5 ms·

Why would I want to retire? I am old and most my friends are boring or died after they retired. Sounds like hell on earth. I like working, it is my hobby and li

Why would I want to retire? I am old and most my friends are boring or died after they retired. Sounds like hell on earth. I like working, it is my hobby and life.

Swizec 2y ago
> Why would I want to retire? /../ I like working, it is my hobby and life. So you can work on things because you want to not because you have to. At least that's my plan. Not quite there yet.
- iwontberude 2y ago
  Makers, programmers, hackers always have to work by definition, the question is whether you also want to. That can be done anywhere, it's all a state of mind. Most of the answers to the problems of the world are inside of there.
- TheRealPomax 2y ago
  Note that there are loads of things that you can't keep working on after you retire. If your company had you in a position where you ran really interesting projects, all of those are the company's projects, not yours. You got to work on them because you worked there, and once you retire you can't just keep working on them, you can't even do the same work on your own because your contract made that pretty clear: now you're committing IP theft. So you retire, and by law you're no longer allowed to do the thing you love. It's not a good deal.
  - dleink 2y ago
    The things I love are broader than "IP controlled by my company." I can see that if the thing you love is massive financial institutions or defense contracting or something?
    - bongodongobob 2y ago
      Maybe he's a helicopter mechanic or a million other things you can't just do at home.
      - brewdad 2y ago
        Go buy 40 acres in the desert and live your dream.
        dustyventure 2y ago
        If a very expensive hobby is a lot of work are you working or retired?
        bongodongobob 2y ago
        Unless it comes with a fleet of helicopters to play with, I don't see how that's helpful.
      - dleink 2y ago
        Most of the things I love aren't done at home. I already noted there are passions that can't be performed individually.
    - TheRealPomax 2y ago
      Or, you know, you're a specialist who worked their way into a career at anything that produces hardware. Philips, Samsung, heaven forbid you work for a larger corporation, how many of those people can there possibly be, right?
      - dleink 2y ago
        You have won. Yes, if the thing you love specifically requires the collection of capital then of course, you will have difficulty finding that outside a corporation. I suspect with analysis this is not the case for the majority of folks. Hardware is a funny example though, because I feel it's easier than ever to get some interesting hardware stuff going.
  - Rumudiez 2y ago
    You can be "retired" (don't _need_ to work) and still have a dayjob. My father-in-law does this and works 2 days a week so he doesn't get bored and has a little more spending money, all because he likes his profession but not because he has to work for a living anymore
  - pc86 2y ago
    It's pretty cool that you have such detailed knowledge into everyone's personal circumstances that you know they all have employment contracts and what the details of those contracts are. Most people reading this right now are in the US, and the vast majority of US employees at at-will, which means no contract at all. Even for those with contracts, it's a pretty big leap to get to "IP theft" with anything anyone could reasonably work on in retirement.
    - TheRealPomax 2y ago
      What made you read that comment and go "they're talking about everyone" instead of "oh, yeah, those people also exist, blanket statements don't make sense in this context"?
asveikau 2y ago
This article isn't about retirement; the reference to retirement is the line the scammer is using to hook people. The scammer is telling the mark they will generate lots of money from passive income (from payphone calls), and won't need to work. It is actually an article about Ponzi schemes.
- hinkley 2y ago
  Ponzi schemes are pure financial instruments. If a product is involved it’s called an MLM.
  - asveikau 2y ago
    I'd say that is a bit like splitting hairs, but the article does question the extent to which actual payphones and calls were actually involved..
    - hinkley 2y ago
      Ponzi schemes are illegal. MLMs are legalized Ponzi schemes. The outcomes are similar but one has a veneer of legitimacy that makes it more dangerous for some people.
      - asveikau 2y ago
        It's instructive not to argue the finer points without acknowledging what TFA says about the operators of the scheme breaking the law: > In 2006, Charles Edwards was convicted of 83 counts of wire fraud and sentenced to thirteen years in prison. Then another company: > By 2009, more than a dozen people had been convicted of fraud in relation to Prometheus.
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
      - popcalc 2y ago
        MLMs are pyramid schemes, not ponzis. For example bitcoin is a (somewhat decentralized, but centralized among major mining companies) pyramid scheme while Tether is a Ponzi. Both pyramid schemes and Ponzis are illegal. MLMs are illegal in many places. In the US they were successfully able to lobby their way into carving out a legal niche in the 80s. They are also the reason supplement safety is so loosely regulated in the US.
jabroni_salad 2y ago
Do you already have financial independence? Not being able to understand why retiring would be desirable sounds like an incredibly privileged opinion.
forinti 2y ago
You might not want to retire, but your body (or mind) might have other ideas.
mock-possum 2y ago
I think the deal is when you retire you no longer have to work. You can spend your time doing whatever you want. If you don’t feel like working today, you don’t have to. If something comes up last minute, you can change your mind. If you want to move to something new and more interesting, you can.
- anonzzzies 2y ago
  Well, if that is the definition, then i'm retired for almost 25 years now (I sold my first company at 25). But yeah, I saw retiring more as the people I know who retired in the traditional sense; 'now finally we can travel!' and that turns out to be a rather boring and unfulfilling lifestyle. the old (70+) people that are happy and not dead, all work fulltime in their own companies. From my barkeeper (he is 75) to the owner of a 100m euro/year company that makes roofs who is 90 and goes to the factory every day.
IshKebab 2y ago
Don't humblebrag.

