Things you're allowed to do (2020)(milan.cvitkovic.net)
milan.cvitkovic.net
Things you're allowed to do (2020)
https://milan.cvitkovic.net/writing/things_youre_allowed_to_do/
181 comments
> and the price isn't much higher than an off the rack piece
and then later
> I got mine for 500 pounds.
Yeah, that may hold for "fashion" clothing, but the way you write sounds like that's a generalized statement.
I don't own a single piece of clothing worth $200, and I don't want one either. (I'll make an exception for an all-weather hiking jacket in the future, but even there I'd prefer buying used.)
On the other hand, a local dry cleaners used to patch my pants for $6. That was useful.
and then later
> I got mine for 500 pounds.
Yeah, that may hold for "fashion" clothing, but the way you write sounds like that's a generalized statement.
I don't own a single piece of clothing worth $200, and I don't want one either. (I'll make an exception for an all-weather hiking jacket in the future, but even there I'd prefer buying used.)
On the other hand, a local dry cleaners used to patch my pants for $6. That was useful.
> The cost was about 20% (that is, 80% off) from a comparable jacket from Loro Piana, and using the exact same fabric, which a much better fit to boot.
The first jacket I checked on the Loro Piana website cost $25k... wow.
The first jacket I checked on the Loro Piana website cost $25k... wow.
I got mine for 500 pounds. A comparable jacket should go for between 2k and 3k.
> Write on a post-it note affixed to a greeting card rather than on the greeting card itself, so the recipient can throw away the post-it and reuse your card
You are allowed to do this, but people will think it’s strange. If you don’t want to spend $7.99 on a greeting card (understandable) it’s better to make your own card and write a really thoughtful message. Draw something, if you can, even badly. Those are the cards that people keep.
You are allowed to do this, but people will think it’s strange. If you don’t want to spend $7.99 on a greeting card (understandable) it’s better to make your own card and write a really thoughtful message. Draw something, if you can, even badly. Those are the cards that people keep.
when i get a card, i care more about the personal note than the card. so actually, i'd keep the post-it and reuse the card.
my grandma used to send postcards without a photo, where all space except the address field was used up with her message.
my grandma used to send postcards without a photo, where all space except the address field was used up with her message.
That used to be what we called postcards. The ones with the photos were called picture post cards. The postage for a postcard was cheaper than the postage for a sealed envelope.
[Notes from olden times....]
[Notes from olden times....]
> Surgery for appearance or comfort
I'm kind of a sweaty guy so I got miradry in my arm pits. They lasered out something like 80% of my sweat glands under my arms and it makes a big difference. I don't sit somewhere feeling absolutely disgusting worried that I stink. You can do it for your hands too if you have sweaty palms. Cost me like $2000.
I'm going to start some hair treatments here soon because it's getting thinner than I like up top
I'm kind of a sweaty guy so I got miradry in my arm pits. They lasered out something like 80% of my sweat glands under my arms and it makes a big difference. I don't sit somewhere feeling absolutely disgusting worried that I stink. You can do it for your hands too if you have sweaty palms. Cost me like $2000.
I'm going to start some hair treatments here soon because it's getting thinner than I like up top
As a teenager, my underarms would sweat profusely, leaving stains on my shirt that were impossible to ignore. My mother took me to a dermatologist who prescribed a medication I applied like deodorant and completely removed my ability to perspire under my arms.
But my body still needs to cool itself so I now sweat profusely on my chest, back, forehead, and palms.
Do you find that your perspiration just found a different outlet?
But my body still needs to cool itself so I now sweat profusely on my chest, back, forehead, and palms.
Do you find that your perspiration just found a different outlet?
Not that I've noticed
Interesting. Did that happen to kill the stinky bacteria living in the sweat glands as well? Or is the improvement in smell merely a function of the lowered sweat production?
As I understand it, the stinky bacteria feed off some of the stuff in your sweat so I assume a lot of them would die
I don't know that the two are related. I sweat a lot, mostly during exercise, and I don't have any body odor. I actually wondered if more sweating helps reduce odor by being more diluted, but I have no evidence for that.
Otoh, there are definitely people around that stink but are not visibly sweaty. I think it must be more a microbiome issue than anything volume related.
Otoh, there are definitely people around that stink but are not visibly sweaty. I think it must be more a microbiome issue than anything volume related.
> and I don't have any body odor
For the record, you are not the judge of your own odor.
And even if someone else says you have no body odor, that still doesn't mean you don't -- some people have less sensitive noses, some think "smell I'm accustomed to" = "no smell", and some will just try to be polite.
(Personally, I haven't put on deodorant since COVID started, but I'm pretty remote..)
For the record, you are not the judge of your own odor.
And even if someone else says you have no body odor, that still doesn't mean you don't -- some people have less sensitive noses, some think "smell I'm accustomed to" = "no smell", and some will just try to be polite.
(Personally, I haven't put on deodorant since COVID started, but I'm pretty remote..)
What is the motivation for your comment? Are you assuming I don't know those things and that the only reason I could have made my assertion is out of ignorance? Is that really necessary?
Because the claim to have no body odor sounds frankly not plausible.
Not only plausible but near guaranteed if you've not yet been infected (and not suffering from some other issue).
They are directly related, sweat doesn't smell. Getting infected with one of the stinky strains is the culprit. i.e. Don't share bars of soap.
Yes, I wondered if the "heating process" would kill close to all of them. And all of them after a few treatments?
Hire experts. You are definitely allowed to do this, for everything. Even your day job.
If you're starting a project or doing something complicated for the first time (ie, buying a house), pay someone to walk you through the basics and answer a list of questions. It's often cheaper than you think. The hardest part is finding experts who are willing to do one off work for a few hundred or thousand dollars.
If you're starting a project or doing something complicated for the first time (ie, buying a house), pay someone to walk you through the basics and answer a list of questions. It's often cheaper than you think. The hardest part is finding experts who are willing to do one off work for a few hundred or thousand dollars.
> The hardest part is finding experts who are willing to do one off work for a few hundred or thousand dollars.
In my limited experience, I find that there are tons of people willing to "help" me with tasks I don't care about, whereas it's very hard to find people who can actually provide high value assistance. For example, setting up my company, I called an accounting firm. The guy they put me in touch with had no real input re the specific tax and situational questions I had, and wanted to sell me bookkeeping software (while telling me to call revenue Canada - our IRS - and ask them about my questions.). That seems to be the norm. Same is true with financial advice, legal advice, travel agents, all sorts of things.
Understandably, people have built businesses that "productized" something, and are focused on selling that, because of the low marginal cost. It makes it very hard to actually get expert advice
In my limited experience, I find that there are tons of people willing to "help" me with tasks I don't care about, whereas it's very hard to find people who can actually provide high value assistance. For example, setting up my company, I called an accounting firm. The guy they put me in touch with had no real input re the specific tax and situational questions I had, and wanted to sell me bookkeeping software (while telling me to call revenue Canada - our IRS - and ask them about my questions.). That seems to be the norm. Same is true with financial advice, legal advice, travel agents, all sorts of things.
Understandably, people have built businesses that "productized" something, and are focused on selling that, because of the low marginal cost. It makes it very hard to actually get expert advice
ya.. i paid $300 once because i was moving from Canada to use and wanted to know about tax implications from an expert. for 45 min. she answered my questions but offered nothing more. i wanted to know all the things i didn't know i should be asking. if i knew I'd just Google it
"A star programmer fired for outsourcing his own job has learned a harsh lesson: exploitation is a job for employers, not staff"
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/17/sacked...
