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The world has gotten too good too fast in many places. Hugh sectors of the "economy" are effectively scams and fake jobs to the point it is near the norm rathe

The world has gotten too good too fast in many places. Hugh sectors of the "economy" are effectively scams and fake jobs to the point it is near the norm rather than exception. Kids grown into adults now have seen it their whole lives, they have been ripped off themselves repeatedly. Millions have donated to charities that were supposedly reputable for years to later find out they were stealing or using the money for their own benifit. Why would they not think of getting in on a scam for their own benefit for once. I don't blame the victims. They did however join a game with their earned money with intent to make more. Its not like they chose to fund cancer research or something beneficial. I don't feel too bad for the victims in this case, more just that I really despise the way society seem to be irreversibly headed.

themagician 4y ago
I feel this so acutely and I often wonder how other people don’t see this and it makes me want to scream. Almost everything new is some form of scam or scheme. Particular on social media (IG, TikTok, etc.) almost ever ad or sponsored post is a scam. I can imagine that growing up right now you must assume this is normal and just the way it is.
- astrange 4y ago
  None of mine are. Though IG does keep trying to sell me Viagra.
codegeek 4y ago
"I don't blame the victims" I don't blame the victims as much as the scammers but I surely do put some blame on people too because Greed and/or desperation drives them to do things which are too good to be true. Most of us know better but still do it hoping it would pan out. There is no grift without grifters but there is no grift without gullible people as well. If you are giving some stranger money so that you can double it in a year without really understanding why, you should be blamed. My 2 cents.
- lordnacho 4y ago
  Here's a story from when I first started trading. Back in those days brokers would fill up slow days with what they call good old cockney banter, shouted down the squawk box. Lots of BS and old fashioned attitudes, but they'd also spice it up with horse tips. This horse looks good for that race according to the stable boy, that kind of thing. Every damn time the rumour would be wrong and everyone would lose a bunch of money. So one day my boss decides to rebel. "Not losing another hundred quid to this BS, all you assholes can lose yours!". Fate being what it is, the horse comes in. 30x. People are going nuts, one after another showing up at our desk to look at the idiot who didn't bet. And this is how everyone who has sense still ends up doing things that aren't sensible.
  - lmm 4y ago
    Reminiscent of Keynes' definition of a sound banker.
djmips 4y ago
What is one of the fake jobs you mentioned?
- citizenpaul 4y ago
  BS Jobs is the official term. From a tech perspective though there are plenty of people even on HN that will freely admit they probably do less than 10hrs of work in a week. There is also adversarial hiring in tech where you hire highly educated people and make/find work so your competitors don't hire them. flunkies who serve to make their superiors feel important, e.g., receptionists, administrative assistants, door attendants, store greeters goons who act to harm or deceive others on behalf of their employer, or to prevent other goons from doing so, e.g., lobbyists, corporate lawyers, telemarketers, public relations specialists, community managers; duct tapers who temporarily fix problems that could be fixed permanently, e.g., programmers repairing bloated code, airline desk staff box tickers who create the appearance that something useful is being done when it is not, e.g., survey administrators, in-house magazine journalists, corporate compliance officers, quality service managers; taskmasters who create extra work for those who do not need it, e.g., middle management, leadership professionals

themagician 4y ago

I feel this so acutely and I often wonder how other people don’t see this and it makes me want to scream. Almost everything new is some form of scam or scheme. Particular on social media (IG, TikTok, etc.) almost ever ad or sponsored post is a scam. I can imagine that growing up right now you must assume this is normal and just the way it is.

astrange 4y ago
None of mine are. Though IG does keep trying to sell me Viagra.

codegeek 4y ago

"I don't blame the victims" I don't blame the victims as much as the scammers but I surely do put some blame on people too because Greed and/or desperation drives them to do things which are too good to be true. Most of us know better but still do it hoping it would pan out. There is no grift without grifters but there is no grift without gullible people as well. If you are giving some stranger money so that you can double it in a year without really understanding why, you should be blamed. My 2 cents.

lordnacho 4y ago
Here's a story from when I first started trading. Back in those days brokers would fill up slow days with what they call good old cockney banter, shouted down the squawk box. Lots of BS and old fashioned attitudes, but they'd also spice it up with horse tips. This horse looks good for that race according to the stable boy, that kind of thing. Every damn time the rumour would be wrong and everyone would lose a bunch of money. So one day my boss decides to rebel. "Not losing another hundred quid to this BS, all you assholes can lose yours!". Fate being what it is, the horse comes in. 30x. People are going nuts, one after another showing up at our desk to look at the idiot who didn't bet. And this is how everyone who has sense still ends up doing things that aren't sensible.
- lmm 4y ago
  Reminiscent of Keynes' definition of a sound banker.

djmips 4y ago

What is one of the fake jobs you mentioned?

citizenpaul 4y ago
BS Jobs is the official term. From a tech perspective though there are plenty of people even on HN that will freely admit they probably do less than 10hrs of work in a week. There is also adversarial hiring in tech where you hire highly educated people and make/find work so your competitors don't hire them. flunkies who serve to make their superiors feel important, e.g., receptionists, administrative assistants, door attendants, store greeters goons who act to harm or deceive others on behalf of their employer, or to prevent other goons from doing so, e.g., lobbyists, corporate lawyers, telemarketers, public relations specialists, community managers; duct tapers who temporarily fix problems that could be fixed permanently, e.g., programmers repairing bloated code, airline desk staff box tickers who create the appearance that something useful is being done when it is not, e.g., survey administrators, in-house magazine journalists, corporate compliance officers, quality service managers; taskmasters who create extra work for those who do not need it, e.g., middle management, leadership professionals