# For those who are already receiving unemployment benefits, and to those who likely will be approved, I truly urge you all to use the time productively



## aoejedimaster (Feb 4, 2015)

Young Kim said:


> I do not believe Uber or Lyft are unscrupulous companies "out to get us".


That's where you're wrong bucko.


----------



## reg barclay (Nov 3, 2015)

Young Kim said:


> As I have been reading many of the thoughtful posts across this forum, I have tried my personal best to help and deliver any advice which I feel could help. I wish to speak on an issue I have touched on previously, but with greater emphasis. Author Mark Twain is attributed to saying, "History may not precisely repeat, but it does often rhyme." Driving part time for Uber for years has made it clear that the overall payout and rewards for the driver/partner have been in steady decline. Please note that this is not a diatribe or attack on Uber. I understand that it is my (and anyone's) personal choice to continue to drive, as nobody is forcing me. And driving for Uber has great advantages, such as being able to work whenever you want and wherever you want, full OR part time. (For myself, I do many other part time "gig work" like teaching/tutoring science, buying and selling on eBay, writing books, investing, etc.)
> 
> It should be relatively clear that the overall payouts/rewards of being an Uber driver have been on a noticeable and steady decline for years, and I do not anticipate it getting much better in the future. There are many examples of this that I alluded to in previous posts. Just to name a few, in the beginning there was a nice feature where the driver was guaranteed $30/hr in fares (which was nice because you didn't have to concern yourself with your location if a ride brings you far away from the city's "hot zone"). There were many bonuses (at least in Chicago) like the Quest Promotion which could be significant. There were two such Quest Promotions, one for the weekdays and another for the weekends. There were "consecutive ride bonuses" as well.
> 
> ...


A breath of fresh air. Someone advocating improvement of job situation through marketable skills, without being gloaty or condescending.


----------



## Blatherskite (Nov 30, 2016)

Young Kim, let me know when Audible is offering your _Moby Dick II_ for pre-release.


----------



## Another Ant (Jun 3, 2019)

Need the Reader's Digest version.


----------



## welikecamping (Nov 27, 2018)

Tl;dr


----------



## Uberisfuninlv (Mar 22, 2017)

*For those who are already receiving unemployment benefits, and to those who likely will be approved, I truly urge you all to use the time productively*

like taking advantage of the free trial offer on porn hub


----------



## Evil-g (Dec 26, 2014)

Beautifully written post and I agree with you. I’m sure most are taking advantage of the time off or hustling to make ends meet. You used the word sanguine in a sentence +1.


----------



## Christinebitg (Jun 29, 2018)

A beautifully written post. But you would benefit from being more concise. Perhaps you have too much free time.


----------



## BigBadDriver (Sep 12, 2017)

Another Ant said:


> Need the Reader's Digest version.


You can't read 6 paragraphs? It's a 4 minute read. -o:


----------



## _Tron_ (Feb 9, 2020)

Evil-g said:


> Beautifully written post and I agree with you. I'm sure most are taking advantage of the time off or hustling to make ends meet. You used the word sanguine in a sentence +1.


*Hey Moe!*


----------



## Evil-g (Dec 26, 2014)

Ha!!!


----------



## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

aoejedimaster said:


> That's where you're wrong bucko.


I would argue they're not out to get us, they just see us as a means to an end. It's like someone eating chicken: They're not "out to get" the chicken as far as feeling any ill will toward it, most don't even think about the chicken as a living being at all.

We're just meat. We're around to make them fat, and they don't think about us except when we do something annoying, like the chicken who gets off the conveyer belt as his head is about to be chopped off. Then we get attention, but it's not good and it's not for OUR benefit.


----------



## jodos (Oct 7, 2018)

Young Kim said:


> *Increasing Productivity In Our Down Time.*
> 
> *Time to Rethink
> View attachment 462364
> ...


