A Unique Business Opportunity.
July 14, 2011 2:13 PM Subscribe
Does Craigslist ever lead to employment? I thought it was exclusively for trolling, getting people sexually assaulted, and soliciting JO buddies (no homo, just JO).
posted by Dark Messiah at 2:26 PM on July 14, 2011
posted by Dark Messiah at 2:26 PM on July 14, 2011
Craigslist is FAR less useful for employment than it ever was , sad to say. The ration of span/cons/trolls to legitimate postings is unreasonably high in most markets. The exception being those markets in which CL requires payment for a job listing.
I thing CL's days are (sadly) limited . If they would only implement a mandatory posting fee of even a single dollar the situation would be radically improved.
posted by Poet_Lariat at 2:32 PM on July 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
I thing CL's days are (sadly) limited . If they would only implement a mandatory posting fee of even a single dollar the situation would be radically improved.
posted by Poet_Lariat at 2:32 PM on July 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
Mr. Troll manages to demonstrate exactly why so many programmers actually do need "a business guy" to build a successful company.
I read it as Mr. Troll raising his 'business Trolling' to a higher level. He certainly caught one here.
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:36 PM on July 14, 2011 [17 favorites]
I read it as Mr. Troll raising his 'business Trolling' to a higher level. He certainly caught one here.
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:36 PM on July 14, 2011 [17 favorites]
Does Craigslist ever lead to employment?
Both my current and previous jobs were through CL.
I recently learned that if you earn $1, you get to multiply that by about 20, the price/earnings ratio, meaning that the $1 you've earned is actually $20 in value. Makes me wonder how MBAs do differential equations.
I once worked at a crappy used bookstore for $6/hr, with $2/hr store credit and a 50% employee discount. The store owner actually told me "It's like you're actually making $10/hr!"
The selection was absolutely terrible so by the time I left I had about $800 worth of useless store credit. Thanks Mr. Bossman!
posted by kmz at 2:36 PM on July 14, 2011
Both my current and previous jobs were through CL.
I recently learned that if you earn $1, you get to multiply that by about 20, the price/earnings ratio, meaning that the $1 you've earned is actually $20 in value. Makes me wonder how MBAs do differential equations.
I once worked at a crappy used bookstore for $6/hr, with $2/hr store credit and a 50% employee discount. The store owner actually told me "It's like you're actually making $10/hr!"
The selection was absolutely terrible so by the time I left I had about $800 worth of useless store credit. Thanks Mr. Bossman!
posted by kmz at 2:36 PM on July 14, 2011
by the time I left I had about $800 worth of useless store credit
I do not know how anyone could avoid the temptation to just clean off one whole bookcase.
posted by muddgirl at 2:41 PM on July 14, 2011 [10 favorites]
I do not know how anyone could avoid the temptation to just clean off one whole bookcase.
posted by muddgirl at 2:41 PM on July 14, 2011 [10 favorites]
Similar (for the four or five people who haven't seen it yet.)
posted by Navelgazer at 2:42 PM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Navelgazer at 2:42 PM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
I once worked at a crappy used bookstore for $6/hr, with $2/hr store credit and a 50% employee discount. The store owner actually told me "It's like you're actually making $10/hr!"
I don't even hypothetically understand that math.
posted by eugenen at 2:45 PM on July 14, 2011
I don't even hypothetically understand that math.
posted by eugenen at 2:45 PM on July 14, 2011
6 actual dollars per hour
Plus another 2 dollars in "store credit" per hour
Plus a 50% discount, theoretically doubling the value of the 2 dollars of store credit
equals
10 "dollars" per hour
posted by Navelgazer at 2:48 PM on July 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
Plus another 2 dollars in "store credit" per hour
Plus a 50% discount, theoretically doubling the value of the 2 dollars of store credit
equals
10 "dollars" per hour
posted by Navelgazer at 2:48 PM on July 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
I have a friend who actually works in IT. Networking, mind you, not programming, but it is still IT. Roughly once every four months, he starts waving a business idea around. And, of course, I just have to whip up the back end. He's already got The Idea, see. The next to last one was to be ... The Netflix of Porn. DVDs. Plain brown wrappers.
I have started to say things like, "The amount of time that I am willing to expend is less than the time it would take just to demonstrate to you why this will take quite a bit more time than you think." I had previously tried avoidance, kindness, hiding, raised eyebrows, but a kind of entrepreneurial fervor takes hold of him and it becomes Big Tent Time.
This is just the thing to send to him.
posted by adipocere at 2:49 PM on July 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
I have started to say things like, "The amount of time that I am willing to expend is less than the time it would take just to demonstrate to you why this will take quite a bit more time than you think." I had previously tried avoidance, kindness, hiding, raised eyebrows, but a kind of entrepreneurial fervor takes hold of him and it becomes Big Tent Time.
