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I totally support their demand for remote work. NY Times should hire more remote! They could save a lot by hiring offshore without hassle of providing benefits

I totally support their demand for remote work. NY Times should hire more remote! They could save a lot by hiring offshore without hassle of providing benefits or fighting unions.

wg0 2y ago
Can't get this fetish with on premise work when the code you write is on your machine, the systems you deploy to are in a data centre you don't know the exact location of. If Linux kernel can be developed remotely spanning over several architectures and huge number of mission critical subsystems, surely your systems having blog posts, comments and such can work as well and if not, you have failed to articulate exactly what needs to be done and by when and under what constraints.
- Xelynega 2y ago
  But the managers don't feel as important at the end of the day. Didn't you think about them?
ewhanley 2y ago
If this was such an easy proposition and there was actually arbitrage available, why haven't they already done it. If the market is to be believed, this would only be a temporary boost if it were even achievable. Demand goes up for offshore workers, their prices start to rise, and the delta closes.
- FredPret 2y ago
  This has happened with several offshore manufacturing destinations already. These formerly poor countries become middle class and then manufacturing has to shift to one of remaining poor countries.
FredPret 2y ago
Have you ever done knowledge work with offshore contributors? It’s challenging to say the least. Even when working between first-world countries speaking English, there’s a host of serious problems. Cultural differences; different expectations; time zone differences.
- sonthonax 2y ago
  The New York Times is a glorified blogging platform. Not to long ago it was a Wordpress site. I'm fully aware of how jaring it is for the median HN reader to hear this, but maintenance of a news website isn't the kind of skilled labour that commands a 250k a year paycheck anymore.
  - FredPret 2y ago
    Perhaps but they do serve their blog at scale, including video and interactive widgets. They’re the most popular of the news blogs. It’s not rocket engineering but it’s not nothing.
- ponector 2y ago
  Yes, I did. For more han a decade. With same failure rates as with in-office teams. With 100k annual budget you can hire a contractor with good English who will be working in your timezone. Regarding cultural difference - does everyone in your office has the same culture? No indian-born developers? No asian-born?

I totally support their demand for remote work. NY Times should hire more remote! They could save a lot by hiring offshore without hassle of providing benefits or fighting unions.

wg0 2y ago

Can't get this fetish with on premise work when the code you write is on your machine, the systems you deploy to are in a data centre you don't know the exact location of. If Linux kernel can be developed remotely spanning over several architectures and huge number of mission critical subsystems, surely your systems having blog posts, comments and such can work as well and if not, you have failed to articulate exactly what needs to be done and by when and under what constraints.

Xelynega 2y ago
But the managers don't feel as important at the end of the day. Didn't you think about them?

ewhanley 2y ago

If this was such an easy proposition and there was actually arbitrage available, why haven't they already done it. If the market is to be believed, this would only be a temporary boost if it were even achievable. Demand goes up for offshore workers, their prices start to rise, and the delta closes.

FredPret 2y ago
This has happened with several offshore manufacturing destinations already. These formerly poor countries become middle class and then manufacturing has to shift to one of remaining poor countries.

FredPret 2y ago

Have you ever done knowledge work with offshore contributors? It’s challenging to say the least. Even when working between first-world countries speaking English, there’s a host of serious problems. Cultural differences; different expectations; time zone differences.

sonthonax 2y ago
The New York Times is a glorified blogging platform. Not to long ago it was a Wordpress site. I'm fully aware of how jaring it is for the median HN reader to hear this, but maintenance of a news website isn't the kind of skilled labour that commands a 250k a year paycheck anymore.
- FredPret 2y ago
  Perhaps but they do serve their blog at scale, including video and interactive widgets. They’re the most popular of the news blogs. It’s not rocket engineering but it’s not nothing.
ponector 2y ago
Yes, I did. For more han a decade. With same failure rates as with in-office teams. With 100k annual budget you can hire a contractor with good English who will be working in your timezone. Regarding cultural difference - does everyone in your office has the same culture? No indian-born developers? No asian-born?