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/17/sacked...
Funny thing about that. If you want to do it you are allowed.
You only get in trouble if you lie about it.
Quit your W2, form LLC, go back to employer. “Hey boss, I started a new company, me and my team will do just what I did before but now we can scale up and down as needed.”
My business does this. We’ve got ten people and a fantastic amount of work. I was worried that the downturn would hurt us but we have more inbound work now than we did a month ago and we’re adding two new people next week.
Quit your W2, form LLC, go back to employer. “Hey boss, I started a new company, me and my team will do just what I did before but now we can scale up and down as needed.”
My business does this. We’ve got ten people and a fantastic amount of work. I was worried that the downturn would hurt us but we have more inbound work now than we did a month ago and we’re adding two new people next week.
Brilliant.
[deleted]
When I was buying my first home, I decided to try paying an hourly rate for a 'second opinion' from another Real Estate Agent (on the theory that my primary one had an incentive to close on a mediocre deal quickly). I could have tried harder, but I was disappointed to get feedback from the one I talked to in depth that nobody would risk their relationships/reputation for a few hundred dollars.
I'm not the first person to say it, nor is this the biggest example, but definitely evidence in favor of "Real Estate Agents are a oligopolistic cartel"
I'm not the first person to say it, nor is this the biggest example, but definitely evidence in favor of "Real Estate Agents are a oligopolistic cartel"
Not that I disagree with your characterization, but I can understand why a real estate agent wouldn't advise you. They are not consultants or professional service providers, and are not set up to do hourly work. If you're an engineer or a lawyer, you have limits on the kind of consulting you would do, and have insurance against errors, plus your whole business is set up to handle hourly consulting work.
A real estate agent won't have the insurance, probably has not mechanism to even take your money through their brokerage (who would want a cut of everything and limit the kinds of services the agent could offer). Plus what they told you is correct, there is a limited upside in making even a very high hourly wage offering you advice, and huge downside if there advice doesn't pan out and you sue, or they have some reputational issues from second guessing colleagues. The whole market just isn't set up that way.
And I'd guess a big reason is that at the residential transaction level, there is basically no demand for it. If you're buying a site for an industrial project or housing development or something, I'm sure you can find a consultant that specializes in that.
Tldr, there are good reasons why a real estate agent wouldn't advise you like that, even if overall it's a scummy job.
A real estate agent won't have the insurance, probably has not mechanism to even take your money through their brokerage (who would want a cut of everything and limit the kinds of services the agent could offer). Plus what they told you is correct, there is a limited upside in making even a very high hourly wage offering you advice, and huge downside if there advice doesn't pan out and you sue, or they have some reputational issues from second guessing colleagues. The whole market just isn't set up that way.
And I'd guess a big reason is that at the residential transaction level, there is basically no demand for it. If you're buying a site for an industrial project or housing development or something, I'm sure you can find a consultant that specializes in that.
Tldr, there are good reasons why a real estate agent wouldn't advise you like that, even if overall it's a scummy job.
this interesting, in my country they will start fighting to decide that who server you...
You can also email most of the living technologists who are discussed regularly on this list. (At least the ones that aren't built out of an enormous PR team.)
They typically write back thoughtful responses.
Not giving any examples so they don't get 1000x low effort cryptocurrency pitches.
They typically write back thoughtful responses.
Not giving any examples so they don't get 1000x low effort cryptocurrency pitches.
Also not giving any examples because they often give low-effort negative responses (i.e. judge 10,000 startups through the lens of the one crypto they know about).
There aren't 10,000 living technologists who are discussed regularly on HN. There are perhaps a few dozen.
And I'll continue to not give any examples since I'm apparently already responding to an unprompted low-key pitch about a 1 in a 10,000 cryptocurrency opportunity.
Edit: oops, I misunderstood your low-key pitch. It's even more fascinating-- these technologists could be missing out on anywhere from 0 to 9,999 new crypto opportunities that innovate well beyond the single one you think everyone already knows about. Still, I think I'll pass.
And I'll continue to not give any examples since I'm apparently already responding to an unprompted low-key pitch about a 1 in a 10,000 cryptocurrency opportunity.
Edit: oops, I misunderstood your low-key pitch. It's even more fascinating-- these technologists could be missing out on anywhere from 0 to 9,999 new crypto opportunities that innovate well beyond the single one you think everyone already knows about. Still, I think I'll pass.
They could judge through the lens of 500 crypto projects and the response would be the same. If I know a company sells via multi-level marketing, do I really need to wait around to hear what the product is? Really?
But they haven't. So they can't. That's the whole point of my comment. Being uninformed is still being uninformed.
Or maybe they’ve looked and decided the whole thing looks like a wildly speculative ponzi scheme. I’m not saying they HAVE, just that it’s a valid alternate explanation.
Like seriously nfts? Are we still not talking about the fact that they’re worse than beanie babies?
Like seriously nfts? Are we still not talking about the fact that they’re worse than beanie babies?
If people want to buy frivolous things so what? NFT’s can be seen as a status item similar to jewelry, cars, luxury clothing, etc.
Just think about how Stripe facilitates the purchase of things many people don’t need.
Just think about how Stripe facilitates the purchase of things many people don’t need.
You don't need NFTs for this, we've had original-fursonas-do-not-steal for decades now.
Yeah, but we have them and people like them I guess? It’s competition.
This is really great. I especially like the idea of online tutoring (for languages and other stuff) which looks to be a nice cheap option [0].
One piece of advice that I think is actually quite bad, or at least I've had extremely bad experiences with, is asking people for something. I've often cold-emailed artists, programmers and other hobbyists asking them to make their work libre/free (artists CC-BY/CC-BY-SA/CC0, programmers GPL, hobbyists some type of OSH or CERN license) and I don't think I've ever gotten a positive response. The only exception is when I haven't read the documentation in depth and the project is already libre/free.
Most times, asking artists or others to put their work under a libre/free license, even if it's decades old, is met with outright hostility. I usually try to couch the "ask" in passive language and signal understanding if they don't want to but, from my limited experience, this only seems to make people angrier.
I'm sure there are better ways that I could ask and I'm sure I'm framing it in some way that triggers anger but I also don't think there's an actual good way to ask that from someone to try and get them to put their work under a libre/free license.
Talking to people in person is another matter and that I've had good success with, but asking online, through email or otherwise, often ends in them ridiculing me and calling me names.
[0] https://www.italki.com/
One piece of advice that I think is actually quite bad, or at least I've had extremely bad experiences with, is asking people for something. I've often cold-emailed artists, programmers and other hobbyists asking them to make their work libre/free (artists CC-BY/CC-BY-SA/CC0, programmers GPL, hobbyists some type of OSH or CERN license) and I don't think I've ever gotten a positive response. The only exception is when I haven't read the documentation in depth and the project is already libre/free.
Most times, asking artists or others to put their work under a libre/free license, even if it's decades old, is met with outright hostility. I usually try to couch the "ask" in passive language and signal understanding if they don't want to but, from my limited experience, this only seems to make people angrier.
I'm sure there are better ways that I could ask and I'm sure I'm framing it in some way that triggers anger but I also don't think there's an actual good way to ask that from someone to try and get them to put their work under a libre/free license.
Talking to people in person is another matter and that I've had good success with, but asking online, through email or otherwise, often ends in them ridiculing me and calling me names.
