I do software development, mostly working with full stack web apps.
this post was submitted on 02 Jun 2023
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Communism
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Your telling me your not a cosmonaut?
lol dress for the job you want :)
I can't even really describe my current responsibilities succinctly. I'm basically trying to automate and integrate business processes. Some of that is centered around ERP, some web apps (off the shelf and custom), and a bit of the usual Microsoft ~~office~~ spyware suite. It's super interesting and I like solving these types of problems to help people work on what people should actually be using their brains for (ie not menial repetitive stuff). Yet it's very frustrating since the everyone else (workers, management, owners) basically doesn't "believe" in digitalization nor industry best practices.
I really want to start a union drive, but due to some, let's say familial connections within the company, I've been more or less convinced that it's in my personal interests not to be the spark in this case.
I'm a code monkey who works in fintech.
I have friends who work in Fintech, at least one of whom considers themselves socialist. It's been hard for me to reserve judgement of them considering a choice to work in a sector which I view to be on par with CIA etc in terms of producing bad social outcomes, with the presumption that they also understand the role of finance in capitalism.
Comrade, I come only with curiosity, no judgement, and honestly, I ask the following question only to better understand some people I know IRL; Would you be willing to describe your ideological relationship to your industry and your job? How do you reconcile the contradiction of directly developing the economic base of capitalism while presumably being a communist?
Thank you, and I understand if you choose not to respond.
Would you be willing to describe your ideological relationship to your industry and your job?
Completely mercenary. I started working there before I was class conscious, and pretty much the only thing keeping me from changing jobs sooner is because I'm also doing a masters degree on the side and I don't want an unexpected change in workload to completely drown me.
How do you reconcile the contradiction of directly developing the economic base of capitalism while presumably being a communist?
By using up as much as my employer's resources for as little work as possible. If I play my cards right, I can work six hours or even less when eight hours is expected without management knowing or caring. It's not quite as absurd as those "day in the life of a tech worker" videos that were popular not long ago, but there is a kernel of truth in them. On a slow day, I might even sneak in work on something that isn't for my employer.
I think its also easier for me to justify because most of the stuff I've worked on there never reached production because upper management shit canned it several months into development.
Finally, I think the software my employer sells is more useless societally than outright harmful. It's wealth management software used by porkies and their financial advisors. Still not great, but at least it's not making drones better at killing or doing spooky behavior manipulation shit for a big tech company.
I can't have a job. I'm a programmer, and I had no problems working when a friend and me had a startup that did not earn any money. But then, when we were getting paid for work (for another company), I couldn't take it and quit after a week. I can't handle the having to work a certain amount of hours per week, when there is no work. What should I do, just sit there? Never, that's useless. Also the thing to work on was clearly useless. Everything I could get paid for is useless websites for useless companies.
The way I see it, better useless than harmful.
We live in a capitalistic society. I'm a programmer myself, and the way I see it, if we can game the system as workers, we should. The bosses do it. The investors do it. Why shouldn't we?
I’m a red seal carpenter. Mostly concrete and framing. I work away two weeks on one week off right now for a “union” or what passes for a union around here.
I cant really give too much detail into what my job actually involves but the simple version is I'm a tech writer for a pharmaceutical company but the kind of writing I do isn't super transferable to a lot of other areas, even within the pharma industry. Which had made job hunting a removed. I am kind of out in a rural area so remote working really opened me up to a lot of new possibilities and way better pay ranges compared to local. Now that remote work is dwindling though all those possibilities are crumbling away and I can't find shit local. I don't want to have to move for a job. It fucking sucks. All because some rich fucks need to boost their investments into corporate real estate by forcing people back into offices.
I've been around a lot of menial work. Trolley pusher, warehouse work, pizza delivery - right now I'm settled into a very cozy corporate gig doing health insurance. It's remote work and incredibly easy so I'm sticking with it.
Just like you I do have aspirations of getting into a job that feels more meaningful and is actually essential for my community. The one constant through all of my jobs, no matter how hard or easy they are, is that they feel pointless. I'm just a cog in the machine and don't get to see or enjoy the output of my labor. No matter how good a job is, I just can't be happy in the long term like that.
The one constant through all of my jobs, no matter how hard or easy they are, is that they feel pointless. I’m just a cog in the machine and don’t get to see or enjoy the output of my labor.
I feel that. Boy do I feel that
Criminal lawyer.
Work an easy remote job so I can contribute to open source software at least 6 hours a day :)
Postal worker
Postal workers are usually based and very present in the unions. It seems to be one of the few jobs in which people are still actively class conscious.
They don't call it going postal for nothing.
I guide people with their debt. It is an unending, frustrating job and it gives you a real look into how poverty and debt changes you as a person. Many people I come in contact with only think about money and what they need to pay. So much potential wasted because some instance needs money with their added fines as well. Though it must be said I also get quite a lot of people who are really bad at budgeting as well. I see 10+ cases on the daily that make enough money to be able to live comfortably, but somehow can't find a way to pay off 3k in debt. Also, multiple people who get in debt who recently bought a new Mercedes or BMW but can't pay off 700 euro. The vast majority is in poverty, though.
I wanted to switch so I applied to a job at the Union. After two interviews I made it to the final round but it will take place somewhere in the next week or two.
Debt is such a crazy thing in capitalist society. The fact that debt isn’t inherently visible (you can actively see a person experiencing life without a home, struggling through life without food), you can’t see how much someone is struggling financially and scraping to survive, I feel that it warps our idea of how other people get by. The answer is that they kind of don’t in a lot of scenarios, plenty of people die in debt.
1 in 5 Belgian people is in active debt and 1 in 6 Belgian people says they would be in major trouble were they to miss one paycheck.
1 in every 5 people I see in the street is having some form of financial problems. No one openly talks about their debt, payment plans or how many agencies are after their ass. It's like a silent epidemic in this country. I sometimes wonder what would happen if everyone just stopped acting as if they are fine and have everyone showing how problematic this situation is.
That’s extremely sad. Those numbers are already horrifying and it just gets worse and worse across the imperial core. That number sits at almost 77% of Americans being in active debt and 55-64% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck and unable to afford a 500 dollar emergency expense.
Only made worse by there being no financial literacy, no teaching of budgeting, what credit is, how to navigate loans and credit, how to save, how to open/find good bank accounts. It’s a purposeful trap.
Med student.
It's quite tiring.
sous chef
Ooo, cooking is extremely interesting and I have a lot of respect of the chefs that do it. It’s an absurdly demanding job.
yeah it is hard work....and the industry is really exploitative (they all are I guess). It can be fun though.
At least that’s a skill where you can impress other people with it, my work wouldn’t really be applicable in any other field of work except for the fact that it’s physically demanding
that is true i guess. it is tiring though
Is the stereotype true that chefs will create the most breathtaking and mouthwatering dishes all day, but then when they get off the clock they simply go to McDonalds because they don’t want/don’t have the energy to cook for themselves?
yeah mostly.....or because of the long hours and low pay will make expensive food for rich people then go home and eat garbage
also alcoholism and drug use is pretty rampant throughout the industry