When USSR was crumbling, factories were also paying workers in products they manufactured.

[riley@toot.cat]

@rysiek So, you're suggesting that they set up company towns where one could buy overpriced nutrition slop with tokens

[klausfiend@mstdn.ca]

@rysiek I work for an AI company and if it tried this, I'd look for a new gig. This is even less useful than free snacks—those are at least good for empty calories. Just pay me money for my labor. I'm not here for the decor.

[mangochutney@social.lol]

@rysiek @trendsbot how much tokens for a food?

[dvshkn@social.treehouse.systems]

@rysiek After skimming the article I'm kinda torn on this. I think would-be-employees asking about what kind of resources (and quotas) they'll have at the job are fair questions. I think employers trying to frame it as comp is scummy. Your comp package includes 20 cups of coffee per pay period.

[mrundkvist@archaeo.social]

@rysiek
I agree that this is a sign of the impending #aicrash. But your economic analysis seems a little off.

These employers are hiring shoemakers. But if you take the job it isn't certain whether there will be any shoemaking tools for you at your workstation.

It's just a severely undercapitalised shoe factory.

#aibubble #llm #ai

[zbrown@floss.social]

@rysiek @richlv @montar yeah it tends towards moot but I think it's still fair/important point that soviet output was theoretically useful, however much it was hammered screws in practice, as opposed to silicon valley which just sorts fails at every level, and can't even be used for parts or scrap.

[natkr@hachyderm.io]

@rysiek Sadly, my union appears to have bought into the bullshit too. Sigh.

[zbrown@floss.social]

@henryk @davidgerard they call it just ‘world’ now, and are partnered with Tinder for goodness knows why

[seachaint@masto.hackers.town]

@rysiek The only difference here is that this company scrip is addictive and psychosis inducing

[pcat@mstdn.plus]

@rysiek Can we just burn Silicon Valley down? It's clear that they've gone mad with wealth and power. You're not going to reform guys like Zuckerberg, Bezos, and Thiel. Read how the billionaires talk about the rest of us in the Epstein emails. They really want to bring back 19th century style wage slavery, complete with company script. These psychos own the governments of the world in one way or another. When is enough going to be enough?

[zhizhu@newsie.social]

@rysiek

For those unfamiliar with the evils of company towns, here's an illustrated explainer:

You’re Lucky You Have a House, Peasant!
https://thenib.com/company-towns-history/

[patterfloof@meow.social]

@rysiek *sigh* another week of posting this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOf1BC3ygJY

(clipped from The Fine Print by The Stupendium)

[akamran@indieweb.social]

@ZhiZhu @rysiek thanks for this!

[zhizhu@newsie.social]

@akamran @rysiek

You're welcome!

[annaf@climatejustice.social]

@rysiek basically you are then forgoing part of your salary to pay the AI that is making you supposedly more efficient instead of getting a day off?

[lookwhatthecatdraggedin@mastodon.social]

@rysiek "Circus started to pay their workers in products they manufacture. Manager gathered all clowns together and laughed in their faces"

[alda@topspicy.social]

@NasaGuy @rysiek Mine owners also had a company bar at the camps, which took the company scrip. Many owed money to the company at the end of the week instead of making money.