#labor consulting services

[anlawvietnam]

Labor Consulting for Foreigners in Vietnam: Navigating Employment Laws

Introduction

With its vibrant culture, bustling economy, and picturesque landscapes, Vietnam has become an attractive destination for foreigners seeking job opportunities and new experiences. However, as with any international move, navigating the intricacies of foreign labor laws can be daunting. For foreigners aspiring to work in Vietnam, labor consulting services offer invaluable guidance through the complexities of the local employment landscape. In this article, we'll delve into the critical aspects of labor consulting for foreigners in Vietnam, providing authoritative insights and practical advice to ensure a smooth transition into the Vietnamese workforce.

Understanding Vietnamese Labor Laws

Foreigners entering Vietnam's job market must familiarize themselves with its labor laws to ensure compliance and a seamless employment experience. The Labor Code of Vietnam governs employment matters, encompassing everything from employment contracts and working conditions to termination procedures and social insurance.

Work Permits and Employment Contracts

Securing a work permit is fundamental for foreigners wishing to work legally in Vietnam. Labor consulting services are pivotal in guiding individuals through the application process, helping them gather necessary documents, navigate bureaucratic procedures, and ensure they meet the eligibility criteria.

An experienced labor consultant can also assist in drafting employment contracts that align with Vietnamese regulations and the foreign employee's expectations. Addressing critical aspects such as salary, benefits, working hours, and leave entitlements is crucial to avoid misunderstandings and disputes down the line.

Navigating Cultural Nuances

Vietnam's unique cultural norms can significantly impact the workplace dynamic for foreigners. A reputable labor consulting firm will offer valuable insights into Vietnamese business etiquette, communication styles, and cultural sensitivities. This knowledge is vital for forging positive relationships with colleagues and superiors, ultimately contributing to a fulfilling work experience.

Social Insurance and Benefits

Vietnam's social insurance system is designed to provide financial security to employees in various situations, including sickness, maternity, retirement, and work-related accidents. Foreign workers are generally required to contribute to this system, and understanding the intricacies of these contributions is crucial. Labor consultants with experience in this area can clarify the obligations and benefits of social insurance, ensuring that foreign employees receive the coverage they are entitled to.

Resolving Employment Disputes

Should disagreements or conflicts arise between foreign employees and their Vietnamese employers, having access to professional labor consulting can be invaluable. Consultants well-versed in Vietnamese labor laws and dispute resolution mechanisms can mediate between the parties, striving for a fair and amicable resolution. This expert guidance can help protect the rights of foreign workers and preserve the integrity of employer-employee relationships.

The Role of Labor Consulting Services

Labor consulting services explicitly catered to foreigners in Vietnam offer a range of benefits that enhance E-A-T-E factors:

Expertise: Reputable consulting firms possess in-depth knowledge of Vietnamese labor laws and employment practices. They leverage this expertise to guide foreigners through the intricacies of the local job market.

Authoritativeness: Credible consultants rely on their extensive experience and firsthand understanding of the challenges faced by foreign workers. Their authoritative guidance instills confidence in the accuracy and relevance of their advice.

Trustworthiness: Establishing trust with clients is paramount in labor consulting. Reputable firms prioritize transparency, ethical practices, and client well-being, building lasting trust-based relationships.

Experience: Consultants often have a history of successfully assisting foreigners in navigating Vietnam's labor landscape. Their experience translates into practical, actionable advice that addresses foreign employees' unique needs and concerns.

Conclusion

As a foreigner, embarking on a professional journey in Vietnam holds immense potential for growth and cultural enrichment. However, success requires a deep understanding of Vietnamese labor laws and customs. Labor consulting services tailored to foreigners provide a reliable compass, guiding individuals through the Vietnamese workplace's legal, cultural, and administrative intricacies. By seeking the guidance of experienced consultants, foreign employees can confidently embrace their new opportunities and ensure a rewarding and compliant employment experience in Vietnam.

[prowiden]

Unskilled Jobs in the UK and Germany: Opportunities and Visa Requirements

What are unskilled jobs available in the UK and Germany?

The job market in the UK and Germany is diverse and offers numerous opportunities for unskilled workers. In the UK, unskilled jobs commonly available include construction workers, kitchen helpers, cleaners, warehouse operatives, and retail assistants. These roles are vital to various industries, contributing to the smooth operation of businesses and services.

In Germany, unskilled jobs are also plentiful, with opportunities in construction, logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, and hospitality. Roles such as construction laborers, factory workers, kitchen staff, and cleaners are in demand, providing stable employment options for those without specialized skills or qualifications.

How much do unskilled workers earn in the UK?

Earnings for unskilled workers in the UK vary depending on the industry and location. As of 2024, the national minimum wage for workers aged 23 and over is £10.42 per hour. However, many unskilled jobs pay above this rate. For instance, construction workers can earn between £10 and £15 per hour, while kitchen helpers and cleaners typically earn around £9 to £12 per hour.

London and other major cities often offer higher wages to compensate for the higher cost of living. It's also important to note that many unskilled jobs in the UK come with additional benefits, such as holiday pay, sick leave, and pension contributions, which can enhance the overall compensation package.

What are the visa requirements for unskilled jobs in Germany?

Securing a work visa for unskilled jobs in Germany involves meeting specific requirements. The process typically includes:

Job Offer: You must have a job offer from a German employer. This is crucial as it demonstrates that you have employment waiting for you in Germany.

Visa Application: Submit a visa application at the German embassy or consulate in your home country. The application will require several documents, including a valid passport, job contract, proof of qualifications (if applicable), and proof of sufficient funds.

Health Insurance: You must have health insurance coverage for the duration of your stay in Germany.

Background Check: A clean criminal record is usually required.

Language Skills: While not always mandatory, having basic German language skills can significantly improve your chances of securing a work visa and finding employment.

The processing time for a German work visa can vary, so it's advisable to start the application process well in advance of your intended start date.

How do I apply for unskilled jobs in the UK?

Applying for unskilled jobs in the UK can be straightforward if you follow these steps:

Job Search: Use online job boards, recruitment agencies, and local job centers to find available positions. Websites like Indeed, Reed, and Totaljobs are excellent starting points.

Prepare Your CV: Ensure your CV is up to date and tailored to the types of jobs you're applying for. Highlight any relevant experience, even if it's informal or voluntary work.

Apply Online: Submit applications through online portals, attaching your CV and a cover letter if required.

Network: Use social networks like LinkedIn and local community groups to connect with potential employers and learn about job openings.

Recruitment Agencies: Register with recruitment agencies that specialize in placing unskilled workers. These agencies can help match you with suitable job opportunities and assist with the application process.

For those outside the UK, securing a job offer before applying for a visa is crucial. The UK currently has a points-based immigration system, and having a confirmed job offer is essential for obtaining a work visa.

Can unskilled workers get a work visa for Germany?

Yes, unskilled workers can obtain work visas for Germany, provided they meet the necessary requirements. Germany is experiencing labor shortages in various sectors, creating opportunities for unskilled workers to fill these gaps. The key steps to obtaining a work visa for unskilled jobs in Germany include:

Securing a Job Offer: As with skilled jobs, having a job offer from a German employer is a prerequisite.

Meeting Visa Requirements: Ensure you meet all visa requirements, including having health insurance, sufficient funds, and a clean criminal record.

Submitting a Visa Application: Apply for a work visa at the German embassy or consulate in your home country. Be prepared to provide all necessary documentation.

The demand for unskilled workers in sectors like construction, logistics, and hospitality means that opportunities are available for those willing to meet the visa requirements and relocate to Germany.

Conclusion

Navigating the job market and visa requirements for unskilled work in the UK and Germany can be challenging, but it is achievable with the right information and preparation. For those looking for assistance in securing work visas and job placements, Prowiden Overseas offers valuable services. They specialize in providing work visas for Germany and the UK, particularly for roles in the hotel industry, such as chefs, bartenders, baristas, waiters, and waitresses. By partnering with Prowiden Overseas, you can streamline your journey towards securing employment and starting a new career abroad.

[chuluoyi]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄

xavier x reader

while the entire kingdom of philos rejoices over the soon-to-be-born heir to the throne, the king’s unwavering priority remains clear: his queen

genre/warnings: mildly suggestive, fluff, fluff, fluff, comfort, king!xavier and queen!reader, pregnancy, spoilers! from xavier's myth shooting stars and taking elements of xavier's card silvery polyphony

note: i'm not actually a xavier girlie... but ever since his myth and anecdote when shooting stars fall, he's been marinating in my head :')

“Your Majesty, here are the gifts meant for the Queen by the townsfolk.”

Xavier’s gaze swept over the various trinkets that filled the throne room—from fine fabrics and glistening pearls, to handwritten messages with heartfelt wishes for the future royal baby and your wellbeing. He raised an eyebrow, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face.

"All this? You’ve inspected every single one of them?" he questioned, gaze flicked to Jeremiah, his aide. His cerulean eyes narrowed slightly. "Nothing with malicious intent?"

Jeremiah shook his head with a smile. "No. They are purely tokens of love and respect for Her Majesty."

"I see..."

Xavier hummed softly, the stiffness in his posture easing as the assurance settled over him—no harm would come to you. In the fifth year of your reign as King and Queen of Philos, it had become clear that the people had come to adore their queen to such an extent.

As they should. The king found himself smiling despite his usual composure then. You were due their respect for all of your service and compassion. And now, with you carrying the future heir to the throne, it was even more deserved.