Great words of advice. As I posted a few days ago, I believe by next year (Jan.) or maybe before that rideshare drivers will be back to pre-covid earnings. However, you're right, better to be prepared. My grandfather use to say "plan your work. and work your plan".


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

jodos said:


> Great words of advice. As I posted a few days ago, I believe by next year (Jan.) or maybe before that rideshare drivers will be back to pre-covid earnings. However, you're right, better to be prepared. My grandfather use to say "plan your work. and work your plan".


Indeed, there are good reasons to be optimistic. I believe in the resiliency of our great country, and the divine traits of patience and fortitude. Earnings may return to normal in time... And your penultimate sentence reminds me of my Boy Scout days' motto, "Be Prepared." Hence the reason for my post.

There is always time and room for gaining knowledge, even while doing rideshare. For example, when I work, I have a "collar Bluetooth" where I have my left earbud on and listen to informative YouTube videos and podcasts (my right earbud is always off so I can hear the passengers and sounds of traffic). Since I also teach, I listen to novel university lectures in Physics and also channels on the financial markets. There, I gain greater knowledge of subjects that help me in my other "gig work". You can download for free many "YouTube floating apps", where you can minimize the screen so only the audio comes through. For example, if you are interested in math or history, you can type in the subject in the small window of the app. Then you can minimize the screen so only a tiny button remains, as to not distract you from your vision. This is just one tip that I use to always be improving my knowledge base. Be well my brothers and sisters. I send everyone so much love and light... &#129392;


----------



## Atom guy (Jul 27, 2016)

Good advice to keep productive. I've been home for 2 months now (still waiting for unemployment to come through), but I've been keeping myself busy. I've finally gotten some home improvement projects done that have been waiting for a long time, and have been working daily on refinishing old furniture, which has been a slow hobby of mine. In my travels as a driver, I see all the furniture people throw out, and for the last few years I've been grabbing furniture out of people's trash piles to bring home, refinish, then sell. So now I'm doing that all day. Not really making any money at it, but my goal is to make enough to pay my property taxes in July. I also finally started an Instagram page for my furniture and have been working to gain followers.


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

Dear Atom guy, I simply respond to you the way a proper Brit would, "Brilliant!":wink: If you work on and refine your talent fixing furniture, I believe it WILL become a profitable and fulfilling "side gig" (make sure to post on free sites like Craigslist). I too always had the same mindset as you are demonstrating. Even as a young child, I would think of (and do) "side gigs" like selling magazines, seeds, etc. door to door. And both in college and then in medical school, I figured I was learning didactic methods anyways, so I enjoyed teaching college prep, and then in grad school more advanced subjects. Since I am always working due to the sheer joy of it, I thought of Ubering part time sort of as continuing adult education in a course in "urban anthropology" (and I also can listen WHILE driving to podcasts on finance, investing, and math to buttress by knowledge in those "side gigs"). I even learned to cut hair from watching a YouTube video on my couch and was paid to cut friends' hair later!

If one searches within, there is a universe of potential (and vast free knowledge available on the Internet for cultivation). It is not solely about the money, at least for me. If one is being freely paid by another member in society, it could be considered as a measure that the action is serving others. I applaud you again in your actions. Be well! :thumbup:


----------



## Atom guy (Jul 27, 2016)

Young Kim said:


> Dear Atom guy, I simply respond to you the way a proper Brit would, "Brilliant!":wink: If you work on and refine your talent fixing furniture, I believe it WILL become a profitable and fulfilling "side gig" (make sure to post on free sites like Craigslist). I too always had the same mindset as you are demonstrating. Even as a young child, I would think of (and do) "side gigs" like selling magazines, seeds, etc. door to door. And both in college and then in medical school, I figured I was learning didactic methods anyways, so I enjoyed teaching college prep, and then in grad school more advanced subjects. Since I am always working due to the sheer joy of it, I thought of Ubering sort of as continuing adult education in a course in "urban anthropology". I even learned to cut hair from a YouTube video and was paid to cut friends' hair!
> 
> If one searches within, there is a universe of potential (and vast free knowledge available on the Internet for cultivation). It is not solely about the money, at least for me. If one is being paid by another member in society, it is a measure that the action is serving others. I applaud you again in your actions. Be well! :thumbup:


