Fair points all.

Alex

On 10 May 2011 10:58, Alexander Harrowell <[email protected]> wrote:

>  On Monday 09 May 2011 21:51:32 Rebecca King wrote:
>
> > *We’re Sidekick – And We’re looking to hire 3 Developers…*
>
> >
>
> > We're a social innovation organisation - we develop web and mobile tools
> to
>
> > tackle social issues and public services in a different way
>
>
> You can say that again!
>
>  > * *
>
> >
>
> > We have 3 different jobs – please take a read and get in touch if the
> roles
>
> > spark interest
>
> >
>
> > *1 x Mid-weight/senior Ruby on Rails Web Developer *
>
> >
>
> > Project – “Flamingo”
>
> >
>
> > *Key Info:*
>
> >
>
> > · 6 – 8 weeks contract with further work likely
>
> >
>
> > · 3-5 years Ruby on Rails experience
>
> >
>
> > · Client project
>
> >
>
> > · Working alongside a senior mobile developer and a senior UX designer
>
> >
>
> > · Experience deploying onto cloud based platforms e.g. Heroku.com
>
> > desirable
>
> >
>
> > · Based at Sidekick studios, London Bridge
>
> >
>
> > *2 x Creative technical leads / senior developers *
>
> >
>
> > Project – “SS3”
>
> >
>
>
> This is the one I'm pissed off about. First of all, I wouldn't say "hire"
> as that implies the full obligations of actually employing someone in what
> we boring old bastards call a "job".
>
>
> It would be more like "offer you a suspiciously undetermined sum of money
> for three whole months to set up from scratch a new business and major
> software development project that we may terminate without notice or reason
> given".
>
>
> Further, this project has to be non-profit for *us*, while as far as I can
> see it's for-profit for *you*. Sidekick Studios is a commercial company,
> which has a contract from the DBIS UK Tech Strategy Board to do this and is
> being paid with your income tax. The three projects in SS3 are all required
> to be non-profit making.
>
>
>  > *Key info: *
>
> >
>
> > · 3 month contract – maybe more
>
> >
>
> > · Social innovation projects
>
> >
>
> > a) Social Care Swap “wife swap for your gran”
>
> >
>
>
> words fail me at the trivialisation of a really serious job that is
> actually safety-critical and the underlying contempt for the (usually)
> black, (always) working-class (usually) women who do it.
>
>  "Wife Swap for your gran". You ought to be ashamed.
>
>
> > b) Youth Justice Game Project “4 square for criminals”
>
> >
>
>
> did you actually subcontract this to Nathan Barley's firm?
>
>
> > · Experienced and creative developer to build proof of concept for an
>
> > innovative social project
>
> >
>
> > · Start up experience preferred
>
> >
>
> > · No language preference – but solid front and back end web-dev skills
>
> > required - whatever environment you’re used to
>
> >
>
> > · Work in small dynamic team
>
> >
>
> > · Based at Sidekick studios, London Bridge
>
> >
>
> > · Read more hear http://sidekickstudios.net/ss3/
>
> >
>
>
> Yes, do read more "hear" and protect your interests by keeping well away
> from this ill-thought-out, exploitative, cynical exercise in
> volunteer-mining. What gets me is the *asymmetry* - you demand a ferocious
> amount of commitment and offer absolutely zero in return. And the
> expectations! 4 years' professional experience! Enterpreneurs who are also
> activists and software engineers! And you're offering, well, chump change
> and a slice of pizza.
>
>
> > "How much will I get paid?
>
> > Good question. And we're going to duck it. Sort of.
>
> > Can I do it part-time?
>
> > Definitely not. Full-time. 100 MPH. Absolutely committed. As if your life
> depended on this. Well at least, your financial security. Because it does."
>
> Putting acid-coloured big Helvetica titles on the website does not make you
> a decent person.
>
>
> Also, the Guardian article you mention on your website is well worth
> reading but not for the reasons you suggest:
>
>
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/social-enterprise-network/2011/apr/15/talent-social-action-sector
>
>
> It makes it very clear that your original plan was to basically try to sign
> up people fired from the public sector because they wouldn't have any
> options. As volunteers, so they'd be cheap, and somehow would *waive their
> civil service redundancy payout*!
>
>
> > Over the past year, in the face of chaotic reorganisations and relentless
> manager bashing from politicians, we've seen many of them decide to take up
> generous redundancy packages, in some cases over a year of full pay....Aside
> from the huge drop in productivity during the prolonged reorganisation, this
> mass firing and re-hiring carries huge risks for costs going forward. The
> same manager is thinking of moving on to work for an international research
> agency. If the GP consortia wants her unique skills and community
> relationships in twelve months time, they'll find her charged out to clients
> at £1000 a day.
>
>
> Also, it's not really a "Guardian article", as in "something that appears
> in the newspaper of that name, under the authority of its editor" is it?
> It's a "Guardian Professional" article, which is their pay-for-play
> advertorial operation. (http://guardianprofessional.co.uk/Whoweare/)
>
>
> --
>
> The only thing worse than e-mail disclaimers...is people who send e-mail to
> lists complaining about them
>
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