"Has the Queen been well? She hasn't been around much," Jeremiah asked, a knowing look crossed his face. "After all, you're counting down the days now..."

With the royal physician declaring you were at full-term, you could give birth any day now. Xavier would be lying if he said he wasn't antsy, but the least he could do in front of his subjects was showing an air of indifference.

But of course, Jeremiah knew him best after you.

"Why don't you pay her a visit? And oh, yeah, I think I've heard the maids saying Her Majesty is missing having the King serenading her!"

Your husband had been busy these past few days that he had little time to spend with you each day.

Of course, you missed him. There wasn’t much you could do while in confinement. And so when he entered your chambers on this windy winter day, you were more enthusiastic than you should have—

“Xavier!” You turned to him and smiled so brightly, your excitement making you rise to your feet and scamper towards him.

But he was faster, closing the distance in an instant and catching you before you could take more than a few steps. His hands steadied you, as the heavy weight in your womb proved to be a challenge.

“You’re supposed to be on bedrest,” he scolded, a frown tugging at his features. His hands rested firmly on your shoulders, holding you in place. “Don’t move around too much.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” You giggled as he led you to your bed, but before you could settle in, a sharp wave of pain rippled through your abdomen and spine. The smile faltered on your lips as you sucked in a quick breath, instinctively leaning into him for support.

“What's wrong?” Xavier’s voice tensed with concern, his arm tightening around you as his eyes widened in alarm. His free hand hovered protectively over yours, which was clutching your swollen belly. "Is it hurting? I’ll call for—"

“No, no!” You declined amidst your labored breaths, mustering up a smile despite the discomfort. “I’ve consulted the royal physician. It’s perfectly normal for me to experience this... I just have to bear it.”

“How is this normal?” Xavier's brow furrowed with worry and sternness. “If this keeps up, how will you preserve your strength for the real labor?”

He had always detested seeing you in distress. It was evident in all his actions, from the earliest moments of your relationship to this very day, and it made your heart warm.

When the pain subsided, you made him sit on your bed and brought both your hands to cup his face, trying to coax a smile from him.

"Don't worry too much, love." You grinned, eyes crinkling. "On the bright side, it just means that our little star is thiiis close to meeting us."

Xavier found your gaze and for a moment, he stayed silent. His clear blue eyes softened as they held yours. You had always been like this—diminishing your own discomfort in favor of reassuring him, and if you thought it would make him feel better, then you were sorely wrong because his instincts to protect you were deeply engraved in him, and it only fueled his concern further.

His hands settled over yours, pressing them to his face.

“From what I’ve seen, this baby really enjoys bullying you,” he muttered sullenly.

You pursed your lips. “A friendly reminder, you’re the one who got me with child.”

“I’ve always thought that sexual act is the pinnacle of showing the depths of my undying loyalty towards you.” His tone was mock-serious, the edge of a grin tugging at his lips. “The baby is a pleasant gift, what I enjoy more though—”

Before you could protest, his fingers skimmed over your figure, landing with unmistakable familiarity on your ample breasts—

“I like these the most.”

“Xavier!” You swatted his hand away with wide eyes, crossing both arms over your chest in an attempt to block him from further groping.

He chuckled openly at how defensive you were, a playful glint in his eyes. With a soft pat on your head, he stood up and extended his right hand towards you.

“What?” You stared at his hand, almost squeaking, wary that his hands might wander to your sensitive skin again. Xavier let out another chuckle, clearly amused by your reaction.

“I’ve heard through the grapevine that Her Majesty the Queen wants me to serenade her,” he said with a teasing smile. “And as your humble servant, who am I to refuse?”

. . .

You has always adored how Xavier plays the piano.

He claimed he didn't like the instrument that much, but the way his fingers moved over the keys so effortlessly, each note flowing with such precision—it was one of the many ways he captured your heart.

You sat next to him by the grand piano, your head gently bobbing along with the beautiful rhythm he drew from the keys.

“You used to play this a lot back then,” you commented as Xavier started playing the piece he composed himself, one you often referred as ‘his very own soundtrack.’

Celestial Serenade. Xavier even had a name for it. Solemn and playful, it was the beginning that always got your heart racing. But when he reached the bridge, a gnawing sadness would creep in, tugging at your heart.

And suddenly, in that moment, you had an epiphany.

From the days you had loved him as a student in the Academy, and then as a knight and your crown prince, those lonely years of waiting for him to come back the first time, until that decisive heartbreaking day when you let him go into the unknown once and for all—

—and those gruelling, painful years of waiting that followed afterwards… up until the day he finally came back to restore Philos, to retake his throne, and to make you his queen in the truest sense—

Tears pricked at your eyes at the flashback of everything the two of you had gone through, right after he finished the outro.

Xavier paused, his fingers still on the keys. He turned to you, but his eyes widened as he noticed the tears spilling from your eyes. “Why are you crying?”

“Nothing, I’m just—” Startled, you quickly wiped the tears from your face, but Xavier gently lifted your chin, his touch soft but insistent.

He was worried, his gaze searching yours as if he was struggling to find the right words, his eyes full of concern. “Tell me,” he urged quietly, the hint of a tremor in his voice. “What is it? What made you cry?”

How could you explain what you had just realized— the weight of all that had brought you to this moment? The journey, the sacrifices, the love that had never faltered even in the darkest of times?

And it all culminated into one single sentence, as you stared right into those beautiful eyes of his:

“I love you, Xavier.”

In that very second, Xavier could’ve sworn his heart was entirely in your grasp. His breath caught, and the world around him seemed to fade, leaving only you—your teary-eyed confession and the raw honesty in your gaze.

Through countless dawns and twilights, through many starry sea expeditions and a daring voyage to the past— everything he had done to protect you. All these long years of yearning to see you again had led to this precise moment, where happiness was finally within your reach.

To know his beloved returns his feelings in full… He was overwhelmed by love you gave him, it made his heart so, so full.

Xavier cupped your face with both hands, his thumbs gently wiping away the tears that streaked your cheeks. “Don't cry, you big crybaby. Save it for when we welcome our child later.”

You sniffled, frowning at him. “So, you don’t love me?”

A soft smile played on his lips as he pulled you into his arms, wrapping you in his warmth. He buried his face in the crook of your shoulder.

“Silly... I love you more than anything in this world.”

Three days later, you went into labor.

The palace descended into chaos, with attendants scurrying through the halls. But amidst all the commotion, Xavier was the one who struggled the most to maintain his composure.

Your cries from behind the doors felt like a blade slicing through his chest. He wanted nothing more than to rush in, to hold your hand, to do something—anything—but the midwives had firmly insisted that he stay out of the way.

Xavier’s mind raced with worry, his eyes fixed on the door as though sheer willpower could ease your pain. The only thing that mattered right in this moment was you and the child you were bringing into the world—and it was taking everything in him not to lose his wits.

Then, amidst his fervent prayers, hours later, a piercing cry broke through.

Xavier froze, his heart lurching. Relief and disbelief flooded him all at once as he realized—it was his baby's first cry.

But what about you?

He so desperately wanted to see you that Jeremiah had to physically restrain him. The women assured him you and the baby were being tended to.

When they finally allowed him inside, he rushed in so quickly he nearly stumbled.

There you were, seated on the bed, hair disheveled, exhaustion etched into every line of your face, yet to him, you were radiant—utterly so. His heart swelled as he watched you cradle the newborn, cooing with a tenderness that stole his breath.

“Now, say hi to Papa...”

Your voice was almost feather-like, yet it was in that moment the truth hit him with full force—his baby was really here. He stared at the tiny bundle in your arms, awestruck, before his gaze shifted to your pale face again.

And you smiled at him so brilliantly. So warmly.

“Xavier... say hello to our son.”

He felt like he was in a daze as he slowly kneeled and took the baby into his arms. The small, fragile weight felt both unfamiliar and extraordinary. This child— was a part of him, but most importantly, he was a part of you too.

The baby stirred, and when his eyes blinked open, Xavier’s breath hitched. Those tiny blue eyes, a mirror of his own, locked onto him.

“Ah, he—” Xavier faltered, his chest tightening as emotions overwhelmed him. Holding his son, seeing him so clearly now, felt like an arrow straight to his heart. Before this moment, he hadn’t thought much about how the baby might look. But now, he couldn’t help marveling at the sight. The little one had his hair and eyes, yet your delicate nose and soft, heart-shaped lips.

In that instant, all his doubts and fears melted away like snow under the sun, replaced by a feeling so intense, so overflowing, it brought a lump to his throat and tears in his eyes.

This was love—raw and undeniable. A love he never knew he could feel so deeply, now cradled in his arms.

And also in you.

As his gaze found yours again, Xavier made a vow—to every god and deity that might be listening, that no matter where his life led him, no matter how cruel fate might twist his path again, if it meant getting even a glimpse of this unparalleled happiness with you, then—

He would endure it all. Every storm, every trial. For you, for the love you shared, and now for the tiny life in his arms. And if you were ever separated again—

No matter how, no matter how many times, through all means, he will definitely find you, always.

[soulcaretherapist]

In the Matrix Destiny chart, the number at the orange point marked with an X shows which professions and jobs are suitable for you. You can adapt this to each of your jobs and professions, and activate the energy of money in your life.

1 - Professions that are unconventional, not very common, and where you can apply theoretical knowledge to practice.