&#128514; The main way I've been finding my furniture is to be driving around ubering. So now I have to make special trips out to go looking lol


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

Now, we're talking MAX productivity. I'm very impressed my brother! You made my day!:roflmao:


----------



## Crosbyandstarsky (Feb 4, 2018)

Young Kim said:


> *Increasing Productivity In Our Down Time.*
> 
> *Time to Rethink
> View attachment 462364
> ...


This is a lecture.


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

Uberisfuninlv said:


> *For those who are already receiving unemployment benefits, and to those who likely will be approved, I truly urge you all to use the time productively*
> 
> like taking advantage of the free trial offer on porn hub


LOL, that cracked me up.&#129315; Good one. Not sure how watching pornography expands one's "productivity", but to each his own. (Incidentally, I disapprove and steer away of such sites because I feel deeply that it leads to the exploitation of women). Plus, I hear those sites literally gobble up your innocent computer with viruses so malicious that it makes&#129322; the Corona virus look meek by comparison.


----------



## Wolfgang Faust (Aug 2, 2018)

Young Kim said:


> *Increasing Productivity In Our Down Time.*
> 
> *Time to Rethink
> View attachment 462364
> ...


Great post.
Now is the time to rewire your brain.


----------



## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

I've been doing a lot of coding. I've completed my associate's in computer science/programming, working on my bachelor's, but I want to learn new languages and so I'm working on that. I've been able to move up in my job and get promoted into divisions I was not even hired for, simply because I can do it. Further my employer is highly encouraging of the new interests I have in other aspects of coding and are giving me the tools and encouragement to pursue my goals. Further I'm willing and able to move so that's a plus.


----------



## Wolfgang Faust (Aug 2, 2018)

Lissetti said:


> I've been doing a lot of coding. I've completed my associate's in computer science/programming, working on my bachelor's, but I want to learn new languages and so I'm working on that. I've been able to move up in my job and get promoted into divisions I was not even hired for, simply because I can do it. Further my employer is highly encouraging of the new interests I have in other aspects of coding and are giving me the tools and encouragement to pursue my goals. Further I'm willing and able to move so that's a plus.


Excellent!


----------



## The queen 👸 (Jan 2, 2020)

I might open a fancy take out pizza and other Italian food downtown Bethesda. Before I do that I must do lots of research. I doubt I will have my job back when stores will be able to open again. Will see.


----------



## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

This pandemic is going to cause a seismic shift in the economy. Don’t let a good crisis go to waste.


----------



## TheDevilisaParttimer (Jan 2, 2019)

BigBadDriver said:


> You can't read 6 paragraphs? It's a 4 minute read. -o:


I'm a avid reader and OP repeats himself alot. That 6 paragraphs should have been a max of 3, it's mostly bloat.


----------



## The queen 👸 (Jan 2, 2020)

TheDevilisaParttimer said:


> I'm a avid reader and OP repeats himself alot. That 6 paragraphs should have been a max of 3, it's mostly bloat.


I gave up . Could not read the whole thing .


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

Lissetti said:


> I've been doing a lot of coding. I've completed my associate's in computer science/programming, working on my bachelor's, but I want to learn new languages and so I'm working on that. I've been able to move up in my job and get promoted into divisions I was not even hired for, simply because I can do it. Further my employer is highly encouraging of the new interests I have in other aspects of coding and are giving me the tools and encouragement to pursue my goals. Further I'm willing and able to move so that's a plus.


Excellent! Bravo!! :wink: There are so many free sources online to learn how to code. It is inspirational to hear a fellow driver advancing his/her knowledge base for possible future prospects.