[0] https://www.italki.com/
> One piece of advice that I think is actually quite bad, or at least I've had extremely bad experiences with, is asking people for something. I've often cold-emailed artists, programmers and other hobbyists asking them to make their work libre/free (artists CC-BY/CC-BY-SA/CC0, programmers GPL, hobbyists some type of OSH or CERN license) and I don't think I've ever gotten a positive response.
In case you’re interested in constructive feedback, what you’re doing here sounds more like advocating for someone to provide some social good, but couching it in passive language.
With you not knowing these people, the ask itself is extremely presumptuous and the approach you describe of using passive language likely lands on them as a passive aggressive maneuver. Many people find that that approach to be manipulative and offensive.
If you’d just like personal use for free, you should ask for that directly and maybe share why that would be helpful for you, so that they can approach it as an act of sympathy or charity.
If you are invested in the principles of free/libre works, then you should advocate for that directly explain why the principle is so important to you that you’d engage with a stranger about it.
In both cases, you’re still likely to get a lot of closed doors and hostile responses, but you would at least be doing these people the kindness of being direct about what you want and why you want it.
In case you’re interested in constructive feedback, what you’re doing here sounds more like advocating for someone to provide some social good, but couching it in passive language.
With you not knowing these people, the ask itself is extremely presumptuous and the approach you describe of using passive language likely lands on them as a passive aggressive maneuver. Many people find that that approach to be manipulative and offensive.
If you’d just like personal use for free, you should ask for that directly and maybe share why that would be helpful for you, so that they can approach it as an act of sympathy or charity.
If you are invested in the principles of free/libre works, then you should advocate for that directly explain why the principle is so important to you that you’d engage with a stranger about it.
In both cases, you’re still likely to get a lot of closed doors and hostile responses, but you would at least be doing these people the kindness of being direct about what you want and why you want it.
Thanks for the feedback.
I suspected as much in terms of the passive language being perceived as passive aggressive. I didn't want to come off as aggressive as most of the time I really like the person or their work and I certainly don't want to strong arm them into doing something they don't want to do.
I think your advice is good to try and personalize the story and be direct about it. I don't have any illusions that this will be successful but at least it won't fail in the same way.
That being said, I can imagine an organization that promotes libre/free work making a blanket email that does just that (I've even read a few myself). The reason is clear because it's the organizations mission and, in that context, direct language would be preferred.
Food for though. I do wonder if there is any strategy that would work.
I suspected as much in terms of the passive language being perceived as passive aggressive. I didn't want to come off as aggressive as most of the time I really like the person or their work and I certainly don't want to strong arm them into doing something they don't want to do.
I think your advice is good to try and personalize the story and be direct about it. I don't have any illusions that this will be successful but at least it won't fail in the same way.
That being said, I can imagine an organization that promotes libre/free work making a blanket email that does just that (I've even read a few myself). The reason is clear because it's the organizations mission and, in that context, direct language would be preferred.
Food for though. I do wonder if there is any strategy that would work.
> I do wonder if there is any strategy that would work.
You’d up the odds a lot if you offered to pay them to relicense the work.
It would say a lot that you’re willing to invest in these principles you care about, and would make it easier for them to quantify the change to what they likely see as an asset portfolio.
What’s currently a charitable plea becomes a philanthropic negotiation.
You’d up the odds a lot if you offered to pay them to relicense the work.
It would say a lot that you’re willing to invest in these principles you care about, and would make it easier for them to quantify the change to what they likely see as an asset portfolio.
What’s currently a charitable plea becomes a philanthropic negotiation.
In some cases I've offered to pay with the same outcome. Sometimes the offer to pay came after the initial email, other times it was in the form of cryptocurrency and others, I'm pretty sure, it was offered initially but, regardless, all of these cases might have had the framing of the offer poison the interaction from the outset.
My next experiment is to frame it in terms of a purely business transaction with the condition that the work released under a libre/free license, making sure not to use any of the passive language I've used before, etc. The issue is always understanding what a fair price is and, for my own personal standards, make sure the artist understands what kind of terms they're agreeing to (the equivalent of "informed consent").
My next experiment is to frame it in terms of a purely business transaction with the condition that the work released under a libre/free license, making sure not to use any of the passive language I've used before, etc. The issue is always understanding what a fair price is and, for my own personal standards, make sure the artist understands what kind of terms they're agreeing to (the equivalent of "informed consent").
> Food for though. I do wonder if there is any strategy that would work.
You start by getting them to license the work to you. Unless the person you're asking is a software developer, of course, their first reaction probably isn't going to be quite as "free" as the licenses we're used to around here, but plenty of artists are perfectly willing to grant informal licenses, especially if scoped to some project you have in mind.
(This should go without saying, but this is an SV startup-centered community, so maybe it needs to be specified, but you should not abuse the informality of such terms if you want to convince people any further.)
Then you probe to license their work to other people who aren't you but might be like you in wanting to prepare derivatives of the work, except that they might not have had the temerity to ask. You should realize that this is a much taller ask, especially outside software circles, because people have intuitions about the integrity of their work that public licenses are expressly designed to waive.
At some point in the process you might consider offering to pay for the equivalent of retroactively commissioning the piece to relicense it! This frames what you want as a slightly-twisted variation on a relationship artists in particular are relatively well-equipped to deal with, and usually comes with an understanding of what the buyer can do with the output— "How much would you charge to commission a work to be used for any purpose with unlimited distribution?"
You start by getting them to license the work to you. Unless the person you're asking is a software developer, of course, their first reaction probably isn't going to be quite as "free" as the licenses we're used to around here, but plenty of artists are perfectly willing to grant informal licenses, especially if scoped to some project you have in mind.
(This should go without saying, but this is an SV startup-centered community, so maybe it needs to be specified, but you should not abuse the informality of such terms if you want to convince people any further.)
Then you probe to license their work to other people who aren't you but might be like you in wanting to prepare derivatives of the work, except that they might not have had the temerity to ask. You should realize that this is a much taller ask, especially outside software circles, because people have intuitions about the integrity of their work that public licenses are expressly designed to waive.
At some point in the process you might consider offering to pay for the equivalent of retroactively commissioning the piece to relicense it! This frames what you want as a slightly-twisted variation on a relationship artists in particular are relatively well-equipped to deal with, and usually comes with an understanding of what the buyer can do with the output— "How much would you charge to commission a work to be used for any purpose with unlimited distribution?"
> In case you’re interested in constructive feedback, what you’re doing here sounds more like advocating for someone to provide some social good, but couching it in passive language.
To add to this, artists have lots of experience with people asking for free stuff and couching it in "social good" language. In their experience, these people are invariably assholes, and they don't want to deal with you long enough to find out that you are one too.
To add to this, artists have lots of experience with people asking for free stuff and couching it in "social good" language. In their experience, these people are invariably assholes, and they don't want to deal with you long enough to find out that you are one too.
Artists get asked to do free or barely paid work all the time in my experience. Often because the person asking doesn't want to pay a fair rate for it. Often the person doesn't take a direct no and keeps nagging them. When someone nags you about something for the five thousandth time in your life you tend to be pretty pissy about it. It's a necessary defense mechanism to preserve ones mental well being.
Asking for something is not the same as asking for free stuff. It’s especially not the same as asking someone who is trying to make a living creating things to just start giving them away. It’s not surprising to me that this kind of suggestion is met with hostility.
I have enough of a model of people to understand why there's pushback but at the same time the leap from "asking for something" to "asking something for everyone" doesn't seem like a big one.
I also find it confusing how people can use clips from movies, songs etc. not in the public domain or use public domain works outright but not see how contributing to the commons benefits society.