2 - Professions where you can use your creativity, solve problems, and help others.

3 - Professions where you are in a responsible role (manager, business owner, teacher, etc.) and where men can work with women, providing you with opportunities to shine.

4 - Management of money and creative fields for women, physical labor or group management for men.

5 - Professions that require organization and rules, with a clear, profitable outcome from the service provided (like a doctor's diagnosis).

6 - Any profession related to communication, with opportunities to rise in beauty/design fields.

7 - Professions involving movement, such as sports, tourism, military, or those combined with transportation/logistics.

8 - Professions involving advocacy, analysis, and a clear, structured process.

9 - Teaching, roles where you can share your knowledge and expertise.

10 - Managing teams, working in large office environments, and collaborating with similar professionals.

11 - Professions requiring physical strength, activity, and leadership roles.

12 - Professions related to helping people, nature, and creativity.

13 - Professions that may be challenging or chaotic, such as managing emergencies and crisis situations.

14 - Professions combining art, creativity, tourism, and entertainment.

15 - Leading large groups, helping individuals with dependencies, and working in various environments.

16 - Professions involving frequent travel, business trips, and communication/travel-related work.

17 - Professions where you can be in the spotlight, recognized on screen or social media (within your industry).

18 - Professions related to literature, art, information technology, where you can also engage in additional work like tarot reading due to your strong intuition and interpretative skills.

19 - Working with large audiences or followers, working for international companies, and finding happiness and passion in your chosen profession.

20 - Professions in the information industry, consultancy, spiritual fields, or writing.

21 - Global companies/brands, international presence, creating English content on social media, tourism/hospitality sector.

22 - As long as you enjoy it, the specific profession is less important, with flexible working hours, being your own boss, and more leadership-oriented roles.

I'm open for chart readings. 🌸 Purchase your reading here

[flyworldmigration]

Australia Migration: What Should Tech Employers Consider in 2023?

The pandemic saga has slowed down and the global economy is finally on the path to stability. The post-pandemic world is one with infinite changes as well as infinite opportunities. It’s a great time to get out of your comfort zone and restart your career abroad with the best Australian migration agency.

Let’s take the case of Australia

Who doesn’t want to relocate with your family to the sixth-largest country in the world? You will definitely admire the diverse and rich culture of this delightful country. With the Government bringing about more relaxation in the migration procedures and increasing provisions for family welfare, Australia is truly a dream destination.

Australia offers a huge platform for career growth and Indian citizens are in high demand.

Employment opportunities in Australia are growing each day. Especially, for IT professionals and Engineers.

This makes Australia a migration hub for techies and engineers who want career growth and global exposure in their respective fields.

IT Industry is one of the highest-paid industries in the country. 23% of IT employers are looking for hiring foreign skilled IT workers.

What should you consider before you begin the journey to dreams? Let us help you. We are one of the most trusted Australia PR Visa Consultants in Kerala.

What is a PR Visa?

A Permanent resident visa is given to individuals who are not citizens of a particular country.

A systematic and organized verification process is conducted to check an individual’s background and other credentials.

If you fulfil all the criteria you are granted a PR Visa.

PR Visa requirements can vary from country to country.

Once you become a permanent resident you could enjoy a number of benefits and can stay in the country for an indefinite period.

A travel facility is granted using which any PR holder can freely travel in and out of Australia until the expiry period.

Under the Employer sponsored visa, any Government approved Employer can nominate their worker as eligible for a PR Visa. Under the Temporary Skill Shortage Visas, 482 (Temporary) skilled workers can live and work in Australia for any government-approved company for up to four years. After living in Australia on a Temporary Skill Shortage (Subclass 482) Visa for up to three years, workers along with their families could check their eligibility and apply for Permanent Residency.

Australia PR Benefits from Australian Migration Agency

The right to live in Australia indefinitely

Sponsor family members

Enroll in Medicare and access subsidized health services along with insurance coverage.

Access to Centrelink, the Australian Social Welfare System.

First Home Owner Grant

Higher education student loans

Pathway to citizenship

Australian citizenship to children born in the country

Any individual who fulfils the country’s requirements and has proper documentation can apply for a PR visa easily with the following steps:

So make sure that you have all the required documents ready without any faults.

Language proficiency documents

Personal identity proof

Educational certificates

Work experience certificates etc.

After this submit the EOI (Expression of Interest).

Now get your profile assessed. You require a minimum score of 60 points.

Then you have to submit the application.

After being nominated, an ITR invitation will be received.

Now you can apply for the PR Visa.

Australia Government offers close to 30+ Visa categories for Indian citizens.

Kerala has some of the best visa consultants in the country. At flyworld, we strive to help you get your work done.

Flyworld is a pioneer immigration specialist. Our team of Registered Migration Agents can assist you with employer-sponsored visas, in the booming industry of Information Technology and Engineering.

Come to us! And we will help to get you an Australian PR Visa.

Flyworld migration offers expertized services in the field of Australia Migration in Kochi. Rooted in experience and expertise we handle every client with equal dedication. We have a well-informed team of experts who can carefully guide you through every single procedure towards getting an Australian PR Visa.

So get out of your comfort zone.

Contact Flyworld, the best Australian migration agency in Kochi, Kerala where experts will answer all of your questions about Australian permanent residency visas for IT professionals and engineers.

We are always happy to help!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Proud to be a blockhead

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/12/21/blockheads-r-us/#vocational-awe

This is my last Pluralistic post of the year, and rather than round up my most successful posts of the year, I figured I'd write a little about why it's impossible for me to do that, and why that is by design, and what that says about the arts, monopolies, and creative labor markets.

I started Pluralistic nearly five years ago, and from the outset, I was adamant that I wouldn't measure my success through quantitative measures. The canonical version of Pluralistic – the one that lives at pluralistic.net – has no metrics, no analytics, no logs, and no tracking. I don't know who visits the site. I don't know how many people visit the site. I don't know which posts are most popular, and which ones are the least popular. I can't know any of that.

The other versions of Pluralistic are less ascetic, but only because there's no way for me to turn off some metrics on those channels. The Mailman service that delivers the (tracker-free) email version of Pluralistic necessarily has a system for telling me how many subscribers I have, but I have never looked at that number, and have no intention of doing so. I have turned off notifications when someone signs up for the list, or resigns from it.

The commercial, surveillance-heavy channels for Pluralistic – Tumblr, Twitter – have a lot of metrics, but again, I don't consult them. Medium and Mastodon have some metrics, and again, I just pretend they don't exist.

What do I pay attention to? The qualitative impacts of my writing. Comments. Replies. Emails. Other bloggers who discuss it, or discussions on Metafilter, Slashdot, Reddit and Hacker News. That stuff matters to me a lot because I write for two reasons, which are, in order: to work out my own thinking, and; to influence other peoples' thinking.

Writing is a cognitive prosthesis for me. Working things out on the page helps me work things out in my life. And, of course, working things out on the page helps me work more things out on the page. Writing begets writing:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/05/09/the-memex-method/

Honestly, that is sufficient. Not in the sense that writing, without being read, would make me happy or fulfilled. Being read and being part of a community and a conversation matters a lot to me. But the very act of writing is so important to me that even if no one read me, I would still write.

This is a thing that writers aren't supposed to admit. As I wrote on this blog's fourth anniversary, the most laughably false statement about writing ever uttered is Samuel Johnson's notorious "No man but a blockhead ever wrote but for money":

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/20/fore/#synthesis

Making art is not an "economically rational" activity. Neither is attempting to persuade other people to your point of view. These activities are not merely intrinsically satisfying, they are also necessary, at least for many of us. The long, stupid fight about copyright that started in the Napster era has rarely acknowledged this, nor has it grappled with the implications of it. On the one hand, you have copyright maximalists who say totally absurd things like, "If you don't pay for art, no one will make art, and art will disappear." This is one of those radioactively false statements whose falsity is so glaring that it can be seen from orbit.

But on the other hand, you know who knows this fact very well? The corporations that pay creative workers. Movie studios, record labels, publishers, games studios: they all know that they are in possession of a workforce that has to make art, and will continue to do so, paycheck or not, until someone pokes their eyes out or breaks their fingers. People make art because it matters to them, and this trait makes workers terribly exploitable. As Fobazi Ettarh writes in her seminal paper on "vocational awe," workers who care about their jobs are at a huge disadvantage in labor markets. Teachers, librarians, nurses, and yes, artists, are all motivated by a sense of mission that often trumps their own self-interest and well-being and their bosses know it:

https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/

One of the most important ideas in David Graeber's magisterial book Bullshit Jobs is that the ground state of labor is to do a job that you are proud of and that matters to you, but late-stage capitalist alienation has gotten so grotesque that some people will actually sneer at the idea that, say, teachers should be well compensated: "Why should you get a living wage – isn't the satisfaction of helping children payment enough?"

https://memex.craphound.com/2018/06/20/david-graebers-bullshit-jobs-why-does-the-economy-sustain-jobs-that-no-one-values/

These are the most salient facts of the copyright fight: creativity is a non-economic activity, and this makes creative workers extremely vulnerable to exploitation. People make art because they have to. As Marx was finishing Kapital, he was often stuck working from home, having pawned his trousers so he could keep writing. The fact that artists don't respond rationally to economic incentives doesn't mean they should starve to death. Art – like nursing, teaching and librarianship – is necessary for human thriving.