Why would I want to retire? I am old and most my friends are boring or died after they retired. Sounds like hell on earth. I like working, it is my hobby and life.

Swizec 2y ago

> Why would I want to retire? /../ I like working, it is my hobby and life. So you can work on things because you want to not because you have to. At least that's my plan. Not quite there yet.

iwontberude 2y ago
Makers, programmers, hackers always have to work by definition, the question is whether you also want to. That can be done anywhere, it's all a state of mind. Most of the answers to the problems of the world are inside of there.
TheRealPomax 2y ago
Note that there are loads of things that you can't keep working on after you retire. If your company had you in a position where you ran really interesting projects, all of those are the company's projects, not yours. You got to work on them because you worked there, and once you retire you can't just keep working on them, you can't even do the same work on your own because your contract made that pretty clear: now you're committing IP theft. So you retire, and by law you're no longer allowed to do the thing you love. It's not a good deal.
- dleink 2y ago
  The things I love are broader than "IP controlled by my company." I can see that if the thing you love is massive financial institutions or defense contracting or something?
  - bongodongobob 2y ago
    Maybe he's a helicopter mechanic or a million other things you can't just do at home.
    - brewdad 2y ago
      Go buy 40 acres in the desert and live your dream.
      - dustyventure 2y ago
        If a very expensive hobby is a lot of work are you working or retired?
      - bongodongobob 2y ago
        Unless it comes with a fleet of helicopters to play with, I don't see how that's helpful.
    - dleink 2y ago
      Most of the things I love aren't done at home. I already noted there are passions that can't be performed individually.
  - TheRealPomax 2y ago
    Or, you know, you're a specialist who worked their way into a career at anything that produces hardware. Philips, Samsung, heaven forbid you work for a larger corporation, how many of those people can there possibly be, right?
    - dleink 2y ago
      You have won. Yes, if the thing you love specifically requires the collection of capital then of course, you will have difficulty finding that outside a corporation. I suspect with analysis this is not the case for the majority of folks. Hardware is a funny example though, because I feel it's easier than ever to get some interesting hardware stuff going.
- Rumudiez 2y ago
  You can be "retired" (don't _need_ to work) and still have a dayjob. My father-in-law does this and works 2 days a week so he doesn't get bored and has a little more spending money, all because he likes his profession but not because he has to work for a living anymore
- pc86 2y ago
  It's pretty cool that you have such detailed knowledge into everyone's personal circumstances that you know they all have employment contracts and what the details of those contracts are. Most people reading this right now are in the US, and the vast majority of US employees at at-will, which means no contract at all. Even for those with contracts, it's a pretty big leap to get to "IP theft" with anything anyone could reasonably work on in retirement.
  - TheRealPomax 2y ago
    What made you read that comment and go "they're talking about everyone" instead of "oh, yeah, those people also exist, blanket statements don't make sense in this context"?

asveikau 2y ago

This article isn't about retirement; the reference to retirement is the line the scammer is using to hook people. The scammer is telling the mark they will generate lots of money from passive income (from payphone calls), and won't need to work. It is actually an article about Ponzi schemes.

hinkley 2y ago
Ponzi schemes are pure financial instruments. If a product is involved it’s called an MLM.
- asveikau 2y ago
  I'd say that is a bit like splitting hairs, but the article does question the extent to which actual payphones and calls were actually involved..
  - hinkley 2y ago
    Ponzi schemes are illegal. MLMs are legalized Ponzi schemes. The outcomes are similar but one has a veneer of legitimacy that makes it more dangerous for some people.
    - asveikau 2y ago
      It's instructive not to argue the finer points without acknowledging what TFA says about the operators of the scheme breaking the law: > In 2006, Charles Edwards was convicted of 83 counts of wire fraud and sentenced to thirteen years in prison. Then another company: > By 2009, more than a dozen people had been convicted of fraud in relation to Prometheus.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - popcalc 2y ago
      MLMs are pyramid schemes, not ponzis. For example bitcoin is a (somewhat decentralized, but centralized among major mining companies) pyramid scheme while Tether is a Ponzi. Both pyramid schemes and Ponzis are illegal. MLMs are illegal in many places. In the US they were successfully able to lobby their way into carving out a legal niche in the 80s. They are also the reason supplement safety is so loosely regulated in the US.

jabroni_salad 2y ago

Do you already have financial independence? Not being able to understand why retiring would be desirable sounds like an incredibly privileged opinion.

forinti 2y ago

You might not want to retire, but your body (or mind) might have other ideas.

mock-possum 2y ago

I think the deal is when you retire you no longer have to work. You can spend your time doing whatever you want. If you don’t feel like working today, you don’t have to. If something comes up last minute, you can change your mind. If you want to move to something new and more interesting, you can.

anonzzzies 2y ago
Well, if that is the definition, then i'm retired for almost 25 years now (I sold my first company at 25). But yeah, I saw retiring more as the people I know who retired in the traditional sense; 'now finally we can travel!' and that turns out to be a rather boring and unfulfilling lifestyle. the old (70+) people that are happy and not dead, all work fulltime in their own companies. From my barkeeper (he is 75) to the owner of a 100m euro/year company that makes roofs who is 90 and goes to the factory every day.

IshKebab 2y ago

Don't humblebrag.