I appreciate your comment but my feeling is that a closer understanding is that the overton window is such that fair use, public domain and old work enriching the commons are so taken for granted that people have forgotten how important they are.
I also find it confusing how people can use clips from movies, songs etc. not in the public domain or use public domain works outright but not see how contributing to the commons benefits society.
I appreciate your comment but my feeling is that a closer understanding is that the overton window is such that fair use, public domain and old work enriching the commons are so taken for granted that people have forgotten how important they are.
> the leap from "asking for something" to "asking something for everyone" doesn't seem like a big one.
It seems like an enormous leap to me. Imagine I’ve been approached by someone asking for a free license to my software. They’re probably unlikely to pay me anything (whether unwilling or unable doesn’t matter), so my decision has a likely loss to me of $0 and I can decide if I like the proposed project enough to say “sure, why not?!”
Contrast that with giving my software away to everyone, including people would would pay the money that I use to buy food and shelter.
It seems like an enormous leap to me. Imagine I’ve been approached by someone asking for a free license to my software. They’re probably unlikely to pay me anything (whether unwilling or unable doesn’t matter), so my decision has a likely loss to me of $0 and I can decide if I like the proposed project enough to say “sure, why not?!”
Contrast that with giving my software away to everyone, including people would would pay the money that I use to buy food and shelter.
> The leap from "asking for something" to "asking something for everyone" doesn't seem like a big one.
Sorry to reply again, but this is quite surprising to me! I would feel very differently about an individual asking me for a copy of my work for personal use because they couldn't afford it / couldn't find a copy / wanted to learn from it, etc. vs. someone asking me to make my work freely available to all.
Regardless of how you feel about the principals behind why someone should do that, I hope you see there are very real differences in what you are asking them to do.
Sorry to reply again, but this is quite surprising to me! I would feel very differently about an individual asking me for a copy of my work for personal use because they couldn't afford it / couldn't find a copy / wanted to learn from it, etc. vs. someone asking me to make my work freely available to all.
Regardless of how you feel about the principals behind why someone should do that, I hope you see there are very real differences in what you are asking them to do.
Would you be willing to provide examples of the types of works you are asking to be made libre/free? Or provide examples of how you are asking? It's tough to provide advice without knowing what / how you are asking. (No need to name anyone specifically.)
I saw from some other responses where you are coming from re: the principals of giving to the commons, and I do sympathize with that in general.
On the flip side, I hope you understand that there are many artists and programmers who are asked to work for free / "for exposure" on a daily basis. Exposure and the common good, unfortunately, does not pay the rent.
For many folks asking for their work to be given away freely is akin to saying "I feel your work is worthless". Or worse "I feel your work is worth something, but I / the world should be able to benefit from your work without you being compensated for providing me that benefit."
Even for folks sympathetic to free/libre principals, being able to give away one's work freely to the world is to be in a position of privilege, where they can work purely for principal of the common good because their own material needs are already being met. For many folks, that simply isn't the case.
I saw from some other responses where you are coming from re: the principals of giving to the commons, and I do sympathize with that in general.
On the flip side, I hope you understand that there are many artists and programmers who are asked to work for free / "for exposure" on a daily basis. Exposure and the common good, unfortunately, does not pay the rent.
For many folks asking for their work to be given away freely is akin to saying "I feel your work is worthless". Or worse "I feel your work is worth something, but I / the world should be able to benefit from your work without you being compensated for providing me that benefit."
Even for folks sympathetic to free/libre principals, being able to give away one's work freely to the world is to be in a position of privilege, where they can work purely for principal of the common good because their own material needs are already being met. For many folks, that simply isn't the case.
Basically, a rich person's guide to a happier life. Everything here is obvious but not of much use if you don't have the money to do all this stuff
There's a whole 'interpersonal' section that has little to do with money. Even under 'Make the most of your resources' there are ideas like "Tape over annoying LED lights".
It's worth reading deeper.
It's worth reading deeper.
You don’t have to be rich to not drink, for example.
Very few of these items apply to poor people to be honest; they have little or no negotiating power either when it comes to things like "not paying bills", asking for a "raise", etc..
I agree that the list has a tone and probably originated in a desire of letting people who are making six figures for the first time know what they can do, but more than a few items are potentially relevant to someone making half of a bay area salary.
And the relative effect on your disposable income is wildly higher.
>all this stuff
If you aren't rich, you're allowed to do some of the stuff that rich people do, without doing all of it.
In my opinion, that's the entire reason for preferring a capitalist society where money determines what you get. It means there is some limited freedom from "social station" or class.
If you aren't rich, you're allowed to do some of the stuff that rich people do, without doing all of it.
In my opinion, that's the entire reason for preferring a capitalist society where money determines what you get. It means there is some limited freedom from "social station" or class.
Does anyone know how you can hire a mathematician for a consultation? e.g. a PhD student in a certain area?
Sometimes I’m down a rabbit hole and I realize that the level of mathematics is becoming outside of my (undergrad-level) comfort zone and I often think it would be helpful to sit down with a mathematician for an hour and have a chat with someone expert in X (where X could be combinatorics, probability, statistics, linear algebra, etc...)
Sometimes I’m down a rabbit hole and I realize that the level of mathematics is becoming outside of my (undergrad-level) comfort zone and I often think it would be helpful to sit down with a mathematician for an hour and have a chat with someone expert in X (where X could be combinatorics, probability, statistics, linear algebra, etc...)
It is generally not super difficult - most professors at universities have Masters and PhD level grad students, and more often than not, faculty are listed on the university websites.
Find a local university, look up their math (or whatever) department, and a simple email to one or more professors explaining what you want to do and that you're willing to pay will more than likely give you some leads if nothing else. Hell, you might even find that the professor's time is within your budget depending on the institution and their level of seniority.
Find a local university, look up their math (or whatever) department, and a simple email to one or more professors explaining what you want to do and that you're willing to pay will more than likely give you some leads if nothing else. Hell, you might even find that the professor's time is within your budget depending on the institution and their level of seniority.
Oh my god this, I once asked my old director of studies if he could put me in touch with the person who would be teaching a certain course I had not done very well in at University so I could hire them for tuition.
He offered to do it himself and when he told me his rate it was so low I was almost embarrassed.
He offered to do it himself and when he told me his rate it was so low I was almost embarrassed.
Send them an email.
This list would be a lot better if it didn't mix the "huh, I hadn't thought of doing that" things like hiring a researcher with dozens of "yeah obviously you can do that" things like taping over annoying LEDs. Lists aren't better just because they're long.
Build your own airplane. This is a fine tradition that is more common than most people realize. Also possible in many other countries besides the US. Your local EAA chapter should have many resources to help you along the way.
Chat with a homeless person. No social worker talk. Don't ask them anything about how they got there, how their life is, what they need, etc. etc. Just treat them like a normal person: weather, sports, local traffic, etc.
I think 99.9999% (rough estimate) of people treat a homeless person like a "normal person" by simply ignoring them. Unless there is a reason why one should start a conversation with another person, the majority of people just don't start any kind of interaction at all. And changing your behavior just because the person is homeless breaks the rule to treat them normally.
I'm not sure. If someone in a nice suit came up to me and asked me for food because they're dizzy and haven't eaten, I'd be both perplexed but I'd probably actually take them and their problem seriously and try to help them. Call an ambulance or if it's just mild hypoglycemia buy them some candy because they forgot their wallet or whatever. I'm pretty sure I don't treat the homeless the same way, though maybe I should.
Well at least where I live you see people in nice clothes (also suits) every weekend drunk and dizzy. And no one gives a crap about those guys sobering up in some corner.
