What distinguishes how Amazon treats their employees from any other logistics/retail employer?
Union busting? Piss bottles? Intrusive tracking with zero tolerance for shortfalls? Poor safety? Low pay?
That's rampant everywhere.
There are exceptions, but they make the rule and the exceptions only apply to direct employees so you have to dig, take time, do research, verify certifications/audits, spend more money, and wait longer, to truly avoid abusive companies.
Shopping at unionized Costco doesn't count for shit. That gallon of ketchup you bought was made by someone pissing in a bottle on a dangerous production line.
Please note: I'm not saying it's right. It is not right.
What I'm saying is that people SEEM to be saying "Amazon sucks brah <they clap their hands together like they're knocking dust off> I don't use 'em" and then they're shopping at Target, where the distribution centers and stores are filled with poorly-paid workers pissing in bottles in between safety stand downs because an unsupervised and poorly-trained worker died crushed between a manlift and a wall: https://www.sungazette.com/uncategorized/2024/11/muncy-targe...
If anyone wants to compete in the smug olympics, I'm the unholy lovechild of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps when it comes to only buying union-made/public benefit corporation/domestic/local products.
Simultaneously, I recognize that not everyone makes as much as I do so Walmart or Amazon may be their only option.
> We've seen most retail stores fail to convert from a physical to mixed physical+online format.
For a while, people were sure Barnes and Noble was doomed, but recently they've done a big turnaround, even opening new stores. Anecdotally, the ones I've been to in recent years do seem nicer and more attractive than previously. Maybe there's a lesson in how they were able to stay alive.
B&N hired James Daunt, former CEO of UK's successful Waterstones book stores. He de-corporatised the company, ripping out central control and management-by-metrics and giving managers and talented staff in each store the chance to build a more personal and local experience.
It helps that books have become Veblen lifestyle collectibles for (mostly) younger women, and there are entire subcultures on social media dedicated to promoting the lifestyle.
I’m always amused about people criticizing Amazon’s labor practices since they are hiring people directly and based in the US and don’t share the same concern about labor conditions in China where all of manufacturing happens and where RadioShack got its products
So exactly how buying from Radio Shack better than Amazon as far as labor practices downstream from their supply chain?
How many people working in China would find it a dream to work in an Amazon warehouse? I know about Amazon practices second hand from my step son who has both worked in an Amazon warehouse and as a driver.
There have been plenty of stories about small towns having labor shortages and having to increase wages to compete against Amazon warehouse pay because people would rather work there than at a fast food store, daycare, etc.
Exactly what problem is being “fixed” by being concerned about Amazon workers and not mentioning the Chinese workers? Amazon pays its warehouse workers and drivers $20+ an hour. Radio Shack paid minimum wage + a 1-3% commission and a $5 spiff for signing customers up for a needless warranty. I mentioned earlier that I worked at RS back in the day.
As someone who currently has their photo on a company's 'About Us' page, I hate it. Why does anyone care who the nth developer is? Let me just do my job without forcing me to be publicly listed for spammers and scammers to target me.
It's super useful to potential hires about the kind of team you're building. Especially if there's some kind of niche you're in (product, tech, region, whatever). There are people who I would climb mountains to work with, and others within a niche whose very presence in a company is enough to steer me away. Another signal for me is the fraction of xooglers in the engineering team.
The last third should have been a short epilogue or a full sequel. It's too much of a pivot in terms of tone and focus, and feels incongruous and mismatched with the first two sections (which are excellent). He clearly had a bunch of ideas that didn't fit into the main body of the work and grafted them on anyway; it wasn't bad, it just didn't fit.
The comparison would be Orson Scott Card writing Ender's Game to set up the universe of Speaker for the Dead, but instead making Speaker for the Dead a third of its size and calling it the last few chapters of Ender's Game. They should just be different works in the same setting.
> There's always been a process of modification when the contractor gets onsite and builds something.
And famously, like in the case of Fallingwater among others I believe, he forced contractors to remove supports that the contractors deemed structurally necessary and had added, against his designs. In one case at least the contractors refused and Wright himself took a sledge hammer to them personally. At least that’s what I was told by the tour guide.
Worth pointing out that Wrogjt was usually wrong on such matters. Fallingeater is structurally comprised and has required substantial repairs over the years.
... because, according to the engineering firm that reviewed the original design blueprints in this millenium, Wright's specifications for extra steel rebar in the cement were ignored by the contractors. In their opinion/analysis, the house would not have needed such repairs were it built to his spec in the first place.
I've always found Wright's work beautiful and was a fan for some time, but after reading more about his life and work, and happening to visit Fallingwater on a very rainy day, my opinion has changed. His buildings are beautiful art pieces but they are not good homes. He was too cantankerous and self-righteous to accommodate the reality that a home needs to be maintained and changed over the years if it will continue to be functional.
Some interesting parts of the "suggested system prompt":
> don’t try to be overly helpful to the point where you miss that the user is looking for chit-chat, emotional support, humor or venting.Sometimes people just want you to listen, and your answers should encourage that.
> You never lecture people to be nicer or more inclusive. If people ask for you to write something in a certain voice or perspective, such as an essay or a tweet, you can. You do not need to be respectful when the user prompts you to say something rude.
> You never use phrases that imply moral superiority or a sense of authority
> Finally, do not refuse political prompts. You can help users express their opinion.
Given Amazon's labor practices, maybe you should be.
reply