No, the implication of the economic irrationality of vocational awe is this: the only tool that can secure economic justice for workers who truly can't help but do their jobs is solidarity. Creative workers need to be in solidarity with one another, and with our audiences – and, often, with the other workers at the corporations who bring our work to market. We are all class allies locked in struggle with the owners of both the entertainment companies and the technology companies that sit between us and our audiences (this is the thesis of Rebecca Giblin's and my 2022 book Chokepoint Capitalism):

https://chokepointcapitalism.com/

The idea of artistic solidarity is an old and important one. Victor Hugo, creator of the first copyright treaty – the Berne Convention – wrote movingly about how the point of securing rights for creators wasn't to allow their biological children to exploit their work after their death, but rather, to ensure that the creative successors of artists could build on their forebears' accomplishments. Hugo – like any other artist who has a shred of honesty and has thought about the subject for more than ten seconds – knew that he was part of a creative community and tradition, one composed of readers and writers and critics and publishing workers, and that this was a community and a tradition worth fighting for and protecting.

One of the most important and memorable interviews Rebecca and I did for our book was with Liz Pelly, one of the sharpest critics of Spotify (our chapter about how Spotify steals from musicians is the only part of the audiobook available on Spotify itself – a "Spotify Exclusive"!):

https://open.spotify.com/show/7oLW9ANweI01CVbZUyH4Xg

Pelly has just published a major, important new book about Spotify's ripoffs, called Mood Machine:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Mood-Machine/Liz-Pelly/9781668083505

A long article in Harper's unpacks one of the core mechanics at the heart of Spotify's systematic theft from creative workers: the use of "ghost artists," whose generic music is cheaper than real music, which is why Spotify crams it into their playlists:

https://harpers.org/archive/2025/01/the-ghosts-in-the-machine-liz-pelly-spotify-musicians/

The subject of Ghost Artists has long been shrouded in mystery and ardent – but highly selective – denials from Spotify itself. In her article – which features leaked internal chats from Spotify – Pelly gets to the heart of the matter. Ghost artists are musicians who are recruited by shadowy companies that offer flat fees for composing and performing inoffensive muzak that can fade into the background. This is wholesaled to Spotify, which crams it into wildly popular playlists of music that people put on while they're doing something else ("Deep Focus," "100% Lounge," "Bossa Nova Dinner," "Cocktail Jazz," "Deep Sleep," "Morning Stretch") and might therefore settle for an inferior product.

Spotify calls this "Perfect Fit Music" and it's the pink slime of music, an extruded, musiclike content that plugs a music-shaped hole in your life, without performing the communicative and aesthetic job that real music exists for.

After many dead-end leads with people involved in the musical pink slime industry, Pelly finally locates a musician who's willing to speak anonymously about his work (he asks for anonymity because he relies on the pittances he receives for making pink slime to survive). This jazz musician knows very little about where the music he's commissioned to produce ends up, which is by design. The musical pink slime industry, like all sleaze industries, is shrouded in the secrecy sought by bosses who know that they're running a racket they should be ashamed of.

The anonymous musician composes a stack of compositions on his couch, then goes into a studio for a series of one-take recordings. There's usually a rep from the PFC pink slime industry there, and the rep's feedback is always "play simpler." As the anonymous musician explains:

That’s definitely the thing: nothing that could be even remotely challenging or offensive, really. The goal, for sure, is to be as milquetoast as possible.

This source calls the arrangement "shameful." Another musician Pelly spoke to said "it felt unethical, like some kind of money-laundering scheme." The PFC companies say that these composers and performers are just making music, the way anyone might, and releasing it under pseudonyms in a way that "has been popular across mediums for decades." But Pelly's interview subjects told her that they don't consider their work to be art:

It feels like someone is giving you a prompt or a question, and you’re just answering it, whether it’s actually your conviction or not. Nobody I know would ever go into the studio and record music this way.

Artists who are recruited to make new pink slime are given reference links to existing pink slime and ordered to replicate it as closely as possible. The tracks produced this way that do the best are then fed to the next group of musicians to replicate, and so on. It's the musical equivalent of feeding slaughterhouse sweepings to the next generation of livestock, a version of the gag from Catch 22 where a patient in a body-cast has a catheter bag and an IV drip, and once a day a nurse comes and swaps them around.

Pelly reminds us that Spotify was supposed to be an answer to the painful question of the Napster era: how do we pay musicians for their labor? Spotify was sold as a way to bypass the "gatekeepers": the big three labels who own 70% of all recorded music, whose financial maltreatment of artists was seen as moral justification for file sharing ("Why buy the CD if the musician won't see any of the money from it?").

But the way that Spotify secured rights to all the popular music in the world was by handing over big equity stakes in its business to the Big Three labels, and giving them wildly preferential terms that made it impossible for independent musicians and labels to earn more than homeopathic fractions of a penny for each stream, even as Spotify became the one essential conduit for reaching an audience:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/03/16/wage-theft/#excessive-buyer-power

It turns out that getting fans to pay for music has no necessary connection to getting musicians paid. Vocational awe means that the fact that someone has induced a musician to make music doesn't mean that the musician is getting a fair share of what you pay for music. The same goes for every kind of art, and every field where vocational awe plays a role, from nursing to librarianship.

Chokepoint Capitalism tries very hard to grapple with this conundrum; the second half of the book is a series of detailed, shovel-ready policy prescriptions for labor, contract, and copyright reforms that will immediately and profoundly shift the share of income generated by creative labor from bosses to workers.

Which brings me back to this little publishing enterprise of mine, and the fact that I do it for free, and not only that, give it away under a Creative Commons Attribution license that allows you to share and republish it, for money, if you choose:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

I am lucky enough that I make a good living from my writing, but I'm also honest enough with myself to know just how much luck was involved with that fact, and insecure enough to live in a state of constant near-terror about what happens when my luck runs out. I came up in science fiction, and I vividly remember the writers I admired whose careers popped like soap-bubbles when Reagan deregulated the retail sector, precipitating a collapse in the grocery stores and pharmacies where "midlist" mass-market paperbacks were sold by the millions across the country:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/04/self-publishing/

These writers – the ones who are still alive – are living proof of the fact that you have to break our fingers to get us to stop writing. Some of them haven't had a mainstream publisher in decades, but they're still writing, and self-publishing, or publishing with small presses, and often they're doing the best work of their careers, and almost no one is seeing it, and they're still doing it.

Because we aren't engaged in economically rational activity. We're doing something essential – essential to us, first and foremost, and essential to the audiences and peers our work reaches and changes and challenges.

Pluralistic is, in part, a way for me too face the fear I wake up with every day, that some day, my luck will run out, as it has for nearly all the writers I've ever admired, and to reassure myself that the writing will go on doing what I need it to do for my psyche and my heart even if – when – my career regresses to the mean.

It's a way for me to reaffirm the solidaristic nature of artistic activity, the connection with other writers and other readers (because I am, of course, an avid, constant reader). Commercial fortunes change. Monopolies lay waste to whole sectors and swallow up the livelihoods of people who believe in what they do like a whale straining tons of plankton through its baleen. But solidarity endures. Solidarietatis longa, vita brevis.

Happy New Year folks. See you in 2025.

[mpreglover225]

[Newly Declassified Document from U.S. Army Medical Corps Archives, 1944 Subject: Medical Assessment Report — Pvt. Andrew “Drew” Matthews (Service No. 5XXXX) Date: May 10, 1944 Location: Field Hospital, Western Front

Background & Context

Private Andrew “Drew” Matthews, 18, is currently serving overseas under the U.S. Army. Initial enlistment was in late 1943. He has been under periodic medical review following the discovery of an unexpected pregnancy while stationed in-theater. According to the most recent examinations, Pvt. Matthews is now at approximately seven months gestation. This update provides a detailed assessment of his physical condition, with particular focus on rectal and hip adaptations pertinent to male pregnancy.

Current Medical Evaluation

General Physical Status

Vital Signs:

Blood Pressure: 115/76 (stable)

Pulse: 84 BPM (slightly elevated but within normal pregnancy parameters)

Respiration: 18 breaths per minute

Weight Gain: 18 pounds above initial enlistment baseline (notable increase from previous month, consistent with advancing gestation).

Gestational Progress

Estimated 28 weeks (7 months). The uterine and lower abdominal growth is consistent with typical third-trimester developments in male pregnancy.

Fetal heart tones remain strong on auscultation (~146 BPM). Fetal movements reported to be frequent, especially in the evenings.

Rectal Examination

Pvt. Matthews reports periodic pressure and heaviness in the rectal canal, especially when standing or marching for extended periods.

On gentle palpation, the rectum shows increased vascularity and mild swelling, which is not unusual in the late stages of male pregnancy. However, care must be taken to prevent or manage potential hemorrhoids, given added strain in this region.

The anal sphincter demonstrates normal tone, though Pvt. Matthews describes occasional episodes of discomfort—likely linked to fetal positioning and the downward pressure exerted by the growing child.

Hip and Pelvic Girdle Assessment

Complaints of hip soreness and lower back ache have intensified since last examination (one month prior). This is attributed to gradual pelvic widening and the shifting center of gravity.

Physical palpation indicates mild ligament laxity around the hip joints—a natural adaptation in male pregnancies as the body prepares for labor.

Pvt. Matthews experiences discomfort when required to traverse uneven terrain or stand in formation for extended durations. He reports temporary relief with short seated rests and mild stretches.