Police mostly take care of that here, for better/worse. Drunk tank or hospital.
You are assuming that the homeless person is drunk, begging for money, strung out, etc., or otherwise in need of your help.
Those people probably aren't good candidates for a friendly chat anyway. Believe it or not, there are plenty who don't want anything from you.
Those people probably aren't good candidates for a friendly chat anyway. Believe it or not, there are plenty who don't want anything from you.
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I’ve met some well dressed druggies in the PNW and they’re not any more fun to talk to. One guy I remember had some big exit and then decided to just do drugs constantly and “adventures”. He was high as fuck and couldn’t hold on to one coherent thought
But they're very happy to talk to people. Loneliness is one of their main struggle most of the time.
I guess you don't walk around with a cute, friendly dog.
Normal people interact with us all the time.
You might try just being friendly with people some time. It's only weird if you go about it in a weird way.
Normal people interact with us all the time.
You might try just being friendly with people some time. It's only weird if you go about it in a weird way.
More ideas:
Run for office
Start a SuperPAC
Rent powerful tools
Install three-phase power to your homelab
Rent an office
Create a mysterious alter ego
Write a book. (Fiction, even.)
Hire a voice actor / composer / musician / painter / ... (related to several ideas on OP’s list)
File a patent
Build a musical instrument… radio transmitter… boat… car… plane… helicopter… rocket…
Run for office
Start a SuperPAC
Rent powerful tools
Install three-phase power to your homelab
Rent an office
Create a mysterious alter ego
Write a book. (Fiction, even.)
Hire a voice actor / composer / musician / painter / ... (related to several ideas on OP’s list)
File a patent
Build a musical instrument… radio transmitter… boat… car… plane… helicopter… rocket…
> Run for office
Many counties and cities also have boards that normal citizens can join. It's usually not too hard to get on it if you can make a good case like "I live in the community, this is important to me, I have experience in this area." Good thing to do if you don't want to get as involved as running for office. You also might meet some important people in local government
Many counties and cities also have boards that normal citizens can join. It's usually not too hard to get on it if you can make a good case like "I live in the community, this is important to me, I have experience in this area." Good thing to do if you don't want to get as involved as running for office. You also might meet some important people in local government
Something I wonder about the last one - if you're a US citizen and you build a rocket, you can't hire anyone who isn't to work on it due to ITAR. If you're not a US citizen, can you legally build a rocket yourself in the US?
I don't know details, but I knew someone who built rockets as a hobby. I think there are various levels of certification/notification required at different power levels (ie max altitudes), but it's definitely possible
> Install three-phase power to your homelab
Three phase? What kind of homelab?
Three phase? What kind of homelab?
This actually just came up recently in a conversation I had with a person I would consider an expert, and he said you can't get 3-phase power in residential. I didn't ask him to elaborate, so I'm not sure if he meant "as a matter of policy" or "against code" or some kind of physical limitation.
That said, everyone can get 240 (and almost everyone does, for the washer/dryer), and I'm pretty sure that with 240 and a device (VFD?) anyone can kinda create their own 3-phase on a smaller scale.
That said, everyone can get 240 (and almost everyone does, for the washer/dryer), and I'm pretty sure that with 240 and a device (VFD?) anyone can kinda create their own 3-phase on a smaller scale.
That is really interesting to hear. In India homes often have 3 phase for water heaters and other heavy appliances.
> File a patent
Your employer will claim this as his own.
Your employer will claim this as his own.
Is there a good story there?
The employer may be right to, if you develop it on the company dime or it’s related to your work, right? If you do it on your own time with your own resources, and your employer doesn’t agree to leave you alone, then take some of the other advice in the post and hire a lawyer. Speaking from experience, having a legal agreement signed by my employer that my own developments belong to me and aren’t competing was worth every penny just for peace of mind.
The employer may be right to, if you develop it on the company dime or it’s related to your work, right? If you do it on your own time with your own resources, and your employer doesn’t agree to leave you alone, then take some of the other advice in the post and hire a lawyer. Speaking from experience, having a legal agreement signed by my employer that my own developments belong to me and aren’t competing was worth every penny just for peace of mind.
> Ask people out on dates
You’re actually very much not allowed to do this in many professional situations. Unfortunately the line between when it’s okay and not okay is illegible to many people.
You’re actually very much not allowed to do this in many professional situations. Unfortunately the line between when it’s okay and not okay is illegible to many people.
It's hard to think of many situations when it would be completely unacceptable to ask someone once as long as you respect their answer. The exceptions are situations with a skewed power dynamic, i.e. a boss hitting on an underling.
What's tricky about this stuff is that it's in between a "thing you're allowed to do" and "completely unacceptable". I'd suspect it's close to to former than the latter, but even with best efforts it's not zero risk, mostly through the slow accumulation of awkwardness and misinterpreted communication on both sides. Source: Literally none, I got lucky in college
Tell me about it, I've been married to my product manager for 7 years now.
> Treat fines like payments E.g. park illegally and let yourself think of the (expected value of the) fine as a parking fee
I love this one. Back in Chicago, I realized the rate I was getting parking tickets at was about the same as the rate at which I would otherwise pay for street parking. I also learned that if you pay the meter, LAZ Parking takes a huge cut, whereas parking fines go directly to the city so I started incurring parking tickets instead.
Also I learned that Chicago doesn't do anything until your third ticket, so if you're going to leave the city, you can park for free for your last couple of weeks. I guess that one is a little more unethical.
I love this one. Back in Chicago, I realized the rate I was getting parking tickets at was about the same as the rate at which I would otherwise pay for street parking. I also learned that if you pay the meter, LAZ Parking takes a huge cut, whereas parking fines go directly to the city so I started incurring parking tickets instead.
Also I learned that Chicago doesn't do anything until your third ticket, so if you're going to leave the city, you can park for free for your last couple of weeks. I guess that one is a little more unethical.
The problem with this one is you need to be sure wherever you park, you aren't going to get towed. Once I learned my school wouldn't tow, I parked in the staff lots fairly frequently. The ticket * citation rate was low enough that it only cost a little more than student parking; but there was a lot more of it so it was always easy to park (and closer to my destination). (And, at the time, my school had over-sold student parking, was renovating a major student lot, and had rented out another major lot to nearby businesses.)
Speaking of ethics, what’s the equilibrium here? Does it pass a Kantian categorical imperative?
I think if everyone did this, the rate each person was taxed at would fall below the current rough meter equivalent amount and the city (and LAZ Parking) would gather less revenue.
Up to you if you consider that positive or negative.
I think if everyone did this, the rate each person was taxed at would fall below the current rough meter equivalent amount and the city (and LAZ Parking) would gather less revenue.
Up to you if you consider that positive or negative.
It seems to me that if everyone did this (didn't pay the meter and just eat the cost of the tickets from time to time), the city would eventually realize it and would just ramp up enforcement and make bank for a while until people started paying the meters again. So LAZ Parking would end up getting their cut again and the city would be making no less than they are now.
As a side note, I've always thought that the categorical imperative is as good of a rule to follow as any. But sometimes the 'if literally everyone behaved this way' thought experiment can get pretty silly, not to mention impossible to actually determine what would happen in such a case.
As a side note, I've always thought that the categorical imperative is as good of a rule to follow as any. But sometimes the 'if literally everyone behaved this way' thought experiment can get pretty silly, not to mention impossible to actually determine what would happen in such a case.
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Not the OP, but there are some of us (I mean, I suppose I'm not the only one) who see paid street parking as unethical per se.
