G21 - MEMOIRS OF THE INFORMATION AGE: "It Was an Age of Exploitation"

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It Was an Age of Exploitation

by Rod Amis

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"...Web workers are the most powerful workforce in the world today (in bottom-line terms of revenue per employee) and yet are by and large exploited. Although relatively well paid, most web workers see a hierarchy of management and salespeople above them who reap much larger rewards with much less effort." --- W4U

INTERACTIVITY
A space holder.

"Workers of the World, Unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!"

@E-MARKETING

COMPETITIVENESS
Despite all the wonderful hype about how free, open, and egalitarian the World Wide Web (Web) is, all too many of the people involved in creating the images and pages enjoyed by everyone find themselves the most exploited workers since the era of Sweat Shops.
Bait and switch is a popular game among New Media companies. They promise stock options instead of a Living Wage, they don't offer benefits at all, and they demand that their minions provide "sweat equity" to the exciting new company by working 60 - 80 hour weeks in order to demonstrate their loyalty and commitment. It's the old game of "Blue Sky."
The Memoirs Logo. Down the road, when the company hits, when the company does its IPO or gets bought out by Microsoft or Alta Vista, you'll get yours.
Only --- as all-too-many of the discarded bodies of Net Slaves on the side of the road can prove to those willing to open their eyes for half-a-second --- these are hollow promises.
IF you are willing to hang on for that Pie-In-The-Sky IPO, when The Suits send out their press releases about their new paper millions, you are one dedicated SOB. IF they didn't shit-can you first, and replace you with another willing, unresentful, hungry, naive Net Slave already, that is, because of your "Attitude Problem."
So this British guy calling himself "Martian," probably because the idea of Web workers making any money is so out of this world, put up a Web page called W4U. W4U featured a short introduction, asking people to consider the plight of the Web worker, reminding them how powerful the Web has become, and asking them to fill out a questionnaire. That was it. Just a questionnaire about their own work experience and if they thought a Web workers' union was a good idea. He isn't affiliated with any union, and doesn't know where to begin with organizing Web workers. He's just fact-finding and trying to see how other Web workers are doing out there. He promises to publish the results of his poll after enough people respond.
"Freakin' Socialist! Damned Dreamer!"
"Hey, if that Limey jerk doesn't like the way things are going where he's workin', why don't he quit and start his own damned company? Why don't he go back to Russia where he belongs?
"Capitalism Rules!"
Yeah, Martian, just trot down to your local banker and tell him you need a few hundred thou' to start your own business. I'm sure he'll be glad to help out.
You're brilliant, right?

We've all heard the stories, of course. Graphic Designers hired and told that if they can complete the 90-120 day probationary period they would be hired full-time. Only NO ONE in the two year history of the company has ever managed to remain employed through the entire probationary period.
"At will" terminations.
Yet, if you talk to folks at the New York New Media Association (which just happens to have major sponsorship from Price-Waterhouse-Coopers-Lybrand) there's no problem. According to NYNMA, organizing Web workers would be deleterious to the growth of the Web and bad for the Internet economy. (READ: How would we make our Big Killings if we had to pay the drones?)
This is just another Memoir of how the wonderful Information Age economy really got started. This is the background story that explains why the stock market thinks Web ventures are worth billions of dollars.
If you have a story of your own, you might want to drop over to W4U and share it will Martian. That way he can share it with the rest of us.
RELATED LINKS:
An article about efforts in New York City to try organizing Web workers as part of the Labor Online Conference there earlier this year.

An article on the topic, and the exploitation of "New Media" workers which is all-too-well-known in Manhattan, written by Dick Jones, the Executive Vice President of Progressive Internet Alternatives, which appeared in @NY.com is here.

GLOBAL COMMUNITY

THE VERY NOTION OF PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER, FOR MUTUAL BENEFIT, IS BAD. IT MILITATES AGAINST SELF-RELIANCE, IT DESTROYS THE SPIRIT OF COMPETITION AND PROFIT, IT UNDERMINES THE WILL OF THE STATE..
THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL START WANTING TO FEED THE HUNGRY, END WAR, CLEAN UP THE PLANETARY POLLUTION. THAT WOULD BE THE END OF PROGRESS AND CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT.

A space holder.

