referential Statler and Waldorf comments. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statler_and_Waldorf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statler_and_Waldorf
westoncb 5y ago
I think because it's a consistent pattern, so its causes may reveal something interesting about human nature or society.
aledalgrande 5y ago
because it's hilarious
klyrs 5y ago
Not the first time that I've looked for an article about Italian culture, and there's articles in multiple languages but not Italian. I think that umarells are an interesting phenomenon. They sound like they were annoying construction workers (bikeshedding) but rather than treat them as a nuisance (loitering->fines or jail), a purpose was found: they get paid an honorarium for "jobs" most of us would find eyewateringly boring but provide value for the construction companies.
- ruggi 5y ago
  Well, they don't annoy workers, not that much. They may exchange some word, probably opinions on what's the best way to do the job, but they are mostly quiet and observing.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
sasaf5 5y ago
Because often software teams have one or two Umarells among the members.
- jacquesm 5y ago
  It isn't rare to have teams consist exclusively of Umarells. Usually this is the result of evaporative cooling.
tra3 5y ago
This explains why YouTube channels like Andrew Camarata's [0] have a million plus subs. Something about watching people work is fascinating. [0] https://www.youtube.com/c/AndrewCamarata/featured https://www.youtube.com/c/AndrewCamarata/featured
- sweuder 5y ago
  Andrew does a special kind of work to be fair. For the curious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4De2tMjPRCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4De2tMjPRCE
  - tra3 5y ago
    I'd argue that this is an exception not the rule. Normally he's very practical and pragmatic. I aspire to be like him.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

snvzz 5y ago

I find the concept amazing. Personally, I stay away from construction sites. Besides dangerous, they're loud and dusty.

slig 5y ago

Seinfeld did this bit back in the 90's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbPqWI90maA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbPqWI90maA

chewyshine 5y ago

Old school youtube...like letsdig18 and dirt perfect

wrycoder 5y ago
https://www.youtube.com/user/torbjornahman https://www.youtube.com/user/torbjornahman

DoreenMichele 5y ago

In 2015, the city of Riccione, approximately 130 kilometres (80 miles) southeast of Bologna, allocated an €11,000 budget to pay a wage to umarells to oversee worksites in the city – counting the number of trucks in and out to ensure materials were delivered/removed according to the receipts, and guarding against theft when the site was otherwise unattended. This is brilliant. We should do more stuff like this -- acknowledge that it adds value, slip the person a few bucks.

gota 5y ago
Not to mention involving older people in active duties is great for their mental health.
- rajnathani 5y ago
  True (I upvoted). The downside though in terms of being near a construction site is that particulate matter [0][1] (and even road based noise pollution [2]), is linked with cognitive decline. [0] https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-11-forest-cars-power-factors-alzheimer.html https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-11-forest-cars-power-fac... [1] https://www.studyfinds.org/young-people-brains-air-pollution-alzheimers-parkinsons-als/ https://www.studyfinds.org/young-people-brains-air-pollution... [2] https://www.studyfinds.org/busy-roads-alzheimers-risk/ https://www.studyfinds.org/busy-roads-alzheimers-risk/

eric4smith 5y ago

Not surprising. If you're a guy, you're gonna be watching people doing work or creating things. If you're a gal, you're gonna be watching more relationship/people oriented content. All over the world, men are fascinated with these kinds of activities. I've seen men being fascinated by these things in every country and continent I've ever been on. I guess in Riccione, its more of a tradition to stand a look every day. I'm a programmer, but I'm watching videos about Construction, road painting, lawn care, truck driving, metalwork and CNC, factories, farming -- yeah, some relationship stuff too. But in general, that's the differences in genders when it comes to this stuff. No one should be surprised.

zwaps 5y ago
You know, you are probably right statistically, although the true coefficient is biased (maybe in either direction) due to selection effects and societal endogeneity. However, I always wonder, when people say things like "if you are a guy, if you are a gal" with such force and authority... what about the outliers, and what about the overlaps of these distributions? I know a gal who loves nothing more than analyzing ongoing construction sites. I certainly know several who love to watch programming videos. Wonder how that feels, when someone brings all the biotruths at ya, and you happen to sit at that point in the preference distribution where looking at technical going-ons is actually what you enjoy. Like, how large is the percentage of people who literally have never met any woman who is genuinely interested in technical things, and feel totally comfortable making such absolute statements? Must be some good percentage, at least.
- mahathu 5y ago
  thank you!!
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- eric4smith 5y ago
  "I'm probably right statistically" - Please, let us try to accept the world as it is. Not as we would like it to be.

marcodiego 5y ago

Actually watching construction in Italy may seem very interesting. Where else in the world can you watch buildings from 300 A.D. close to classical and gothic architecture combined with modern engineering techniques?

CRConrad 5y ago
Greece, France, Spain? Even some places in Germany, I think.

indifferentalex 5y ago

You can also buy a 3d printed desktop Umarell here: https://www.superstuff.it/prodotto/umarell/?lang=en https://www.superstuff.it/prodotto/umarell/?lang=en Fun!

ReDeiPirati 5y ago

haha, it's crazy to see this on HN!! we really are in the best timeline.

mclightning 5y ago

We have the same thing in Turkey, although without an exclusive name or word for it. I guess similar mediterranean cultures, perception of elderly etc. and many other factors create this phenomena. But yeah, no idea why this has popped up on HN :D

andreacavagna 5y ago

The best part is to buy one of them that look at you building your code everyday: https://www.amazon.it/Superstuff-Umarell-Arancione/dp/B07TWHNRP6 https://www.amazon.it/Superstuff-Umarell-Arancione/dp/B07TWH...

Xenoamorphous 5y ago

So this is a global phenomenon? It's definitely a thing in my country.

ruggi 5y ago
Where are you from ?

AutumnCurtain 5y ago

This is also how my two year old likes to spend his time. What a charming idea, and how wonderful to see them embrace it in a productive way.

ucarion 5y ago

There's a great Seinfeld cold open about the magnetism men feel toward construction work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP8vExQYxus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP8vExQYxus

mikewarot 5y ago

Who wouldn't want to watch construction? It's the same drive that has me watch hours of machine shop videos, or other how it's made stuff. If it wasn't dangerous, and there were a machine shop with a picture window, I bet those same men would go watch the machinists when the weather was poor. Or the baker, candlestick maker, etc.