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> who see paid street parking as unethical per se.
why?
why?
One reason might be that it’s a lot of public space being dedicated to private purpose.
Those who use public transport are paying tax to guard the private vehicles of the rich. Odd.
I read somewhere that half of the space in some downtown areas is dedicated to infrastructure for cars. Seems like a lot.
I read somewhere that half of the space in some downtown areas is dedicated to infrastructure for cars. Seems like a lot.
that would be reason to complain about use of public areas for free parking (and I do this)
but someone complained about paid public parking specifically
but someone complained about paid public parking specifically
Why? Paid or unpaid the space downtown is used for cars. OP may believe that’s wrong.
I don’t think it’s the case that you can’t find a land use undesirable just because it generates income.
I don’t think it’s the case that you can’t find a land use undesirable just because it generates income.
As long as you don't park in a tow zone. Chicago is/was notorious for predatory towing, and it will cost you hundreds of dollars and hours of your time to get your car back.
Great. Now I've got Steve Goodman's "Lincoln Park Pirates" stuck in my head again.
The streetlamps are on in Chicago tonight
And lovers are gazing at stars
The stores are all closing
And Daley is dosing
And the fatman's counting the cars
And there's more cars than places to put 'em, he said
But I've got room for them all
...
If the penalty for a crime is a fine, then that law only exists for the lower class
Which is why punitive fines ought to scale with income and/or wealth. Finland is famous for this; millionaires have incurred speeding fines in the six figures: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/03/finland...
> Which is why punitive fines ought to scale with income and/or wealth
That really seems like it depends on what the damage a particular action causes.
Property destruction, for example, probably shouldn't scale. If I, accidentally, destroy your shoes, I need to buy you a new pair of shoes (and maybe a bit extra for your inconvenience). The goal is to make the victim whole again.
For things with the potential for loss of life, the goal is primarily deterrence, I think that's where things make more sense to start scaling.
That really seems like it depends on what the damage a particular action causes.
Property destruction, for example, probably shouldn't scale. If I, accidentally, destroy your shoes, I need to buy you a new pair of shoes (and maybe a bit extra for your inconvenience). The goal is to make the victim whole again.
For things with the potential for loss of life, the goal is primarily deterrence, I think that's where things make more sense to start scaling.
That depends on what the cost is to operate legally. In the case of parking, you might find that eating the fines is less expensive than paying for parking; or that they are roughly equal, but the fines are more convenient or have other positive externalities that benefit you.
Uhm, just remember that there's usually a reason why it's illegal to park in some places, e.g. if it blocks an emergency access route.
I didn't park in illegal spaces, I just refused to pay the meter. So, no high horsing needed. :)
I don't think there was any high horsing that took place or was implied. I recommend you don't leave comments such as that one you just left since it comes across as rude.
Now that's some high horsing about high horsing.
Please don't degrade the quality of hack news in the way you are.
Or blocking a curb cut. This is endemic in my city, and can at times make intersections basically impassable in a wheelchair.
If you ever feel like parking outside of designated spaces, this is the test you should use. Walk around your car and ask yourself, "can a person in a wheelchair go from this side of my car to the other without being too inconvenienced?"
Be particularly attentive to rough ground (cobblestone), curbs, puddles, lamp-posts or other obstacles.
If your parking passes that test, it generally also accommodates the blind, bicyclists, children, etc.
It's not hard to find spaces that pass the test -- which is also why it upsets me so when people neglect to.
Be particularly attentive to rough ground (cobblestone), curbs, puddles, lamp-posts or other obstacles.
If your parking passes that test, it generally also accommodates the blind, bicyclists, children, etc.
It's not hard to find spaces that pass the test -- which is also why it upsets me so when people neglect to.
But be aware of the garage door that doesn't look like a garage door. Once in SF I left my car for about 20 minutes in Haight-Ashbury on a curb that didn't seem to have any particular reason to be yellow. I returned to find that what had seemed on first inspection to be a wall was in fact a very subtle gate that slid sideways, and a few people standing around were angry with me. (When I returned to the spot weeks later, there was a new sign.)
It is always unethical to decide that punitive fines are okay because you can afford them. It is a profound sense of personal entitlement.
This is condescendently or naively NICE.
Basically "you can deviate nicely from your nerd stereotype but not too much"
Fuck that. Go to raves and take drugs for a while for some real change
Basically "you can deviate nicely from your nerd stereotype but not too much"
Fuck that. Go to raves and take drugs for a while for some real change
Old thread from 2020:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25513713
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25513713
And please keep reposting it, because every time I read this I see
something I missed before and think "yeah cool, I might try that".
Also the suggestions in the comments are great, maybe we should make
it a regular feature and collect "best of things you're allowed to
do".
> If you’re hiring a grad student
Be careful with this one. If the student is here on a visa, they are not allowed to have outside employment. Many do have "under the table" income of course, because graduate stipends are poverty-level at most schools, but it could get them in trouble.
Be careful with this one. If the student is here on a visa, they are not allowed to have outside employment. Many do have "under the table" income of course, because graduate stipends are poverty-level at most schools, but it could get them in trouble.
>Note that you can replace “hire” or “buy” with “barter for” or “find a DIY guide to” nearly everywhere below. E.g. you can clean the bathroom in exchange for your housemate doing a couple hours research for you.
I've been wondering about this. A quick Google reveals that barter is indeed taxable. This specific example might be silly, but would it be taxed according to the market rate for toilet cleaning services?
I've been wondering about this. A quick Google reveals that barter is indeed taxable. This specific example might be silly, but would it be taxed according to the market rate for toilet cleaning services?
If I only barter how do I make money to pay taxes?
Doesn’t matter— none of us are allowed to opt-out of the system.
Pay taxes in goats or whatever?
Hmm, are you on the hook if they don't disclose this?
Of verifying that your employee can legally work? Yes, I think so - I'm not in HR, but is that not the specific reason they always take 1 or 2 forms of ID and fill out paperwork when starting a new job? One form to prove your identity, and the other to prove you can legally work? (Or a passport for both)
I was not thinking this to be a payroll position. Just a consulting / one-off transaction. In those situations, I haven't heard of any verification of immigration documents... maybe its common, I don't know.
> Live off your savings while trying something new
Warning about this, I've been doing this for the last five years, and it's made re-entering the job market difficult. I've spent the time working on Open Source software and doing what I love, but it seems to raise a lot of red flags to potential employers. So document all of your crazy adventures so that you have something to point to. Or start your own thing along the way.
Warning about this, I've been doing this for the last five years, and it's made re-entering the job market difficult. I've spent the time working on Open Source software and doing what I love, but it seems to raise a lot of red flags to potential employers. So document all of your crazy adventures so that you have something to point to. Or start your own thing along the way.
I really think that CVs (i.e. chronological listings of your career steps) should not be required for hiring. It is undignifying that we have to lay bare where life has taken us, just so that we can get a job.
Instead, people should be allowed to list experiences that are relevant to the position. And then it is also fine to say, that one has worked for X years on something. But anything that is not related to the job should not be necessary to share.
Instead, people should be allowed to list experiences that are relevant to the position. And then it is also fine to say, that one has worked for X years on something. But anything that is not related to the job should not be necessary to share.
But you are allowed to do that!
Having been on the receiving end of a lot of CVs I can’t say that I expect any particular structure.
A CV is just like “technical specifications”. As long as it honesty tries to convey wether you are worth my time to evaluate for a particular role you can structure it anyway you like.