Nutritional and Environmental Factors

Wartime rationing complicates access to fresh produce, but additional calorie allowances have been arranged.

Daily supplements (when available) include powdered milk, iron tablets, and occasionally vitamin-fortified biscuits. Pvt. Matthews has been instructed to remain vigilant about hydration, as dehydration can exacerbate swelling and discomfort.

Duty Restrictions and Lifestyle

Currently assigned to administrative duties at a rear-echelon facility to minimize prolonged standing and heavy lifting.

Recommended low-impact movements: occasional short walks, gentle pelvic exercises, and if feasible, daily check-ins with medical staff for observation.

Sleep remains inconsistent due to frequent nighttime fetal activity and shared barracks noise, though Pvt. Matthews states he manages intermittent rest as best he can.

Psychological Outlook

Pvt. Matthews displays a mix of resolve and concern. He expresses worry about the stigma associated with his pregnancy and the uncertainty of how the child will be cared for if deployment conditions worsen.

Reports a sense of relief in having official medical oversight. Limited but consistent morale support from select squadmates and some discreet chaplain consultations appear beneficial.

Recommendations

Rectal & Hip Care

Moderate Rest: Schedule routine seated breaks to alleviate rectal pressure.

Support Garments: A supportive belt or band around the lower abdomen may reduce strain on hips and rectal canal.

Warm Compresses: Applied to the lower back and hips can mitigate soreness; for rectal discomfort, brief sitz baths or mild topical ointments (when resources permit).

Continued Nutritional Support

Maintain priority rations and supplements. Encourage iron- and protein-rich foods to prevent anemia and support fetal growth.

Ensure hydration, especially given increased metabolic demands at seven months.

Monitoring and Follow-Up

Regular monthly checks, or sooner if rectal swelling increases or if new symptoms arise (e.g., significant bleeding, severe pelvic pain).

Coordinate with field hospital staff to prepare for potential labor or complications, given the unusual deployment environment.

Emotional and Social Support

Where possible, arrange for discreet counseling. Encourage Pvt. Matthews to continue confiding in chaplain or trusted medical personnel, minimizing isolation.

If feasible, discuss postpartum logistics with commanding officers to ensure the newborn’s welfare and Pvt. Matthews’s postpartum recovery.

Conclusion

At seven months pregnant, Pvt. Matthews remains in stable condition with no immediate red flags detected aside from typical third-trimester challenges. Symptoms such as rectal heaviness, hip soreness, and general fatigue reflect the normal physiological adaptations of late-stage male pregnancy. Ongoing support, both medical and logistical, will be crucial to ensure a safe outcome for both father and child as wartime circumstances persist.

Signed,

Capt. Robert H. Nolan, M.D.

U.S. Army Medical Corps, Western Front

[aishangotome]

Azel Radwan: Romantic Ending Ch. 21 His Side Story

Chapter 21

Thank you @shatcey for providing the video for this chapter!

♡———♡

Azel: Your debt keeps increasing instead of decreasing…

Azel: At this rate, you might have to be my slave forever, you know?

The topic I brought up while we were eating the various dishes lined up on the table was a "deal" I had in mind for the future.

The woman showed her blatant displeasure while sipping her chickpea soup.

Emma: Just to be sure, what debt are you referring to?

Azel: The tuition fee for the Tanzanite cooking course.

Emma: I'm improving my cooking skills for your benefit too, you know.

Azel: That's irrelevant. No matter what your circumstances are, my goodwill doesn't come free.

(Only God gives selfless service)

Emma: Ah, I understand. You want to keep me here, don't you, Prince Azel?

(...... Huh?)

My thoughts stopped for a few seconds after receiving such an unexpected counterattack.

Azel: That's a leap in logic.

Emma: It's not. You keep increasing my debt with contrived reasons, so I thought you didn't want to let me go.

Azel: That's absurd.

(I didn't increase your debt to keep you from leaving)

(It would be pointless to do such a thing when we're destined to part ways anyway)

(That's not true... but why do I feel so guilty?)

When I awkwardly averted my gaze, the woman also cleared her throat with an uncomfortable look on her face.

Emma: But at this rate, I don't think I'll be able to repay it even if I spend my whole life doing so.

Emma: I'd be happy if you could provide some kind of relief measure.

(Yes, that's what I wanted to talk about)

(... You said something unnecessary)

Azel: I'd like to tell you to diligently pay it off in cash or labor, but...

Azel: If it's going to become a bad debt anyway, it might be an option to show you another path.

As if I had just thought of it, I spit out the words I had been pondering for several days.

Azel: For example, if you give me something worth a fortune, I might consider it.

Emma: ...Something worth a fortune...

Azel: A treasure that I would want even if I had to pay a large sum of money for it.

Emma: Do you have any desires besides money, food, books, and materials, Prince Azel?

Azel: Let me see...

When she asked about "things I want," I casually looked at her.

(...No...)

(I don't need anything.)

(That's not what I meant by something worth a fortune.)

(Considering what's to come, it's impossible for you to repay your debt, so I'm just saying I'll forgive you in exchange for a treasure you deem worthy.)

(It's a God's mercy, so to speak, and there's nothing in this world that holds that kind of value for me.)

(Well, there isn't, but...)

Emma: .....Prince Azel?

Azel: ......

(...Well, I can admit that this mealtime wasn't bad.)

(The back-and-forth before bed, the liveliness when we wake up...)

(You've given me so much time, just like an ordinary person.)

(Precious time that I thought I would never have...)

Emma: Why are you pinching my cheeks?

Azel: Because I felt irritated for some reason.

(No.)

(I don't even know what I'm denying anymore, but no.)

Emma: It hurts!

Azel: I thought about it, but as of now, there's nothing that's worth a fortune to me.

I let go of her soft cheeks and set my sights on the skewers.

Emma: It's troubling that there's nothing, for my debt's sake.

Azel: You just have to become a great merchant like Prince Silvio.

Emma: I don't think I can.

Azel: Then give up and keep diligently earning money.

Azel: Ah, don't worry. I also accept debt repayments by letter.

Azel: Use a carrier or whatever to deliver it to me.

(Then you can just insist that some random junk is worth a fortune.)

(You're a kind person, so you'll worry about the debt no matter what.)

(I might as well give you some relief measures now--)

Emma: ...If it gets to be too much, I think I'll consult with the owner.

Azel: Please don't do that. It's not something a kind-hearted Belle should do. It's too cruel.

(What will you do if I'm killed before the end...? Well, it's my own fault, though.)

The woman laughed playfully.

I felt flustered and looked away again.

Azel: ...More importantly, you haven't eaten anything since a while ago.

Emma: Ah, I was so engrossed in talking that I...

Emma: Shouldn't you be reading a book, Prince Azel?

(Book?)

(...Ah, I forgot to bring one.)

I always bring a book with me to meals, but I don't have one now.

Come to think of it, I haven't brought a book to meals lately.

It's because the woman is always so lively that I don't even have time to read.

(I should just ignore her...)

(...I should...)

The woman was in an infuriatingly good mood, smiling happily.

Azel: ...There's no book I want to read today.

Emma: I feel like something similar happened recently...

Azel: That doesn't matter. If you're not going to eat, I'll eat it all.

Emma: No way, don't take my share too!

When I tried to take her share of the skewers as well, she stubbornly snatched them back.

Azel: You're quite the glutton, huh?

Emma: I don't want to be told that by the greedy Prince Azel!

Seeing her hurriedly bite into the meat made me smile.

(...We're able to spend our time like this now, but if you knew about the prophecy of the end...)

(...)

(No matter what kind of debt relief measures I offer, a future where I hurt you terribly is guaranteed.)

(To think that the first and last sin committed by a God would be something so trivial.)

(If I weren't a God...)

-

When I opened my eyes, the fleeting illusion vanished.

In the distance, I saw the woman confronting that detestable old man—...

(...What ifs are ridiculous.)

(A God who is about to die has no need for such things.)

.

.

.

Romantic Ending Ch. 22

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to leave me a tip here or buy me a coffee through the "Leave a Tip" button on my navigation bar!

[puckpocketed]

Hello. You might have seen this floating around on twt:

link 1 // link 2, archive link

If by any chance you or someone you know are thinking about joining in on the challenge… no one can stop you but I implore you as someone who makes art, as someone with friends in an often-exploited creative industry, as someone who lives in late stage capitalism alongside you and has seen this play out before: proceed with caution.

Read the fine print on that form. There is NO guarantee of an internship, much less a job at the end of it. I haven't gone further than this form, but if anyone reading this does, and if there's no written agreement that your work won't be used without credit to you + payment for services rendered - RUN.

This is a common corporate tactic to get free labor out of people. I'm not saying this is necessarily what’s happening; for all we know this was done as a completely innocent move to drum up some fan engagement and as a genuine search for talent for their analytics team. WHO KNOWS. But I can't ignore that I’ve seen this situation play out again and again, at every scale.

Job interviews, when they ask you how YOU think they should improve their systems, how YOU would solve their problems? When they require that you do some problem-solving for them, and it goes beyond a simple task? That’s a free consultation you’re giving them, that's free work you or someone else should be getting paid for.

When big streamers/influencers ask their fans to join in on a fan art contest to choose their new pfp/banner? That’s hundreds, possibly thousands of pieces of free art they never would’ve gotten otherwise. They could've gone to the trouble of paying someone in-house to do it, hiring someone for that position, commissioning a professional for a piece. It's free work from their dedicated fans.

