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Aaron Swartz launches Job Book, an encyclopedia of jobs (sethroberts.net)
29 points by divia on Oct 30, 2007 | hide | past | favorite | 33 comments


The problem with job/salary surveys is that the people who respond tend to skew towards the more satisfied and higher paid range. That's why when I was in undergrad, all the jobs seemed so darn great - the companies sent the happiest, chirpiest employees they could find.

On a separate note, does jobbook.org look a bit under developed for a publicized app that "took several months"? Maybe there's magic behind that simple UI.


ding ding.

Personal salary surveys are considered so inaccurate that HR firms won't bother to do them. I saw something similar with salaryscout.com.

HR pros usually ignore salary data from employee sources.


It was rather disappointing but I'm sure it will grow in time. It just seemed like yet another wiki for Aaron but I was surprised too at the "several months" comment.


Aaron Swartz is to ycnews, as xkcd comics are to reddit. Instantly upvoted to top page all the time. It gets boring on both sites IMHO


What about PG?


Ron Paul


Has anyone noticed that the site is built using the infogami codebase? (http://infogami.org/dev)


Aaron seems to be using the wiki/notetaking/lightweight approach to a number of things, throwing things up and seeing what sticks. Not a bad idea per se but I have a feeling that each of these projects will need a bit more handholding and followthrough if they are to succeed. But best of luck to him.


Like a lot of UGC sites, I'm not quite clear what the incentive is for the contributors...


I like the idea. Not just for choosing careers, it's also a good source for startups that have a general idea but aren't sure what particular group of users to focus on first, and what special requirements that group has.


Interesting... some of the goals of this sound similar, and complementary, to Path101 (http://blog.path101.com).


I think I'll make a Web 2.0 startup that thinks up names for new Web 2.0 startups.

What shall I call it? Startnom? CeaseGuerre?


Aaron Swartz.. truly the most brilliant human to come to the tech world. He is a revolutionary.


I'm searching for the /sarcasm tag. Please tell me it's there somewhere.


That's a cool idea.


infogami ... reddit ... openlibrary ... jottit ... jobbook ... This guy's on fire!


True, although he abandoned Infogami to start reddit, which he left to start the rest (and that's after starting a few other now-neglected projects like the Alex Kozinski Site (http://notabug.com/kozinski/) and a proto-Wikipedia at http://theinfo.org/).

He appears to be very smart -- but a little too brilliant (http://taoyue.com/stacks/articles/brilliant-men.html).


"start reddit" ?


Yeah he definitely didn't start Reddit. He joined up with the Reddit team in December '05.


Sorry. That was a misstatement.


I liked the brilliant article.


umm... can we say ADD?

I like the web.py framework he started but some of the decissions made in there have made me scratch my head.

Still, I'd rather do what he is doing, than being a code monkey/H-1B slave, for my current company.


What decisions made you scratch your head?


"code monkey/H-1B slave"

Why the derogatory tone on non-immigrant workers? How is it slavery?


Hey, I am one of those. And, while it is not slavery, it is real indentured servitude.

If I want to stay in this country, I am forced to work all the time. If I am without a job for over 60 days, I am considered an illegal alien, and get in hot waters.

So, I can't just quit and say "want to travel asia and europe for 60 days", and then get a new job.

Or Just quit for few months, and work on something on my own.

etc.. etc..

I have 6 years of time-frame to get that Green Card. End the process of getting it is LOONG. I can't switch employers, or get a real promotion without having it to reset the process all over again.

In the meanwhile, the employer knows this, and uses in it's own advantage.

Sure, I can quit, and 1. go home, (forget about comming back to this country). 2. Switch employers (and restart the green card process again).

Still, options that are not good for me right now, so I have to put up with the "Indentured servitude" until I get my freedom (which is the green card).

This thing actually started in the early 19th century, where mexican labour would be brought from mexico to work on US lands, but they had to pay all the expenses of the travel/documents themselves. So, they had to work until they paid everything, which took years (with their very low wages). Hence they were said to be in "indentured servitude", not quite slaves, but basically between a rock and a hard place.

All my friends that got green cards, felt like they got freedom.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indentured_servant


I'm on H1B too.

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. - Eleanor Roosevelt.

I've no problems with any of the rules that come along because it was my choice to work in the US on H1B.

A correction: "I have 6 years of time-frame to get that Green Card." -- You have more than 6 years. In the given validity of H1B visa, you just have to get your I-140 filed, after which you can file for yearly increment of your H1B visa.


Yes. Also, those farmers had a "choice" not to come in the US, yet they ended up in those conditions..

If you think you are free, Just quit your job for few weeks (over 60 days), and see what happens. Illegal. Stay without a job over 6 months, and you can't get in the US for 10 years. Try to work another job, (that is not related to your profession), and it is considered illegal employment. It can be Automatic deportation. Even if you want to part-time DJ (for fun), can be considered automatic deportation.

Also, a lot of very early stage startups don't want to deal (or don't have time and money) with such immigration hassles.

Sorry, this is not complete freedom. I am treated relatively well by my company, and make good money, but I'd also like to have the option to just quit, and work something out of my own, and see where it goes. I can't right now, and neither can you, unless you want to go back to your country, and say this country good bye for good.


Intangible capital of being in the U.S. = $418,000.

http://www.reason.com/news/show/122854.html


That's a moot argument, that Mexicans are more productive in the US doesn't necessarily benefit the individual Mexican. It _is_ a great boon to the employer, though, if he can keep H1Bs with equal skills but lower wages than equivalent US workers.

Not saying that this is how it is (I haven't studied the matter), but your argument is worthless.


@ardit33 - If you want the rights of a citizen, you ought to become one.


Sure, but becoming a citizen should not be so hard for qualified people who are contributing to the country.


One has to earn every thing. Let us not pretend that we are doing anyone a favor by contributing.


So you believe that the only right way to have people earn citizenship is by forcing them to stay with the same employer for 3-6 years without a real promotion? Surely there are better alternatives.




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