• Zephorah@discuss.online
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    5 days ago

    If you want to undercut that billionaires, dial back the data stream. Linux. Possibly GrapheneOS or at least a faraday bag while out and about. And above all stop subscribing to OpenAI.

  • Jännät@sopuli.xyz
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    5 days ago

    I recommended this manual’s section on workplace sabotage, and I had a user say that this would not work today, because apparently literally every single workplace is a panopticon that will detect even the tiniest amount of inefficiency and fire you for it, and apparently somehow even though every single worker in some unit was working as slow as possible it would not hurt efficiency, because magical surveillance technology.

    Also according to them if you try this you will be PROSECUTED, and I guess you’ll also be flogged, shot, hanged, quartered, burned at the stake, and then flogged again for good measure. And then you’ll be fired.

    Not sure if that person’s just an idiot or actively trying to prevent people from trying simple sabotage.

    That manual was published in 1944, when significant workplace malfeasance could be readily concealed. A worker in that time could easily hamper far more production than they were forced to produce to maintain their cover.

    With modern workplace supervision, surveillance and record keeping designed specifically to identify and eliminate such “inefficiencies”, our modern saboteur cannot hope to achieve results anywhere close to those of his great-grandfather. The amount of production he has to achieve to maintain his cover greatly exceeds the loss of production from his efforts. Your great grandfather could throw a wrench in the gears and play dumb; you’ll be caught and prosecuted if you try the same, so you have to resort to less effective efforts.

    With such extensive workplace surveillance in place, every worker in a unit can be a “saboteur”, and productivity from that unit can still be positive. They can churn out production even with every single worker actively trying to slow it.

    Better for our would-be saboteur to resign. He sets the example for his former co-workers, while also saddling them with his work. His absence damages unit productivity more than he could achieve through active sabotage.

    The tactics you are recommending are about 60 years out of date.>

    • hex_m_hell@slrpnk.net
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      5 days ago

      Literally all you have to do in most situations is exactly what your manager says without correcting them constantly. The level of incompetence in Industry is so overwhelming and pervasive because business creeps, who don’t know what work is like, have taken over everything.

      “Move faster.” Sure thing, I can significantly reduce quality.

      “Write more code.” Sure thing, I can generate more lines of incomprehensible garbage.

      “Use more AI” Rad, will do. I’ll use on the most critical areas I can. I’ll use it 100% of the time. Whatever you want boss.

      Most managers are idiots who can’t even discern what quality looks like.

    • cerement@slrpnk.net
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      5 days ago

      a few pundits have also pointed out that several of these tactics are considered standard-operating-procedure by modern middle management (like multiple, long, pointless meetings)

      • dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net
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        5 days ago

        In those meetings, engage in JAQing off. If nothing is decided on in a meeting because you ask questions, it’s much harder to justify termination.

      • floofloof@lemmy.ca
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        5 days ago

        That could be a helpful thing though, since it makes it easier to disguise your deliberate inefficiency among the other inefficiencies.

      • Jännät@sopuli.xyz
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        4 days ago

        And 90% of the people here are telling me that this sort of sabotage would be completely useless and all workplaces literally everywhere in the world really are surveillance machines.

        I guess we should just lie down and give up.

    • Panini
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      5 days ago

      There definitely is an argument here that most modern workplaces are truly dystopian panopticons where some of the methods laid out won’t work nearly as well as they once did. And yes, some methods resulting in any amount of damage to equipment could very plausibly result in prosecution. But none of it is impossible and many methods will still work, at least with some cooperation.

      • Jännät@sopuli.xyz
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        5 days ago

        There definitely is an argument here that most modern workplaces are truly dystopian panopticons

        There absolutely isn’t an argument like that. Where the hell have you people been working if you think most workplaces are like that?

        Edit: yes, some of the methods definitely wouldn’t work because they’re outdated, but not because every single workplace is like the NSA

        Edit part deux – the return of the Edit: also, I think a lot of you folks are forgetting that not every job is an IT job

          • Jännät@sopuli.xyz
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            5 days ago

            I’ve never, ever had a work computer with snitchware, and I’ve worked in multinational gaming companies.

            I think this might be a USA vs Europe thing, because seriously this “every workplace is a panopticon” just isn’t a thing at least in Finland.

            Also, not every workplace is something where you deal with computers etc. Manufacturing and so on still exist.

            • Panini
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              5 days ago

              Could be a US vs Europe thing, maybe a specific to Finland or the Scandinavia thing, but I generally doubt it and think you’re naïve to the experience of most people’s jobs. Britain is quite famously even more omni-surveilled than the US.

              I work management in retail, cameras are literally everywhere (and being at least occasionally watched) that there could ever be a legal liability in any form (e.g. a worker or customer doing absolutely anything whatsoever), which is basically everywhere. Manufacturing is the same, cameras are everywhere. On paper it’s mainly for the liability reasons but surveillance is a nice bonus (or the real reason).

              My mom worked in corporate telecommunications until last year when she retired, and her job frequently involved discussions about how the networks her company was installing enabled closer employee surveillance. Her stories from work are part of why I care to comment about this, it’s almost laughable to me to see someone thinking this isn’t common. It’s standard. It’s everywhere. The world became a panopticon a decade ago and you’re running late to the realization.

        • Panini
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          5 days ago

          Seconding Quill here, if you haven’t been living this your entire working career you’re one of vanishingly few lucky exceptions to the rule. Yes, the factual reality is that most workplaces at medium size or larger employers are in fact actual panopticons. There are exceptions, there always are. But that’s the reality on the ground in 2025.

    • OhNoMoreLemmy@lemmy.ml
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      5 days ago

      Long and generic text without actually making a point, and no actual facts.

      I’m not saying it was written by an LLM, but it might as well have been.

      • Jännät@sopuli.xyz
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        4 days ago

        Maybe one day you’ll learn that “at-will employment” isn’t a thing in every country?

            • _‌_反いじめ戦隊@ani.social
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              4 days ago

              You are serious‽ That you’re wrong! More countries that are not yours HAVE panoptics, and you are denying this truth! Not everyone is from Finland, and actually have state enforced employee rights.
              Yet mines, and the US does. Get with the program, Finland isn’t the center of the world, China is!

  • _‌_反いじめ戦隊@ani.social
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    4 days ago

    Finally read this CIA’s remorse article:
    Luciana, your cabinent of Afghanistan child rapists haven’t ceased operations. They are just openly, brazenly, raping American children too.

    What are you going to sabotage today?