5 ms·

Don't work for IBM. I'm not one to normally subscribe to the 'if you don't like the working conditions don't work there' line of reasoning, especially in the U

Don't work for IBM. I'm not one to normally subscribe to the 'if you don't like the working conditions don't work there' line of reasoning, especially in the US where unions are so weak. But in tech, eh, we have options.

gvb 14y ago
That's naive. a) The lawsuit was settled in 2006 (ref andyjohnson0's post http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4687336 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4687336). The article doesn't say when it was instigated, but it was likely a couple of years prior to that. In 2006, the tech industry was still working its way out of the collapse of the tech bubble.[1][2] Workers and companies were still pretty shell-shocked. b) A lot of people live in places where the technology sector is not that strong and thus there are not that many options. Often moving is not a viable option due to family responsibilities or other circumstances. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot-com_bubble http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot-com_bubble [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nasdaq2.png http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nasdaq2.png
- raverbashing 14y ago
  No What's naive is subjecting yourself to a company with known practices of this magnitude. What's the saying again? "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me?!" Of course some people's options are limited, but most aren't.
- bluedanieru 14y ago
  Uh, thanks for the wiki link to the dot-com bubble, I guess. a) I don't really care about. I doubt much has changed and I don't think it was from fiscal necessity. Also, if they were shell-shocked in 2006 I can't imagine things have improved since then. It's actually disappointing as I rather admire IBM's leadership in open source. Alas, much easier to damage a reputation than build and keep a good one. As for b), okay point taken. So, don't work at IBM, if you can help it.
  - Hairy_Sandwich 14y ago
    "b), okay point taken. So, don't work at IBM, if you can help it." You can't really help it because there is no guarantee that IBM won't just come along and buy the company you work for. I know lots of people that quit my company when IBM bought it. For this one older lady (HR Director) she has had to keep getting new jobs because 2 of the last companies she worked for got bought by IBM. She doesn't want to work for them so she just had to find another job and then quit.
    - PakG1 14y ago
      That's a scary track record. Seriously, what are the odds? :)
      - fghh45sdfhr3 14y ago
        Pretty good apparently. My current small employer was almost bought by IBM. Only because it is privately owned, and the owners didn't want to sell.
    - hkmurakami 14y ago
      Startups should obviously hire her as a good luck charm for getting acquired!
    - deleted 14y ago
      [deleted]
mehulkar 14y ago
I'm not in this situation myself, but I know that people who are not citizens / don't have permanent resident status have far fewer options if they want to work in the States.

gvb 14y ago

That's naive. a) The lawsuit was settled in 2006 (ref andyjohnson0's post http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4687336 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4687336). The article doesn't say when it was instigated, but it was likely a couple of years prior to that. In 2006, the tech industry was still working its way out of the collapse of the tech bubble.[1][2] Workers and companies were still pretty shell-shocked. b) A lot of people live in places where the technology sector is not that strong and thus there are not that many options. Often moving is not a viable option due to family responsibilities or other circumstances. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot-com_bubble http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot-com_bubble [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nasdaq2.png http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nasdaq2.png

raverbashing 14y ago
No What's naive is subjecting yourself to a company with known practices of this magnitude. What's the saying again? "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me?!" Of course some people's options are limited, but most aren't.
bluedanieru 14y ago
Uh, thanks for the wiki link to the dot-com bubble, I guess. a) I don't really care about. I doubt much has changed and I don't think it was from fiscal necessity. Also, if they were shell-shocked in 2006 I can't imagine things have improved since then. It's actually disappointing as I rather admire IBM's leadership in open source. Alas, much easier to damage a reputation than build and keep a good one. As for b), okay point taken. So, don't work at IBM, if you can help it.
- Hairy_Sandwich 14y ago
  "b), okay point taken. So, don't work at IBM, if you can help it." You can't really help it because there is no guarantee that IBM won't just come along and buy the company you work for. I know lots of people that quit my company when IBM bought it. For this one older lady (HR Director) she has had to keep getting new jobs because 2 of the last companies she worked for got bought by IBM. She doesn't want to work for them so she just had to find another job and then quit.
  - PakG1 14y ago
    That's a scary track record. Seriously, what are the odds? :)
    - fghh45sdfhr3 14y ago
      Pretty good apparently. My current small employer was almost bought by IBM. Only because it is privately owned, and the owners didn't want to sell.
  - hkmurakami 14y ago
    Startups should obviously hire her as a good luck charm for getting acquired!
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]

mehulkar 14y ago

I'm not in this situation myself, but I know that people who are not citizens / don't have permanent resident status have far fewer options if they want to work in the States.