Having been on the receiving end of a lot of CVs I can’t say that I expect any particular structure.
A CV is just like “technical specifications”. As long as it honesty tries to convey wether you are worth my time to evaluate for a particular role you can structure it anyway you like.
> But you are allowed to do that!
Things you are allowed to do +1
Thanks. Even though you are the first person who tells me this. Plenty of career workshops say the opposite.
Things you are allowed to do +1
Thanks. Even though you are the first person who tells me this. Plenty of career workshops say the opposite.
Whenever you think to yourself that you have to do things a certain way, it's good to remember that it's really all just a bunch of people on the other side.
Hiring managers and recruiters are just people, looking for other people to give jobs to. However you convince them to do it is what works.
Hiring managers and recruiters are just people, looking for other people to give jobs to. However you convince them to do it is what works.
Yes, you are allowed to do that. You do occasionally run into someone who checks for gaps - someone asked me about a gap 20 years ago recently. Although I don't know if they actually cared or just had engineer's checking brain engaged. If they expect you to be that vanilla you may not want to work with them
- remember the point of a CV, just like the rest of the process, is to maximise the chance of getting a placement you match, not just maximise the chance of getting to the next step. Causing people you wouldn't want to work with to filter you out is a plus.
I wouldn’t do that. Let me explain this from the perspective of a hiring manager.
For a compelling position, it’s not unheard of to get 100 resumes per one spot (the ratio for my positions about 1:85). That’s a lot of resumes to go through. Often you’re hiring multiple people, so there are literally hundreds of resumes!
You can’t possibly interview everyone who applied, so you have to filter. Sometimes it’s easy (eg you’re hiring a senior but the candidate has only 2 yrs experience) but that’s rare. You have to develop more filters, or you’ll drown.
If I see a resume with a recent gap, it presents a question: What’s up? Why was this person not employed? There are many reasons, many not good. So I’ll pass, there are many other resumes without this problem.
Doing your own thing doesn’t mean there needs to be a gap. Write what you did! Call it a Startup or Startup Explorations. Talk about the idea, the tech, the UX, the marketing, all of it. This will show that you’re a self starter, a problem solver. Leaving the years empty doesn’t show any of that.
Let me leave you with this pragmatic thought: We can argue here if chronological resumes are good or bad, and what we should have instead. In the real world, that doesn’t matter because everybody else is submitting a resume, and you want yours to stand out for the better, not for worse.
You can’t possibly interview everyone who applied, so you have to filter. Sometimes it’s easy (eg you’re hiring a senior but the candidate has only 2 yrs experience) but that’s rare. You have to develop more filters, or you’ll drown.
If I see a resume with a recent gap, it presents a question: What’s up? Why was this person not employed? There are many reasons, many not good. So I’ll pass, there are many other resumes without this problem.
Doing your own thing doesn’t mean there needs to be a gap. Write what you did! Call it a Startup or Startup Explorations. Talk about the idea, the tech, the UX, the marketing, all of it. This will show that you’re a self starter, a problem solver. Leaving the years empty doesn’t show any of that.
Let me leave you with this pragmatic thought: We can argue here if chronological resumes are good or bad, and what we should have instead. In the real world, that doesn’t matter because everybody else is submitting a resume, and you want yours to stand out for the better, not for worse.
What’s up? Maybe they just needed a break and/or they’ve been ill or burnt out. This doesn’t mean they’re useless.
I agree with you, but it’s quite easy to see how any of those could be seen as a negative by a prospective employer.
Well I too am a hiring manager. We get a lot of resume's but most are eliminated for just plain not being a good match to the job description.
In our case we have a fast moving project and so need people with specific skill sets. So having the right skill set has much greater weight than a CV gap.
TBF I would want to know what happened if you are just coming back into the market after a year or more, but if you have one gap is a year or so back and you've been working since, I don't see how that is a problem. I'd be more worried about someone who had no gap but never held a job down for more than 6 months.
Its true that if you are hiring a bunch of common roles you need to filter the CVs somehow.
In our case we have a fast moving project and so need people with specific skill sets. So having the right skill set has much greater weight than a CV gap.
TBF I would want to know what happened if you are just coming back into the market after a year or more, but if you have one gap is a year or so back and you've been working since, I don't see how that is a problem. I'd be more worried about someone who had no gap but never held a job down for more than 6 months.
Its true that if you are hiring a bunch of common roles you need to filter the CVs somehow.
If a gap causes you to pass, I’ll pass too… thanks.
I work to live, not live to work.
I work to live, not live to work.
A recent gap might be the firewall that prevents burnout. You're self-selecting into a higher chance of imminent burnout.
Anytime someone asks me why I’ve “jumped around so many places” or held so many jobs I simply reply back that “Life for me is very different from you. I have no house to pay for, I have no family to care for, I have no ties to where I am. I follow my passions but never leave a project unfinished and undocumented.”
I’m honest about what I did during any lengthy leave of work.
I’ve experienced no company loyalty so I give none. It’s a contract, an agreement, nothing more. I always will emphasize my talents and skills and explain how that fits into the role I’m seeking. 90% of the time this works but occasionally there’s someone who thinks it’s career suicide to leave a job before 10 years.
They are mostly boomers.
I’m honest about what I did during any lengthy leave of work.
I’ve experienced no company loyalty so I give none. It’s a contract, an agreement, nothing more. I always will emphasize my talents and skills and explain how that fits into the role I’m seeking. 90% of the time this works but occasionally there’s someone who thinks it’s career suicide to leave a job before 10 years.
They are mostly boomers.
Eh, I did this. I fucked off for 2 1/2 years to travel the world. All I "built" in all that time, was a silly art newsletter (https://randomdailyart.com/).
It was fine, I went back to work over a year ago and made more money than I ever have before.
It was fine, I went back to work over a year ago and made more money than I ever have before.
After I did this, I didn't even want to reenter the job market.
This is the real danger.
Not that employers wouldn't want to hire you, but that you've tasted too much freedom and your brain will never put up with the bullshit that is modern corporate employment ever again.
Not that employers wouldn't want to hire you, but that you've tasted too much freedom and your brain will never put up with the bullshit that is modern corporate employment ever again.
Too real, after 2 1/2 years. :-/
when i do that, i list "freelancer" as employment, and i mention all the projects that i have worked on during that time.
For what it's worth, I did this for about a year with ML when the pandemic hit and was able to get a job paying double my old salary. Not always going to be the case, of course.
Or do something that turns a profit on your own. Saas is a kind of magic when you can support yourself on recurring revenue and automation. You don’t need to make much to buy control of your own time back.
If you do this, its smart to create an LLC which you front your work with. Employers may not be bullish on hiring from small shops, but it should avoid red flags.
I did this, it was a piece of cake. My city/state apparently hate businesses, so it ended up costing about $800 total, but I had an official tax ID and everything.
I went back into the salaried workforce eventually, and the background check company just wanted some proof that my company existed, which I covered by showing them the business license or something (can't remember exactly what I did). Practically zero hassle. (I just told the truth in the interview that I wasn't proving to be a business genius, and I was worried I'd eventually fall behind on technical topics)
I went back into the salaried workforce eventually, and the background check company just wanted some proof that my company existed, which I covered by showing them the business license or something (can't remember exactly what I did). Practically zero hassle. (I just told the truth in the interview that I wasn't proving to be a business genius, and I was worried I'd eventually fall behind on technical topics)
Perfect! Ooc do you keep the old business license around for side projects? I've thought of creating a corp for this purpose.
nah, it was way too expensive, it only makes sense to have when you're doing something that could theoretically earn money
Bargain on price.