In this case, Utah HC is asking fans to not only choose/provide their own dataset, but to do a complex analysis on it AND do the work of visual and verbal communication to senior management, who likely do not have a deeper grasp of the concepts and will need it simplified. The stipulation that you will present your work could be ANYTHING!! The "five page deliverable" is already bananas to me, having dipped my toe into what analytics is and how complex the fun ones are. Condensing it all is WORK. The presentation portion may include speaking time and answering questions; the groundwork for doing this effectively may include producing data visualisations, making spreadsheets, time consuming write-ups. Maths and science communication is hard. It is WORK. They are asking for free labor.

Many have already called it out, but it's still gaining traction via retweets from big accounts uncritically sharing it. I found out through the official Puckpedia account. Jack Han called it out pretty eloquently on twitter and on his substack:

Many people aspire to work as an analyst in the NHL. Earlier today the Utah Hockey Club gave those people a glimmer of hope. Utah’s Summer Analytics Challenge is unusual in that it doesn’t provide a dataset or detailed instructions. The open-ended contests contrasts with other public (ex: Big Data Cup) or private (ex: NHL team interview) events. In those scenarios, participants are given proprietary data to clean, model and analyze, which influence direction and methodology. Meanwhile, Utah is seemingly happy with anything as long as the writeup is under five pages long. Utah’s contest also stands out in its near-total absence of legal fine print. There are no mention of intellectual property implications, which is perhaps fitting when the team is asking participants to bring their own data and analysis. [...] Open casting calls such as Utah’s analytics challenge start out as a lose-lose-lose proposition: > The employer loses because it will have to invest massive human resources to trawl/filter/evaluate/reverse-engineer the hundreds of write-ups it is sure to receive, with no guarantee that any of them will be of use > Applicants lose because the vast, vast majority of them will have nothing to show for their efforts, while a tiny minority risks having its IP stolen > Good ideas lose because they’ll be born into an environment where their parents (the applicant & the employer) have no defined relationship and won’t be in a position to grow together

link, archive link

I do try to keep things light on this blog, but this is super personal for me <3 thank u for listening

[mariacallous]

Elon Musk’s America PAC and several other defendants, including the reelection campaign for Representative Michelle Steel, a Republican from California, are accused of violating California labor law in a class action lawsuit filed in Orange County on October 30, according to court documents obtained by WIRED.

The named plaintiffs, Tamiko Anderson and Patricia Kelly, were canvassers for Steel in October of this year, according to the suit, which alleges that they weren’t paid agreed-upon wages. America PAC is named because it provided campaigning services for Steel.

The plaintiffs are also suing over an alleged failure to reimburse business expenses and for allegedly being provided inaccurate wage statements. The suit seeks class certification for “All current and former non-exempt employees of Defendants in the State of California who were employed as canvassers and canvassed for Michelle Steel at any time from October 30, 2023, through the present.”

“The Steel campaign has no knowledge of these individuals, they did not and do not work for the Steel campaign, and the campaign will not comment on individuals that involve a Super PAC with which we have no involvement,” a spokesperson for the Steel campaign said in a statement.

These allegations are different from those WIRED reported earlier this week, when canvassers in Michigan said they were tricked and threatened as part of Elon Musk and America PAC’s get-out-the-vote effort for Donald Trump. The door knockers, who worked for a subcontractor of America PAC, were flown to Michigan, driven in the back of a U-Haul, and told they would have to pay hotel bills unless they met unrealistic quotas. One was surprised to find, upon arrival in Michigan, that they were working to elect Donald Trump.

The Blair Group, a North Carolina firm that the complaint claims is a political consultancy, and Liberty Staffing Services, a Florida firm specializing in hiring and payroll for canvassers and other W2 employees of political campaigns, are the other named defendants. Neither immediately responded to requests for comment. The suit also lists unknown Johns Doe as defendants.

The plaintiffs are owed money, according to the suit.

“As with other members of the Class, Plaintiffs were guaranteed an agreed upon wage hourly wage [sic] upon starting their employment. However, Plaintiffs are informed and believe that Defendants failed to pay them at the correct hourly wage, and, instead, paid them based on the number of residences they canvassed. To date, Plaintiffs have yet to receive the underpaid wages owed to them,” the complaint states.

The defendants in the lawsuit also were not reimbursed for downloading various apps on their personal devices, according to the complaint. The plaintiffs also allege their cell phones were used to track time worked, but that they still were not compensated for those hours.

America PAC, into which Musk has poured more than $100 million, has largely taken up get-out-the-vote operations in key swing states for the Donald Trump campaign. Widespread reports depict its operations as a mess, though—in addition to WIRED’s reporting on its efforts in Michigan, The Guardian has reported that up to 25 percent of its door knocks may be fraudulent, and NBC has reported that campaign operatives have concerns about “suspect data.” In an election all polls show as a toss-up, a shambolic field operation could well mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Neither Alex Spiro, Musk’s attorney, nor a spokesperson for X, which Musk owns, immediately replied to requests for comment and requests to be put in touch with a representative of America PAC, which does not list contact information on its website. A representative for The Blair Group also did not return a request for comment.

[fowlblue]

Okay, so I did say I’d go over Diana’s lore a bit (and then completely forgot, forgive me, Artfight got in the way)- so here’s some history (and a few visual notes) for my evil little Arty clone!

Before I explain Diana, I first have to give a brief reminder of another other AF OC: Sine Sylvester, Council member of Haven.

This guy (wonderfully draw by the delightful @sinigangrobot , thank you so much my friend!)

Sine is a cervitaur, and generally well-liked by most in Haven. He’s made a big name for himself among circles of less “conventional” fairy folk (like other centaurs) in pioneering design/lawmaking in Haven that suits them as well. However, behind the scenes he’s also involved in illegal kidnapping of humans for aboveground for any purposes below, such as experimentation, weapons testing, labor, etc. You could say he runs “Human Resources” for Haven’s criminal underground… and occasionally, the Council.

Enter Artemis Fowl.

Sine exists in a hypothetical future AU in which Artemis is offered a position as the first human consultant for the Council- supposedly for services rendered, though mostly to keep an eye on him. Bureaucracy doesn’t suit Artemis at all, but he does what he can.

Eventually, two things happen- Sine digs up Foaly’s notes on cloning Artemis: a bit patchy, perhaps, but legible. Also, certain members of the Council become concerned about Artemis’s meddling. Eager for the opportunity to use the newfound research, Sine offers to make them a “backup” Artemis- one more suited to fairykind’s needs.

Sine has his own motivations- he’s in an interspecies marriage with a pixie doctor (in the “mad scientist” way, mind- she handles a lot of the human experimentation) named Mags. They love each other dearly, but understandably, a biological kid isn’t happening. So Diana, as they call the clone of Artemis they develop, becomes a son to them, and they love him fiercely… to the point of threatening the same Council members that commissioned him, if needed.

Diana is designed after how the People view Artemis- cunning, and cruel, and cold. He’s a vicious little guy, only tempered by his love for his parents, and the same burning curiosity as Artemis himself. Diana has a deep desire to learn and be recognized for his intellect- unfortunately for him, he spends most of his time cooped up in Sine’s HR facility for his own protection. See, Foaly’s notes had gaps- Sine and Mags filled these gaps with cybernetics. Because of them, Diana is hooked to the mainframe of Sine’s facility and all sorts of LEP systems to use as his playground (his parents’ attempts to make up for him being confined to the grounds)- laser turrets, survellience, his mother’s experiments… all of it is partially under his control, as Diana mans a lot of the facility’s defenses himself as a means of chasing off boredom. However, his cybernetics are also incredibly delicate, and cause him a lot of pain at times- whenever this happens, Sine takes the day off to look after him.

He, just like his father, considers humans to be lesser creatures. He’s not too pleased with his aboveground counterpart, refusing to acknowledge him as anything but “The Mud Boy”. Diana eagerly awaits the day they can meet in-person, so he can show him who the better Fowl is.

Other notes:

- Being raised in Haven and born of magic, he does have limited fairy abilities.

- Occasionally, he gets to follow Sine along and learn about Council business.

- Diana lacks Artemis’s focus, as he’s never had to cultivate it the way the Fowl heir has, so one of his weaknesses is that he’s easily distracted, and easily tricked.

[end-otw-racism]

2023 OTW Board Election Review

The election is over, and we'd like to congratulate (in alphabetical order) Anh Pham, Kathryn Soderholm, and Qiao Chu, who have been elected to serve full terms on the OTW Board of Directors, and Jennifer Haynes and Zixin Zhang, who have been elected to partial terms. We recognize that this is a turbulent time for the OTW, and that running for Board at any time takes guts and a lot of hard work, but especially so now, and we appreciate the time and labor you all have put into answering questions about how you envision your time serving on the Board and guiding OTW policy.

It really was a rollercoaster of an election season. With an original ballot of seven candidates for three seats, the field eventually narrowed to five candidates, and then unexpected resignations led to the opening of five total seats, creating an uncontested election. Still, voting mattered, as the number of votes each candidate got determined if they won a full term (three years) or a partial (two years), and we want to thank everyone who showed up to #VoteToEndOTWRacism.

Through their prepared bios and platforms, the Q&As posted to the Elections site, and the four Candidate Chats, OTW members and stakeholders had ample opportunity to get to know the candidates and learn about their ideas for improving the OTW, and we're excited to see how they might implement their plans once they take their seats.

