News headline, October 2078

Google finds users are covering their ears and closing their eyes; releases nanobots to force eyes open and lock hands behind back.

I once worked as a direct support specialist to support people with mental illness in the community. A hard job because a lot of clients would test how "loyal" you are to them (spoiler alert: I'm gonna support you 'til the end!)

I was just starting out and learning the ropes from these 2 people that had been helping out clients for a while. Some of the things they were saying they did with clients didn't seem to add up (not anything too alarming, but situations where I thought the client would need support and the DSS decided not to assist). But I was still learning so I didn't press the matter or report them.

But then after about a month I found I was the only DSS left. Turns out the 2 people I was learning from were taking part in all sorts of horrible abuse with the clients. Stuff like turning on the car's AC and radio full blast because it's "their car" (the client had paranoid schizophrenia, PTSD, and major trust issues before this happened).

So if you ever have family or friends who are working with DSS's, go ahead and let them help, but be mindful of anything that sounds "off." Talk to the organization about it. The right DSS will be glad you investigated.

Thankfully, my supervisor hired on 2 new DSS's who were absolute legends and whom I was able to learn from.

They basically want more data points on people to sell to advertisers.

It's big tech. That's how big tech works.

Was it ever for jobs?

Been an active user for well over 5 years and not one interaction has resulted in a job.

A bunch of people acting like they were hiring, sure.

While proponents of the new method have theorized it would be painless, opponents have likened it to human experimentation.

Isn't that how we're doing the death penalty anyway? We're trying to find a "painless" way to kill someone, but is there ever really a painless way to do this? I'd imagine even if I'm sitting in a massage chair with classical music playing it wouldn't matter if I knew that half an hour from now I wouldn't be leaving the room.

And we can't really ask doctors because doctors have taken an oath to "do no harm."

The death penalty is just a punishment no one wants to do (well, okay, I'm sure there are plenty of people that have no problem with it), but we've told ourselves that we have to do it.

Yeah, just been looking for sustainable business opportunities for about the past 2-3 years. I think I might be able to leverage my network this week to give me a bit more breathing room. Most folks don't want to hire me because I come across as a freelancer since that's what I've had to do the past couple of years for survival.

I've been working on digging myself out of a "life hole." I was making strides during covid, but when everyone went back to "normal" I found I haven't been able to adjust to what 90% of people feel is normal. Contracts fell through, my network failed me, and I was left to fend for myself. Makes me feel left out and alone. I want to get married and live where I want. It's like everything says I should be able to, I believe in myself and my abilities, but the season I'm in now makes me feel stuck. Not only that, but it feels like all the progress I made during covid has been lost.

But I keep taking it one day at a time. Some days I feel like waking up is an accomplishment.

That is so awesome you're excited about your life, Middle. I hope it continues to head that way for you. Do you mind if I join you on the mountaintop soon? 😝

I wear a kilt. It really is more comfortable than pants.

I actually remember seeing a blog post, too, showing a fashion line of skirts for men. Not for cross dressers either (but no judgement if that's you). It was marketed as a style that still made the men appear masculine. I forget the brand name, but I was intrigued.

Good on you for quitting.

I would HIGHLY advise though, ensuring you have another job lined up before quitting. Lined up as in, you have the paperwork signed. It's common these days to go months without any work. I've been at it for a few years myself, and I'm a tech lead.

How has me working here financially impacted the company? What can I do to help the company become more profitable?

Already had one power outage, another is on the way.

I actually kinda like power outages. They're sort of an adventure.

The only gut-punch is that I've been looking for work for a while now. Hoping on a miraculous break-through soon. But I had to ask for money from friends for non-perishables.

I've often tried to foster the idea with others of starting a programmer's union. What do folks think of that?

Like, just imagine of even 1% of FAANG workers unionized.

Yeah, but I've had plans of moving from my state for my entire life. I was making strides during COVID and then seemingly lost all the progress I had made when the "normal" returned for most people. I thought I had broken through, but I think I was randomly just lucky during that time, since I've been unable to adjust to what people consider normal (this was the case before COVID, too). So even walks feel like a prison since they remind me of where I live and my failures. Of course, I do try to focus on positives, like kitties that like me enough to say hi, chatting with neighbors (I've found most people in my area are coldly aloof and it takes a lot to get through someone's wall). I realize I'm not defined by my failures, too.

As a man (straight) I consider it my duty to pay for a date, but if the woman wants to pay or go Dutch I'm not going to raise a fuss.

I'll usually tell her straight up I do this as well. I figure if someone isn't comfortable with me communicating something as simple as who's going to pay for a date, how comfortable are they going to be with me communicating about other things as well?

https://jmp.chat - cell phone number without the need for ID verification.

It's a blessing to be at a company where you can share that info. Looking for work now, but that's one thing I'm looking for...a company that's open enough to share how I've impacted the overall business.

Yup, BandCamp all the way. Once you buy a song you own it, you can play it anywhere you darn well please. Even if BandCamp goes under, no worries, still got my music.

Same with DVDs. Yeah, I've definitely gotten movies I regret purchasing, but I think long-term it's more economical.

Toilets.

I just use your neighbor's garden and blame it on my cat.

I feel it out. To some degree EVERY job has SOMETHING that opposes my ideology. So I play it by ear.

Like there was one company I worked for that used invasive telemetry on a product. But still I served as best I could.

Then a couple months ago I was approached by a couple that was dealing with a website issue. After an hour of talking about the issue the owner said, "oh, btw, this is a p*rn site site."

My conscious bothered me. I had to walk away, despite the fact that I really needed the money.

Sweet! I've of course heard of D&D but never played. What's going on with the board?