THEY HAVE STOLEN YOUR MEMORIES.
THERE IS NO HISTORY.

THIS IS WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO BE TODAY.

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"...Web workers are the most powerful workforce in the world today (in bottom-line terms of revenue per employee) and yet are by and large exploited. Although relatively well paid, most web workers see a hierarchy of management and salespeople above them who reap much larger rewards with much less effort." --- W4U
INTERACTIVITY "Workers of the World, Unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!" @E-MARKETING COMPETITIVENESS	Despite all the wonderful hype about how free, open, and egalitarian the World Wide Web (Web) is, all too many of the people involved in creating the images and pages enjoyed by everyone find themselves the most exploited workers since the era of Sweat Shops. Bait and switch is a popular game among New Media companies. They promise stock options instead of a Living Wage, they don't offer benefits at all, and they demand that their minions provide "sweat equity" to the exciting new company by working 60 - 80 hour weeks in order to demonstrate their loyalty and commitment. It's the old game of "Blue Sky." Down the road, when the company hits, when the company does its IPO or gets bought out by Microsoft or Alta Vista, you'll get yours. Only --- as all-too-many of the discarded bodies of Net Slaves on the side of the road can prove to those willing to open their eyes for half-a-second --- these are hollow promises. IF you are willing to hang on for that Pie-In-The-Sky IPO, when The Suits send out their press releases about their new paper millions, you are one dedicated SOB. IF they didn't shit-can you first, and replace you with another willing, unresentful, hungry, naive Net Slave already, that is, because of your "Attitude Problem." So this British guy calling himself "Martian," probably because the idea of Web workers making any money is so out of this world, put up a Web page called W4U. W4U featured a short introduction, asking people to consider the plight of the Web worker, reminding them how powerful the Web has become, and asking them to fill out a questionnaire. That was it. Just a questionnaire about their own work experience and if they thought a Web workers' union was a good idea. He isn't affiliated with any union, and doesn't know where to begin with organizing Web workers. He's just fact-finding and trying to see how other Web workers are doing out there. He promises to publish the results of his poll after enough people respond. "Freakin' Socialist! Damned Dreamer!" "Hey, if that Limey jerk doesn't like the way things are going where he's workin', why don't he quit and start his own damned company? Why don't he go back to Russia where he belongs? "Capitalism Rules!" Yeah, Martian, just trot down to your local banker and tell him you need a few hundred thou' to start your own business. I'm sure he'll be glad to help out. You're brilliant, right?
We've all heard the stories, of course. Graphic Designers hired and told that if they can complete the 90-120 day probationary period they would be hired full-time. Only NO ONE in the two year history of the company has ever managed to remain employed through the entire probationary period. "At will" terminations. Yet, if you talk to folks at the New York New Media Association (which just happens to have major sponsorship from Price-Waterhouse-Coopers-Lybrand) there's no problem. According to NYNMA, organizing Web workers would be deleterious to the growth of the Web and bad for the Internet economy. (READ: How would we make our Big Killings if we had to pay the drones?) This is just another Memoir of how the wonderful Information Age economy really got started. This is the background story that explains why the stock market thinks Web ventures are worth billions of dollars. If you have a story of your own, you might want to drop over to W4U and share it will Martian. That way he can share it with the rest of us. RELATED LINKS: An article about efforts in New York City to try organizing Web workers as part of the Labor Online Conference there earlier this year. An article on the topic, and the exploitation of "New Media" workers which is all-too-well-known in Manhattan, written by Dick Jones, the Executive Vice President of Progressive Internet Alternatives, which appeared in @NY.com is here.	GLOBAL COMMUNITY THE VERY NOTION OF PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER, FOR MUTUAL BENEFIT, IS BAD. IT MILITATES AGAINST SELF-RELIANCE, IT DESTROYS THE SPIRIT OF COMPETITION AND PROFIT, IT UNDERMINES THE WILL OF THE STATE.. THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL START WANTING TO FEED THE HUNGRY, END WAR, CLEAN UP THE PLANETARY POLLUTION. THAT WOULD BE THE END OF PROGRESS AND CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT. THEY HAVE STOLEN YOUR MEMORIES. THERE IS NO HISTORY. THIS IS WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO BE TODAY.