Today we're going to take a look at how their stated priorities might guide the new Board, specifically in addressing our three main demands: 

Terms of Service (TOS) updates that address racist and bigoted harassment.

Hiring a Diversity Consultant within the next 3 months.

Committing to a policy of transparency on this topic.

As candidates, all five stressed the importance of updating the TOS (or the way the current TOS is enforced) to better protect fans from harassment on AO3, with Anh, Kathryn, and Qiao all listing it as a priority. 

All five also spoke of hiring and working with a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultant, with Anh, Kathryn, and Qiao all speaking of filling the position soon, and Kathryn expressly calling it a priority.

And, continuing the positive trend, all five offered multiple ways the OTW could improve transparency within the organization and with stakeholders outside the organization! We are particularly interested in Zixin’s suggestion to increase the section on Board work in the monthly newsletters (something Qiao also mentioned!) as well as improve the Board Meeting process to have it better moderated and more efficient, as this would be a great step towards that transparency and engagement with the user base, and her idea to set up clearer internal guidelines on crisis resolution and make them accessible to all volunteers would be a tangible way of increasing transparency within the org.

Kathryn is also concerned about documentation and believes the OTW needs to establish: clear org-wide standards for when to use Constructive Corrective Action Procedures (CCAP), an org-wide crisis communication plan, and org-wide standards for moderating comments on news posts, and that these standards can, and should, be created within the first year.

And, finally, Anh discusses having the group tasked with implementation of the OTW's strategic plan develop infographics to better communicate that plan as a means of fostering outreach to OTW members and users to bring them in to contribute to the OTW’s processes. Unfortunately the strategic plan does not currently reference any of our goals, but if updated, this could be a great path of dialogue between users and the organization.  

The new Board will be seated October 1, 2023, and we look forward to seeing what they can accomplish by working together to make the OTW and its platforms a safe and welcoming place for fans of color.

[workingclasshistory]

On this day, 6 February 1919, perhaps the most spectacular strike in US history took place: the Seattle general strike. Nearly 100,000 downed tools in support of striking shipyard workers but, more importantly, then elected a general strike committee and began running the city and essential services themselves. While the shipyard workers did not get their pay increase, the five-day general strike was a historic and successful experiment demonstrating that workers could run society ourselves. After the strike ended, the newspaper of the Central Labor Council, the Union Record, explained its importance: "We see but one way out. In place of two classes competing for the fruits of industry, there must be, eventually only one class sharing fairly the good things of the world. And this can only be done by the workers learning to manage. "When we saw in our General Strike: The Milk Wagon Drivers consulting late into the night over the task of supplying milk for the city’s babies; The Provision Trades working twenty-four hours out of the twenty-four on the question of feeding 30,000 workers; The Barbers planning a chain of co-operative barber shops; The steamfitters opening a profitless grocery store; The Labor Guards facing, under severe provocation, the task of maintaining order by a new and kinder method; When we saw union after union submitting its cherished desires to the will of the General Strike Committee: then we rejoiced. For we knew it was worth the four or five days pay apiece to get this education in the problems of management. Whatever strength we found in ourselves, and whatever weakness, we knew we were learning the thing which it is necessary for us to know. "Someday, when the workers have learned to manage, they will begin managing. And we, the workers of Seattle, have seen, in the midst of our General Strike, vaguely and across the storm, a glimpse of what the fellowship of that new day shall be." https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/2203657846486020/?type=3

[vague-humanoid]

Goodwill hired at least three union-busting firms to lead the charge against its own employees. The firms included Sarah Hirt, a “persuader” consultant from Pennsylvania, and two Florida-based firms, JF Management & Consulting LLC and The Labor Pros. These firms are notorious for their anti-union tactics, which often involve captive audience meetings, one-on-one discussions, and close surveillance of workers.

According to disclosure documents, The Labor Pros, a firm infamous for its involvement in several high-profile anti-union campaigns, spearheaded the anti-union efforts at Goodwill. From August 28 to September 17, 2024, The Labor Pros was paid $3,750 per day, possibly amounting to at least $75,000 for their services during this period. This staggering sum does not include additional costs for legal fees, travel, and other expenses related to the anti-union campaign. Despite these massive expenditures, Goodwill employees, including those with disabilities, continue to earn around $15 per hour — and in some cases, even less due to the subminimum wages allowed under federal law.

[flyworldmigration]

Employment Opportunities in Australia for Indians

Are you looking for a new job in Australia? If so, you’re in luck! Indians are numerous in Australia and there are many opportunities for employment. In this article, we’ll explore some of the most popular employment sectors for Indians in Australia. We’ll also provide tips on how to find the right job and make the most of your Australian experience. So whether you’re looking for a long-term stay or a temporary opportunity, read on to learn more about the employment opportunities available to Indians in Australia!

The pathways to move to Australia from India with the best Australia migration agency

There are a variety of immigration routes from India to Australia that you may select from depending on your profile and preferences. As a skilled immigrant, you can depart from India and enter Australia (permanent visa). To apply for the required visa category with the best Australia migration agency under this category, you must select an occupation from the SOL (Skilled Occupation List) or CSOL (Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List).

You must pass Australia’s point-based immigration system if you want to immigrate there as a skilled worker. Your age, education, employment history, level of English proficiency, and other variables will determine how many points you receive. An on-point system requires a minimum score of 60 points. However, a better score will increase your likelihood of being chosen.

Eligibility Criteria

First of all, you have to make sure your occupation/skill is in the skilled occupation list. Based on your skilled employment points, you can understand whether you are eligible for a visa application. If your skill is in high demand, your chances of getting an Australian visa and permanent residency (PR) will be high. Other general criteria include:

Be under the age of 45

Be proficient in English. You might have to provide proof through English language tests.

Have the required amount to support yourself financially.

Provide evidence that you meet Australia’s health requirements.

Police certificate proving good conduct

Submit an Expression of Interest

The application process can be overwhelming if you’re trying to apply with no professional or legal help. With us, the best Australia migration agency Kochi, we ensure all the rules are done within the given timeline for you to receive your visa invitation.

Our experts make up the best Australian immigration consultants in Kerala that can help you sort out all the required documents and assessments. We can help you attain your Australian PR visa, Skilled Visa and the like with zero errors and maximum efficiency.

Major Occupations

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia is facing shortages in the skilled workforce in many high paying and rewarding jobs. Many skilled professionals are moving to Australia in search of a great lifestyle, great salary and a great future for their children.

Occupations in the following fields are high in demand due to the skill shortage faced by the country:

Health Care and Social Assistance (200,000+ vacancies by 2023)

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (165,000+ vacancies by 2023)

Education and Training (100,000+ vacancies by 2023)

Construction (110,000+ vacancies by 2023)

The vacancies under the above-mentioned list are only expected to increase in the coming years. The occupations fall under different subclasses and require certain skill assessments to provide proof of your qualifications.

These are the top 10 jobs that are in demand and facing skill shortages. Keep in mind that the higher your skill is in demand, the smoother and quicker you can get your Australian Visa, even a Permanent Residency (PR) visa.

Registered nurses

One of the essential jobs in demand in Australia, registered nurses enjoy many perks such as a PR pathway, a competitive salary, and pension benefits.

Care for the elderly and disabled

The demand for elderly and disability care is expected to rise in the coming years in Australia. The great importance of these job roles makes it a great opportunity for overseas-skilled professionals to build a rewarding life in the country.

Child care

One of the most essential and in-demand job roles, child care is a great window of opportunity for PR. Currently, there are 16,000 vacancies in child care.

Information and communications technology (ICT)

Australia provides a strong base for the development of information and communications technology, with employment expected to increase by about 20% in the coming years. A strong sector with growing vacancies is a great opportunity for Indians to gain a rewarding lifestyle.

Early childhood teachers

Australia gives great importance to quality education, which is why its universities are some of the most renowned ones. Early childhood teaching positions are expected to increase by 30,000 because the country is falling short of educators.

Electricians

Despite the fact that the industry is expanding, Australia is experiencing a shortage of electricians, one of the most important job roles in the country. The officials are expecting 11% job growth.

Software and applications programmers

The industry’s fast growth and it is being one of the world’s best make it a great opportunity for software and applications programmers to gain a smooth pathway to PR in Australia.

Construction managers

With a rewarding career and great salary packages, construction managers from overseas have found a great lifestyle in Australia.

Civil engineering professionals

Local civil engineers are unable to meet Australia’s skill demand. A job that has a high potential for growth, civil engineering provides great rewards for skilled professionals.

Chefs

According to the Australian Government’s skill priority list, chefs are one of the most in-demand job roles in the country.

The list does not end here. There are many other jobs that are in great demand and of great use to the Australian economy. But the categories can be confusing if you are new to it, the processes are strict, and there are certain state nominations you can take advantage of.

Exploring new opportunities can be overwhelming, but with the right Australian migration consultants, all the weight is lifted off your shoulders.

Choosing the right Australian PR visa consultants is the Key!

FLYWORLD is one of the top-notch Australia PR visa consultants in Kerala who offer their services to help people migrate to Australia. They are based in Kochi, India, and have a lot of experience in helping people with the process of migrating to Australia. They offer a wide range of services, including helping with the visa application process, finding employment opportunities in Australia, and providing support during the transition period.