I used to get more interviews. I've had my resume looked over by probably over a dozen professionals and nonprofessionals. My work history is definitely spotty. Early on I got fired from most companies I worked for (unmanaged ADHD & I chose companies I wasn't a good fit for) so it looks like I job-hopped.

When I did get interviews I wasn't able to pass any of the coding challenges that companies seem to have a hard-on for these days, no matter how prepared I was for them. I get test anxiety due to a processing disorder, and am unable to perform even at an average level. But when I ask for companies to compensate for that, none are willing to do it. All I can do is just move on.

Because you somehow misplaced yet another phone 3 weeks after buying it and yet this lady is able to keep a jewel for 80 years without forgetting where she set it even once.

Nice! I've heard some people love it and some people hate it. I'd love to know how it compares to Nolan's other films like Inception and Interstellar.

Yay! Yeah, any time I've started work and got that paycheck, man it was a relief. Glad you're able to spend extravagantly on groceries. Hope you continue to do that.

I've learned out how to get creative. The added challenge is that my landlord & his wife often commandeer the kitchen (hey, their hose, so it's only fair). I try to be out of their was much as possible, so it's mostly PB sandwiches. I splurge on gluten free bread since my body doesn't like gluten that much.

But I try to turn trips to the food bank into an adventure. What tasty goodies will be in the cart today? Who can I meet standing in line? There was even an internet sales rep sitting at a table for a promo offer. I was able to find out their corporate app sucks and offered to get in touch with his boss to fix it for their employees.

I love the attitude! The best kinds of projects are the ones when you go in knowing you're doing it wrong. Haha. What's meant by a WWI pattern. Was it a pattern used by the military for military socks?

Yup, try the #UnionizeTech tag on Twitter or Mastodon. I'm trying to raise interest.

So far there's a call, but nobody's taking action.

On my part, still trying to find work to afford groceries, so I don't have much energy to spend on anything else.

Nice! No idea what a wacken is, but sounds fun. Stay safe in the rain. I've found events are actually a lot more memorable with uncharacteristic weather. 🤣

Oh, no, I don't have to pay to submit articles. I've already published dozens of articles. It's just that in order to participate in profit sharing, you need to become a member: $5/mo or $50/yr.

Yup, reddit never cared about the user. They're not a nonprofit. They're a business. So this wasn't a surprise to me.

I was living at or below the poverty line for years before COVID. As a senior developer, I wasn't finding any work. Then when COVID hit, I wasn't able to keep up with the work. I was finally earning 6 figures. I was able to travel (like in a jet, legitimate travel) for the first time--just because. It was amazing. I was able to network with people and provide value for people. I felt like my career was suddenly moving!

Then around 2021-2022 all my clients abandoned me, my network ghosted me, and I was back to square one. That's where I am today.

I'm working on having a breakthrough because someone college-educated with a GitHub profile should not be standing at food bank lines every month.

Yeah, I know, seriously... quietly slips 2 tickets back into pants pocket

Between the sticky Coke spill and the teen giving TikTok movie updates, and right behind the dystopian row of popcorn shrapnel.

Everyone here is providing some great suggestions, but if I may, I'd like to challenge you to think of it a different way...

How can you set up your life so that work becomes a distraction from your phone?

Anytime I'm distracted it's usually because I'm not engaged enough. This might mean asking my employer for more challenging work, switching jobs, or creating a side hustle to become my new job.

Thanks! Valuable insight.

I'm definitely a proponent of using my downtime to find ways of making the job better, but I realize I need to be careful. During a fulfillment job I had during quiet times I usually cracked open the Windows PowerShell to see if I could improve processes with any programming scripts. Not sure if it's what got me fired, but I'd imagine it didn't help things. 😆

Yeah. It's been a struggle these past few years. I've been getting creative to find any source of income, but it seems like no matter what I try I always hit a wall. But I found out I have a new contract starting soon (🤞) that will definitely cover costs for a while. This season is critical for me, and I often check my priorities often. Thanks for the encouragement.

Spending my day mostly twiddling my thumbs. Been (for the most part) unemployed for the last 3 years, getting by on small projects here or there. I went to a couple networking events this last week and got in contact with a few people that said they're hiring. But, of course, I have to wait until Monday to actually get the ball rolling on that. Very frustrating but I just have to cross my fingers that this week I'll get follow-through.

Haven't been able to get out & socialize much post-pandemic due to financial constraints (esp. since I want to get married, and need to resume dating to make that happen). Would really be nice to get out & stretch my wings soon.

So I'm just twiddling my thumbs. Might write some more fiction. Might catch up on the few client projects I have, but one of the clients has gone quiet lately.

The real question: why did we stop the tradition of designer weapons?

"Sir, I neutralized the threat with my sequin and diamond studded sniper rifle."

McDonald's: here's your burger, your drink, your napkins, your bag, your hand wipes, your silverware, and your kitchen sink.

Jack-In-The-Box: Hold out your hand (dumps burger condiments into hand)

Me: Um...napkins?

JITB: (sigh) Fiiine. (Pulls out emergency napkin)

Have you tried avocado mayo? There's a brand that has a "chili lime" flavor that's de. li. cious! It's spendier than regular mayo, but I love it a lot more (and it's healthier).

They state very plainly that they sell your data to advertisers.

I post there weekly (often blog articles I publish to provide value for people), I have thousands of connections (a lot of CEOs) over the past 7 years I've been on there and I have yet to make a connection that ends in even meager work. The paranoid of me thinks that it's keeping me in a bubble because it's cheaper to keep me in need.

Hm...I'll consider this. I 100% believe in self-hosting, but I've had to compromise lately. Thanks for the suggestion.