This is just the thing to send to him.
posted by adipocere at 2:49 PM on July 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
dersins: "Mr. Troll manages to demonstrate exactly why so many programmers actually do need "a business guy" to build a successful company."
Mr Troll recently sold his company to ebay. Milo might not be a successful company defined as "popular with a lot of customers" (I honestly don't know) but from the standpoint of "turn a profit for investors" it seems a valid counterpoint.
Anyways, it's that quote is not too far off from saying that stock shares are based on present value of future earnings, but that future earnings in say year 20 are way harder to predict than most journalists and laymen imagine. Basic analysis assumes if you do well this quarter you'll do similarly the next, modulo management effectiveness. If you look at how well this has worked out for News Corp's purchase of MySpace, you'll get an idea of why fundamental analysis kinda looks like bullshit.
posted by pwnguin at 2:49 PM on July 14, 2011 [4 favorites]
Mr Troll recently sold his company to ebay. Milo might not be a successful company defined as "popular with a lot of customers" (I honestly don't know) but from the standpoint of "turn a profit for investors" it seems a valid counterpoint.
Anyways, it's that quote is not too far off from saying that stock shares are based on present value of future earnings, but that future earnings in say year 20 are way harder to predict than most journalists and laymen imagine. Basic analysis assumes if you do well this quarter you'll do similarly the next, modulo management effectiveness. If you look at how well this has worked out for News Corp's purchase of MySpace, you'll get an idea of why fundamental analysis kinda looks like bullshit.
posted by pwnguin at 2:49 PM on July 14, 2011 [4 favorites]
I do not know how anyone could avoid the temptation to just clean off one whole bookcase.
The effort required for transportation and storage wouldn't have been worth it. Friends and relatives would occasionally stop by to see if they got in anything worth buying, which I think resulted in maybe 2 or 3 purchases ever. That lasted until it went out of business a few months later.
posted by kmz at 2:50 PM on July 14, 2011
The effort required for transportation and storage wouldn't have been worth it. Friends and relatives would occasionally stop by to see if they got in anything worth buying, which I think resulted in maybe 2 or 3 purchases ever. That lasted until it went out of business a few months later.
posted by kmz at 2:50 PM on July 14, 2011
The effort required for transportation and storage wouldn't have been worth it...
posted by kmz
I guess you don't have a wood-burning stove.
posted by StickyCarpet at 2:58 PM on July 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by kmz
I guess you don't have a wood-burning stove.
posted by StickyCarpet at 2:58 PM on July 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
Is that guys photo for real? It's awesome!
posted by dibblda at 3:00 PM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by dibblda at 3:00 PM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
kmz : The selection was absolutely terrible so by the time I left I had about $800 worth of useless store credit. Thanks Mr. Bossman!
Not fair - I mean, okay, in your case the store might have sucked, but the arrangement can work. A friend of mine in college "worked" (the minimum required 4 hours per two weeks to remain employed) at Newbury Comics (primarily a CD store with a touch of Hot-Topic-esque general merchandise) solely for the employee discount.
He saved hundreds of dollars per month from that gig.
posted by pla at 3:13 PM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Not fair - I mean, okay, in your case the store might have sucked, but the arrangement can work. A friend of mine in college "worked" (the minimum required 4 hours per two weeks to remain employed) at Newbury Comics (primarily a CD store with a touch of Hot-Topic-esque general merchandise) solely for the employee discount.
He saved hundreds of dollars per month from that gig.
posted by pla at 3:13 PM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
I once worked at a crappy used bookstore for $6/hr, with $2/hr store credit and a 50% employee discount. The store owner actually told me "It's like you're actually making $10/hr!"
My guess is that this manager also invested heavily in MLM "opportunities."
posted by Hylas at 3:23 PM on July 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
My guess is that this manager also invested heavily in MLM "opportunities."
posted by Hylas at 3:23 PM on July 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
Even better idea: With store credit and discount, buy abookcase of books, but leave them there. Offer to pay the owner half the list price of any book that's sold off that shelf. The bookstore owner is getting payed 1.5x the list price of the book!
posted by muddgirl at 3:31 PM on July 14, 2011 [12 favorites]
posted by muddgirl at 3:31 PM on July 14, 2011 [12 favorites]
I was hoping that the story would be about "reverse programmers," who join a project and systematically destroy working code until you're left with nothing but an empty repository.
posted by grimmelm at 3:59 PM on July 14, 2011 [15 favorites]
posted by grimmelm at 3:59 PM on July 14, 2011 [15 favorites]
Why would it take two weeks to write a Google clone? You just take whatever someone searches for, google it, and return the results google gave you.
posted by madcaptenor at 4:13 PM on July 14, 2011 [11 favorites]
posted by madcaptenor at 4:13 PM on July 14, 2011 [11 favorites]
You just take whatever someone searches for, google it, and return the results google gave you.