Not in a "regular" retail store, but in any case where a single person has the authority to adjust the price: any kind of street market, for instance.
True story: I was in England and with some friends who live there, and we were going to an "artist open studios" day. I mentioned that back in the States, I routinely offered less money to the artist than they were asking. Not a whole lot less, just 10-20%. The "asking price" for a piece of one-off art is completely arbitrary anyway and the artist is almost always happy to bargain.
My British friend looked horrified. I don't know if everyone there would consider it rude, or just her.
Not in a "regular" retail store, but in any case where a single person has the authority to adjust the price: any kind of street market, for instance.
True story: I was in England and with some friends who live there, and we were going to an "artist open studios" day. I mentioned that back in the States, I routinely offered less money to the artist than they were asking. Not a whole lot less, just 10-20%. The "asking price" for a piece of one-off art is completely arbitrary anyway and the artist is almost always happy to bargain.
My British friend looked horrified. I don't know if everyone there would consider it rude, or just her.
> Not in a "regular" retail store
Even in "regular" retail stores. I have successfully bargained in big box stores, it doesn't always work of course, but even these stores are usually managed by humans and salesmen, especially those with experience are often allowed some margin.
Even in "regular" retail stores. I have successfully bargained in big box stores, it doesn't always work of course, but even these stores are usually managed by humans and salesmen, especially those with experience are often allowed some margin.
Worked for me once when buying an iPhone at a local electronics store using the price on Amazon as leverage.
People I've known who do sewing and needlework and stuff seem to have perennial stories about clueless people asking if they can buy or commission a piece without the vaguest concept of how much time and effort went into the one on display.
There is so much marketing around "hand crafted" products that people forget it's all either fake/weasel words or done in very low wage places.
There is so much marketing around "hand crafted" products that people forget it's all either fake/weasel words or done in very low wage places.
Is anyone able to do that ? Looks like a lot of planing and special circumstances and friends with specific needs to make it work.
- Live in multiple places with multiple people
- Arrange your own timeshare system with friends
- E.g. a group of nine friends can rent three three-bedroom apartments in three citiesI'll upvote this every time it's posted. Not a perfect list by any means, but people (read: me) can benefit a lot from being reminded of this stuff from time to time.
> Seriously, just put WD-40 on that squeaky hinge already
Tip: WD-40 is for cleaning rust. It's not a very good lubricant. For squeaky hinges, or many kinds of metal-to-metal contact, you want 3-In-One oil, which is a real lubricant that's in most hardware stores.
Tip: WD-40 is for cleaning rust. It's not a very good lubricant. For squeaky hinges, or many kinds of metal-to-metal contact, you want 3-In-One oil, which is a real lubricant that's in most hardware stores.
WD-40 has so many old wives tales about it who knows what it is really for. Off the top of my head: lubrication, water displacement, loosening stuck bolts/penetrating oil, oil for sharpening things, solvent, cleaning products, assembly lube.
WD-40 works great as a temporary lubricant. This makes it good for stuff like loosening bolts, and means that it will stop the hinge from squeaking - but after a while it will evaporate and the hinge will squeak again. This is why you want to replace it with a proper oil for anything permanent.
There's also some horrifying home medical "remedies" involving WD-40
It also helps improve whiteboard surfaces! You can turn dirt-cheap white "showerboard" into a mediocre whiteboard by spraying it with WD-40.
Water Displacement 40
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Just use olive oil or whatever you have in your kitchen. Works just as well.
More accurate title: Things you're allowed to do if you're wealthy and highly educated.
You're also allowed to write erotic fairytale fan fiction and publish it on the internet.
Just because you're allowed to do something, and by 'allowed' I assume it means, not breaking the laws written down by your local, state, and national legislative bodies, doesn't mean you should do that thing. (And, conversely, there also may be things you aren't technically allowed to do that might sometimes be a good idea to do, although any such actions should be contemplated judiciously).
Just because you're allowed to do something, and by 'allowed' I assume it means, not breaking the laws written down by your local, state, and national legislative bodies, doesn't mean you should do that thing. (And, conversely, there also may be things you aren't technically allowed to do that might sometimes be a good idea to do, although any such actions should be contemplated judiciously).
Or you might end up writing 50 Shades of Grey (which started as an erotic Twilight fanfic published on the internet) and set yourself and your kids up for life. Ymmv.
https://www.businessinsider.com/fifty-shades-of-grey-started...
https://www.businessinsider.com/fifty-shades-of-grey-started...
Are you saying one shouldn't write erotic fairytale fan fiction and publish it on the internet? If so, why?
Not the GP, but if you're into writing erotic fanfic I'd say it's polite to avoid subject matter which might result in children being accidentally exposed to it.
IIRC this was Rowling's basis for saying "Harry Potter fanfic is fine as long as it's not erotic" -- too many kids searching online for everything Harry Potter.
IIRC this was Rowling's basis for saying "Harry Potter fanfic is fine as long as it's not erotic" -- too many kids searching online for everything Harry Potter.
Based on my high school experience. The vast majority of erotic fantasy fanfic is written by ~13 year olds.
Becomes muddy when you account for the 'children' who write some of the erotic fanfic....
Because someone might accidentally read it. Unacceptable risk.
You are replying to the title of the post, rather than the content. Most things on this list are valid and useful.
Also the attack on the strawman is very elementary as well.
Also the attack on the strawman is very elementary as well.
I'm sorry, I thought the title was a bit click-baity is all, and was following a rather worn out marketing ploy: "Liberate yourself, you're allowed to [spend money on these products]! Freedom! And here's some personal growth tips to go along with that."
Got it. I perceived the title as a good midpoint between clickbait and boring. What would you recommend as an alternative title?
Also, if I may, you may be associating this article too heavily with the field of self-help. I personally am not a fan of self-growth tips (most are bad), but I thought this article was not bad. For instance, you don’t really think to hire a personal researcher. And also, it’s just a list, not prose selling an idea. Also most “products” on this list are abstract.
Also, if I may, you may be associating this article too heavily with the field of self-help. I personally am not a fan of self-growth tips (most are bad), but I thought this article was not bad. For instance, you don’t really think to hire a personal researcher. And also, it’s just a list, not prose selling an idea. Also most “products” on this list are abstract.
A gentleman is one who can play the bagpipes, but doesn't.
Terminology is confusing, but usually made to measure is when a garment (jacket, coat, shirt, trousers) is made to your specifications on demand. Services vary, but usually the size will be adjusted to your measurements, and you can choose fabrics and construction details.
Many local tailors will do this, and the price isn't much higher than an off the rack piece. If you are buying from a high street brand off the rack you are most certainly getting ripped. Many brands use poor fabrics, choice is limited, and fit isn't great. A made to measure piece will be cheaper, can use better fabrics, will definitely fit better, and gives you plenty of choice and customization. It's almost like a cheat code for nice clothes!!
For example a commissioned a wool jacket in a Loro Piana fabric from a local tailor. I was able to add details such as contrast colour stitching in button holes, custom lining and my monogram on the interior. The cost was about 20% (that is, 80% off) from a comparable jacket from Loro Piana, and using the exact same fabric, which a much better fit to boot.
Likewise you can pay tailors to alter garments. Alterations isn't magic but sometimes you can buy second hand or vintage and get a piece that suits you much better.
A caveat here is that in this case you get what you pay for and construction might not always be great. I had tailors that did great jobs, others that did lousy jobs, and others that do not so great jobs, but the price is so cheap that I put with them.