this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2024
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Well since I've been mostly in customer service jobs I'd like for people to know that the reps don't make the rules or decisions. When there is something about a store or service that's undesirable such as prices then it's something to bring up to upper management or just let them lose you as a customer. But you can be as nice to the reps as they are to you.

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[–] [email protected] 93 points 4 months ago (3 children)

I'm an engineer. When you see something really badly designed and think "wow, those engineers are so stupid! I could have done a better job myself!"

Please know that we did think about it. It's just that some guy with an MBA decides the schedule, and another guy with an MBA decides the budget, and terrible designs get released no matter how much we protest. I'm sorry we couldn't figure it out fast enough and cheap enough, though.

And yes, we do mistakes all the time too. It's just that we usually know about the obvious ones.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 4 months ago (1 children)

As a software engineer, this applies to my entire industry as well.

I'm forced to write subpar software, sometimes with atrocious security simply because some idiot set an unrealistic budget.

The worst part is, my current projects are all government funded. The German government implemented processes to prevent corruption, which force unhealthy competition and backhand corruption onto the bidders, which then churn out bad software, which causes gigantic costs down the line, because nothing works. Great job.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Excellent point about government sponsored anti corruption measures, too. Here in the US our government contracts award "points" to businesses which are minority or woman- owned.

In practice, the same construction companies simply institute shell companies, and make their wives/daughters/sisters the owners of these shell companies, charge a premium, and have the "owner" subcontract the work back to the same old company, effectively making themselves an extra 20 percent...

Small businesses (which may be minority or woman owned, but they don't play golf with the government buyers) are still totally forgotten.

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Or the engineers have been given bad requirements and made the wrong product.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Yes, another tragedy is when sales guy from company A talks to sales guy from company B.

You want a submarine to also fly into space? Oh yeah, we can do that! Our engineers are really smart, shouldn't be a problem. We'll have that design over to you in 2 weeks!

Later, when talking to the engineering team...

Well, I don't see what's so hard about it. We've had submarines and planes in WW2, you're telling me we can't innovative and combine those ideas? Well, this is an opportunity for you guys to really show off the engineering ability of the company... And I can't move the promise date now, I already talked to him on the phone and I'm about to go on my cruise. Call me if you need anything!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

Another guy with an MBA:It needs to have AI too!!! You know, like ChaTGPT. So it can reason about the world!!

Engineer: You know ChatGPT can't "reason" right?

MBA Guy: But I can tell it to autogenerate code!

Engineer: It's just finding code snippets like you could find with a search engine.

MBA: But they said it was sentient! AI!! LLMS!! SYNERGY!!

Engineer:...Nevermind. Yes, we'll build a submarine that can fly and add a chat box so you can ask it what it is thinking.

Engineer quits next day

I'm half joking, but it pains me as an engineer to admit how close to reality this can be.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

GET. THIS. GUY. HIS. VOTES.

Edit: The budget slayers, almost wanna punch them in the face and walk out of the office for good.

[–] [email protected] 50 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The things I ask you to do while troubleshooting aren't guesses. They're based on years of experience.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Sometimes I'm guessing, but my guesses are more informed than yours and I'm only suggesting giving it a try because it will be faster than this argument we're now having about it.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago

If you can frame every guess so that it can only ever have a binary A/B answer, troubleshooting and guessing are pretty much identical.

[–] [email protected] 41 points 4 months ago (2 children)

If you work around forklifts, never trust the driver. Ideally they're being safe and watching out for you, but don't gamble on it. They're heavier than a car and can very easily kill you or at the least break your foot and it will be an arduous healing process.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Ideally they’re being safe and watching out for you, but don’t gamble on it

Also, accidents just happen - people have heart attacks, strokes, seizures, machines malfunction, all sorts of shit can suddenly happen that is out of anyone's control, so even if someone is being safe and watching out for you, it isn't worth the gamble..

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Never walk behind a forklift

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 months ago

Never get near one unless you’re getting in it to use it.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Electrical engineer. You can't develop and ship an iPhone in a year. Apple has multiple generations under development at the same time.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago
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[–] [email protected] 40 points 4 months ago (1 children)

At least try rebooting your computer before you contact I.T. It really does fix a lot of things. And don't lie to us and say you already tried it once we get to your office.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 4 months ago (1 children)
$ uptime
326 days, 14 hours, 8 minutes, 12 seconds

Yep, buddy. You sure did reboot like I asked.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Who would want to lose an uptime streak like that?!