Like Microsoft does.
posted by localroger at 4:16 PM on July 14, 2011 [25 favorites]
Like Microsoft does.
posted by localroger at 4:16 PM on July 14, 2011 [25 favorites]
Am I the only one for whom the site does not function?
posted by Justinian at 5:10 PM on July 14, 2011
posted by Justinian at 5:10 PM on July 14, 2011
After they get the programmer, they need the graphic designer to make the pie charts.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 5:28 PM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by aeschenkarnos at 5:28 PM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
"reverse programmers," who join a project and systematically destroy
For the benefit of those not in IT, this is not actually a hypothetical joke...
posted by sammyo at 6:21 PM on July 14, 2011 [13 favorites]
For the benefit of those not in IT, this is not actually a hypothetical joke...
posted by sammyo at 6:21 PM on July 14, 2011 [13 favorites]
>After they get the programmer, they need the graphic designer to make the pie charts.<
I thought this actually had something to do with David Thorne or that joke at first. The pie charts are still funny.
posted by bongo_x at 6:31 PM on July 14, 2011
I thought this actually had something to do with David Thorne or that joke at first. The pie charts are still funny.
posted by bongo_x at 6:31 PM on July 14, 2011
Does Microsoft actually do that? I was just saying what I would do, but I can only code my way out of a paper bag.
posted by madcaptenor at 7:12 PM on July 14, 2011
posted by madcaptenor at 7:12 PM on July 14, 2011
Does Microsoft actually do that?
Microsoft does.
posted by Poet_Lariat at 7:17 PM on July 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
Microsoft does.
posted by Poet_Lariat at 7:17 PM on July 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
Get in line code monkey! I had a guy explain to me how much money WE could make if I put together an at home HIV test for his "plan".
Reagan was still president.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 9:39 PM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Reagan was still president.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 9:39 PM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
If he had included an iPhone app in his list of accomplishments he'd have received twice as much mail.
posted by furtive at 10:06 PM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by furtive at 10:06 PM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
I can only code my way out of a paper bag.
You are in luck! My business partners and I, each of whom have many connections to VC funds, are looking for a programmer to join our online Paper Bag Escaping business.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 11:04 PM on July 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
You are in luck! My business partners and I, each of whom have many connections to VC funds, are looking for a programmer to join our online Paper Bag Escaping business.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 11:04 PM on July 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
Mr. Troll manages to demonstrate exactly why so many programmers actually do need "a business guy" to build a successful company
Mr Troll is a successful startup guy who's made rather a lot of money in his time. I'd be fascinated to hear what you think you could teach him.
posted by rodgerd at 3:18 AM on July 15, 2011
Mr Troll is a successful startup guy who's made rather a lot of money in his time. I'd be fascinated to hear what you think you could teach him.
posted by rodgerd at 3:18 AM on July 15, 2011
Dark Messiah: "Does Craigslist ever lead to employment?"
I got my current programming job through Craigslist. In fact, when I accepted this job, I had already had two other interviews and several phone screens and at least a couple other interviews lined up -- all found through Craigslist. Granted, this was in 2006, so I can't really vouch for its quality nowadays.
posted by Plutor at 6:22 AM on July 15, 2011
I got my current programming job through Craigslist. In fact, when I accepted this job, I had already had two other interviews and several phone screens and at least a couple other interviews lined up -- all found through Craigslist. Granted, this was in 2006, so I can't really vouch for its quality nowadays.
posted by Plutor at 6:22 AM on July 15, 2011
Ted Dziuba actually has a long history of this kind of thing. (RIP, uncov)
posted by The Lurkers Support Me in Email at 8:00 AM on July 15, 2011
posted by The Lurkers Support Me in Email at 8:00 AM on July 15, 2011
This is small potatoes. You should see how many emails I got from my Craigslist ad seeking places to buy Viagra online.
posted by straight at 8:53 AM on July 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by straight at 8:53 AM on July 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
He saved hundreds of dollars per month from that gig.
I have friends that do that at Mountain Equipment Co-op. They have a normal career job, but still put in a few hours a month to get the MEC employee discount and save a bundle.
posted by Theta States at 9:37 AM on July 15, 2011
I have friends that do that at Mountain Equipment Co-op. They have a normal career job, but still put in a few hours a month to get the MEC employee discount and save a bundle.
posted by Theta States at 9:37 AM on July 15, 2011
For the businesses, it also guarantees that your staff are exceptionally knowledgable of the produts there. :)
posted by Theta States at 9:37 AM on July 15, 2011
posted by Theta States at 9:37 AM on July 15, 2011
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And in showing a complete and utter lack of understanding regarding something so simple and fundamental as the P/E ratio (and also his inability to do basic research), Mr. Troll manages to demonstrate exactly why so many programmers actually do need "a business guy" to build a successful company.
posted by dersins at 2:23 PM on July 14, 2011