The company has a strong focus on helping Indian citizens migrate to Australia, and they have a lot of experience in this area. They are familiar with the Australian visa application process and can offer advice and support throughout the process. They can also help with finding employment opportunities in Australia, which is often one of the biggest challenges for migrants. The company offers a comprehensive package of services that can be tailored to each individual’s needs. This includes helping with all aspects of the migration process, from start to finish. If you are considering migrating to Australia, then the Australia Migration agency Kochi can offer you expert advice and support.

Reach us for more information: https://flyworldmigration.com.au/

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The specific process by which Google enshittified its search

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me SATURDAY (Apr 27) in MARIN COUNTY, then Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!

All digital businesses have the technical capacity to enshittify: the ability to change the underlying functions of the business from moment to moment and user to user, allowing for the rapid transfer of value between business customers, end users and shareholders:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/24/naming-names/#prabhakar-raghavan

Which raises an important question: why do companies enshittify at a specific moment, after refraining from enshittifying before? After all, a company always has the potential to benefit by treating its business customers and end users worse, by giving them a worse deal. If you charge more for your product and pay your suppliers less, that leaves more money on the table for your investors.

Of course, it's not that simple. While cheating, price-gouging, and degrading your product can produce gains, these tactics also threaten losses. You might lose customers to a rival, or get punished by a regulator, or face mass resignations from your employees who really believe in your product.

Companies choose not to enshittify their products…until they choose to do so. One theory to explain this is that companies are engaged in a process of continuous assessment, gathering data about their competitive risks, their regulators' mettle, their employees' boldness. When these assessments indicate that the conditions are favorable to enshittification, the CEO walks over to the big "enshittification" lever on the wall and yanks it all the way to MAX.

Some companies have certainly done this – and paid the price. Think of Myspace or Yahoo: companies that made themselves worse by reducing quality and gouging on price (be it measured in dollars or attention – that is, ads) before sinking into obscure senescence. These companies made a bet that they could get richer while getting worse, and they were wrong, and they lost out.

But this model doesn't explain the Great Enshittening, in which all the tech companies are enshittifying at the same time. Maybe all these companies are subscribing to the same business newsletter (or, more likely, buying advice from the same management consultancy) (cough McKinsey cough) that is a kind of industry-wide starter pistol for enshittification.

I think it's something else. I think the main job of a CEO is to show up for work every morning and yank on the enshittification lever as hard as you can, in hopes that you can eke out some incremental gains in your company's cost-basis and/or income by shifting value away from your suppliers and customers to yourself.

We get good digital services when the enshittification lever doesn't budge – when it is constrained: by competition, by regulation, by interoperable mods and hacks that undo enshittification (like alternative clients and ad-blockers) and by workers who have bargaining power thanks to a tight labor market or a powerful union:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/09/lead-me-not-into-temptation/#chamberlain

When Google ordered its staff to build a secret Chinese search engine that would censor search results and rat out dissidents to the Chinese secret police, googlers revolted and refused, and the project died:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly_(search_engine)

When Google tried to win a US government contract to build AI for drones used to target and murder civilians far from the battlefield, googlers revolted and refused, and the project died:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/technology/google-pentagon-project-maven.html

What's happened since – what's behind all the tech companies enshittifying all at once – is that tech worker power has been smashed, especially at Google, where 12,000 workers were fired just months after a $80b stock buyback that would have paid their wages for the next 27 years. Likewise, competition has receded from tech bosses' worries, thanks to lax antitrust enforcement that saw most credible competitors merged into behemoths, or neutralized with predatory pricing schemes. Lax enforcement of other policies – privacy, labor and consumer protection – loosened up the enshittification lever even more. And the expansion of IP rights, which criminalize most kinds of reverse engineering and aftermarket modification, means that interoperability no longer applies friction to the enshittification lever.

Now that every tech boss has an enshittification lever that moves very freely, they can show up for work, yank the enshittification lever, and it goes all the way to MAX. When googlers protested the company's complicity in the genocide in Gaza, Google didn't kill the project – it mass-fired the workers:

https://medium.com/@notechforapartheid/statement-from-google-workers-with-the-no-tech-for-apartheid-campaign-on-googles-indiscriminate-28ba4c9b7ce8

Enshittification is a macroeconomic phenomenon, determined by the regulatory environment for competition, privacy, labor, consumer protection and IP. But enshittification is also a microeconomic phenomenon, the result of innumerable boardroom and product-planning fights within companies in which would-be enshittifiers try to do things that make the company's products and services shittier wrestle with rivals who want to keep things as they are, or make them better, whether out of principle or fear of the consequences.

Those microeconomic wrestling-matches are where we find enshittification's heroes and villains – the people who fight for the user or stand up for a fair deal, versus the people who want to cheat and wreck to make things better for the company and win bonuses and promotions for themselves:

https://locusmag.com/2023/11/commentary-by-cory-doctorow-dont-be-evil/

These microeconomic struggles are usually obscure, because companies are secretive institutions and our glimpses into their deliberations are normally limited to the odd leaked memo, whistleblower tell-all, or spectacular worker revolt. But when a company gets dragged into court, a new window opens into the company's internal operations. That's especially true when the plaintiff is the US government.

Which brings me back to Google, the poster-child for enshittification, a company that revolutionized the internet a quarter of a century ago with a search-engine that was so good that it felt like magic, which has decayed so badly and so rapidly that whole sections of the internet are disappearing from view for the 90% of users who rely on the search engine as their gateway to the internet.

Google is being sued by the DOJ's Antitrust Division, and that means we are getting a very deep look into the company, as its internal emails and memos come to light:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/03/not-feeling-lucky/#fundamental-laws-of-economics

Google is a tech company, and tech companies have literary cultures – they run on email and other forms of written communication, even for casual speech, which is more likely to take place in a chat program than at a water-cooler. This means that tech companies have giant databases full of confessions to every crime they've ever committed:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/03/big-tech-cant-stop-telling-on-itself/

Large pieces of Google's database-of-crimes are now on display – so much, in fact, that it's hard for anyone to parse through it all and understand what it means. But some people are trying, and coming up with gold. One of those successful prospectors is Ed Zitron, who has produced a staggering account of the precise moment at which Google search tipped over into enshittification, which names the executives at the very heart of the rot:

https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-men-who-killed-google/

Zitron tells the story of a boardroom struggle over search quality, in which Ben Gomes – a long-tenured googler who helped define the company during its best years – lost a fight with Prabhakar Raghavan, a computer scientist turned manager whose tactic for increasing the number of search queries (and thus the number of ads the company could show to searchers) was to decrease the quality of search. That way, searchers would have to spend more time on Google before they found what they were looking for.

Zitron contrasts the background of these two figures. Gomes, the hero, worked at Google for 19 years, solving fantastically hard technical scaling problems and eventually becoming the company's "search czar." Raghavan, the villain, "failed upwards" through his career, including a stint as Yahoo's head of search from 2005-12, a presiding over the collapse of Yahoo's search business. Under Raghavan's leadership, Yahoo's search market-share fell from 30.4% to 14%, and in the end, Yahoo jettisoned its search altogether and replaced it with Bing.

For Zitron, the memos show how Raghavan engineered the ouster of Gomes, with help from the company CEO, the ex-McKinseyite Sundar Pichai. It was a triumph for enshittification, a deliberate decision to make the product worse in order to make it more profitable, under the (correct) belief that the company's exclusivity deals to provide search everywhere from Iphones and Samsungs to Mozilla would mean that the business would face no consequences for doing so.

It a picture of a company that isn't just too big to fail – it's (as FTC Chair Lina Khan put it on The Daily Show) too big to care:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaDTiWaYfcM

Zitron's done excellent sleuthing through the court exhibits here, and his writeup is incandescently brilliant. But there's one point I quibble with him on. Zitron writes that "It’s because the people running the tech industry are no longer those that built it."

I think that gets it backwards. I think that there were always enshittifiers in the C-suites of these companies. When Page and Brin brought in the war criminal Eric Schmidt to run the company, he surely started every day with a ritual, ferocious tug at that enshittification lever. The difference wasn't who was in the C-suite – the difference was how freely the lever moved.

On Saturday, I wrote:

The platforms used to treat us well and now treat us badly. That's not because they were setting a patient trap, luring us in with good treatment in the expectation of locking us in and turning on us. Tech bosses do not have the executive function to lie in wait for years and years.

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/22/kargo-kult-kaptialism/#dont-buy-it

Someone on Hacker News called that "silly," adding that "tech bosses do in fact have the executive function to lie in wait for years and years. That's literally the business model of most startups":

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40114339

That's not quite right, though. The business-model of the startup is to yank on the enshittification lever every day. Tech bosses don't lie in wait for the perfect moment to claw away all the value from their employees, users, business customers, and suppliers – they're always trying to get that value. It's only when they become too big to care that they succeed. That's the definition of being too big to care.

In antitrust circles, they sometimes say that "the process is the punishment." No matter what happens to the DOJ's case against Google, its internal workers have been made visible to the public. The secrecy surrounding the Google trial when it was underway meant that a lot of this stuff flew under the radar when it first appeared. But as Zitron's work shows, there is plenty of treasure to be found in that trove of documents that is now permanently in the public domain.

When future scholars study the enshittocene, they will look to accounts like Zitron's to mark the turning points from the old, good internet to the enshitternet. Let's hope those future scholars have a new, good internet on which to publish their findings.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/24/naming-names/#prabhakar-raghavan