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[–] [email protected] 39 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

When you buy a research paper, the author doesn't get any cut from it. The journals are scams, and should be destroyed. Until that happens, try searching on arxiv.org first, usually there are preprints available there. If not, contact the authors. Most of us are happy to share our results. Your local library can also help you get access to those.

These are the more legitimate ways, and then there's sci-hub. I've actually seen internationally renowned researchers open a paper using sci-hub on their laptop lol.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Icing a cake takes time, especially when it's one meant to feed between 90 and 100 people. We're not trying to ruin your kids birthday when we need 24 hours notice for something that size, it's that someone needs to take at least 2 hours to get it done, and we can't magically make that happen on short notice and full days.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago

Ha, it's your cake day today..

[–] [email protected] 31 points 4 months ago (6 children)
[–] [email protected] 31 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

You are not entitled to:

  1. minimum wage
  2. daily and weekly limits on hours of work
  3. daily rest periods
  4. time off between shifts
  5. weekly/bi-weekly rest periods
  6. eating periods
  7. three-hour rule
  8. overtime pay
  9. public holidays or public holiday pay
  10. vacation with pay

WTF? That is insane what you are not entitled to. If you don’t mind my asking, can you not find another job than being a farmer?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 months ago

I chose to do it. I like it. I have a good boss who pays well and gives me a lot of freedom and flexibility. The vast majority of farm workers aren't as lucky.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

It’s usually family business, and they have a lot of write offs and incentives usually, so it prevents abuse of the system, but it also applies to non-arms length employees since farms trade work all the time as well, so bobs mid works for me and my kid works for him.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 4 months ago

I work in food and the amount of customers that act like every mistake is a personal attack is wild.

If you actually think someone is deliberately messing up your food you need to just stop going there entirely.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 months ago

As a welder, quality doesn't come cheap or fast. A lot of work goes into my work. Even if all I'm doing is welding Part A to Part B, a lot of research, prep, and planning goes into it.

I need to know what the base material is, the base metal thickness, I need to clean the HAZ, I need to protect everything near the HAZ. I need to actually weld it and clean it for repaint.

A good welder plans to have their welds last the lifespan of the thing being welded on. If I'm welding a car frame together, I'm going to make damn sure they're good long-lasting welds that resist corrosion. Those welds will outlive the car itself.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Retail employee.

Technically speaking there's not that much stopping me from slapping the shit out of you.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 months ago (2 children)

As a funeral director, I'm not trying to upsell you into a nicer casket or talk you into something you don't want. I'm just trying to help you get through it and be happy with the decisions you made.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Ha! Nice try adverts

Seriously, tho, I appreciate your job.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

Username checks out.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 months ago

YES WE DID TEACH YOU THAT

YOU WERE DOING WHIPITS BEHIND THE GYM

[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (11 children)

If your router or switch costs less than your computer, I can't help you.
If your computer costs less than your car, I can't help you either.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Ah ha! My $100 car, $120 PC and $150 router have a new support guy!

Though really, those PCs must be either very special purpose or very general purpose.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I mean, you can hit 10/15K on a single server spec out really really easy

If you need to build out a whole rack, you can easily top 60-70k+

And that's not even factoring fancy dancy AI hardware either lmao

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 months ago (1 children)

You can bring your phone into the X-ray room. Unless you’re getting a hip X-ray you can even keep it in your pocket. Keys and wallet too!

All my patients are convinced that a phone can’t be in the pocket and I cannot even convince them otherwise. They don’t believe me!

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I feel like that comes down to misconceptions over X-ray vs. MRI. Because you absolutely CANNOT have any metal on you for an MRI.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago

Well, technically you can, but it's not going to be fun...

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I do equipment ordering for a nation-wide institution of 36,000 staff with hundreds of offices and clinics. My job would be so much easier if people would tell me where they want it at the time they're telling me they need it.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago (6 children)

I work food service and I never eat at restaurants.

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