Computer science does not have to be that difficult! Check out "The Odin Project" or "Codecademy" (perfect for beginners, and free). For newcomers, know there is front end, back end, and full stack. A lot of the front end can involve Webpage Development which does not require much math (i.e. algorithms, data structures, calculus, linear algebra, etc.). However, if you want to do AI or gaming, then you are going to need a lot of math.

There are endless YouTube videos which can walk an absolute beginner step by step. It is worth a try for anyone who is interested in the subject. If someone out there tries it out and finds some interest, definitely pursue it. With that background, you can also do other things besides coding like being a Cybersecurity Professional or a Program Manager who works with UNIX/Linux.



TheDevilisaParttimer said:


> I'm a avid reader and OP repeats himself alot. That 6 paragraphs should have been a max of 3, it's mostly bloat.


Sorry about that. I probably should have been more concise. I'm really trying to help, but if the content annoyed you that is on me and that is my fault. If and when I write future posts, I'll endeavor to drive straight to the point with less wording.


----------



## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

BigBadDriver said:


> You can't read 6 paragraphs? It's a 4 minute read. -o:


We're not educating out kids.
They want information poured into their brain - they can't work for knowledge.



aoejedimaster said:


> That's where you're wrong bucko.


I don't think so ... I also don't think that they are out to get us ... but, they will feed on us. And in doing so may cause our demise. Like a leach who drains just enough to get fat, but not enough to kill the host.


----------



## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

Young Kim said:


> Excellent! Bravo!! :wink: There are so many free sources online to learn how to code. It is inspirational to hear a fellow driver advancing his/her knowledge base for possible future prospects.
> 
> Computer science does not have to be that difficult! Check out "The Odin Project" or "Codecademy" (perfect for beginners, and free). For newcomers, know there is front end, back end, and full stack. A lot of the front end can involve Webpage Development which does not require much math (i.e. algorithms, data structures, calculus, linear algebra, etc.). There are endless YouTube videos which can walk an absolute beginner step by step. It is worth a try for anyone who is interested in the subject. If someone out there tries it out and finds some interest, definitely pursue it. With that background, you can also do other things besides coding like being a Cybersecurity Professional or a Program Manager who works with UNIX/Linux.
> wording.


Thanks :smiles: I started driving because I entered college. I studied as a full stack developer. We learned programming as well how to build a computer and networking. The languages I learned were C#, Java, SQL (which is what my current job hired me for) HTML, CSS, and Javascript. On my own I'm dabbling in Python. I do know Code Academy well, Code Pen, and of course Stack Overflow. I got fed up with driving when Uber got rid of multipliers. They did it right in the middle of a record snow fall for our city. The first day of the snow the whole city was surging bright red with 5X surge all day. The next day, those same bright red surges were paying $2.75 extra. That's when I began job hunting.


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

1.5xorbust said:


> This pandemic is going to cause a seismic shift in the economy. Don't let a good crisis go to waste.


Your last sentence was spoken and made famous by my city's last mayor, Rahm Emanuel! Good call! As you well stated, the future could range from being somewhat "back to normal" or a "seismic shift". If the latter is true, it is crucial to hone any and all skills and develop new ones. A simple suggestion which likely many are already doing in order to stay busy is to sign up for all the other "gig worker" apps. This includes not only Lyft, but Instacart, Postmates, Grubhub, Caviar, etc. When I go out, I have all six apps running and I quickly turn off all the others once an order comes in. After I complete that order (or ride), I turn all of them back on. It is more work of course, but by doing so my car is always moving...and earning. You could also sign up for Amazon Flex.



The queen &#128120; said:


> I might open a fancy take out pizza and other Italian food downtown Bethesda. Before I do that I must do lots of research. I doubt I will have my job back when stores will be able to open again. Will see.


Excellent idea The queen! Now THAT is being a true entrepreneur. Although I don't think it needs to be a "fancy" take out pizza place, I agree that home food delivery will likely stay quite busy. So many people lost their jobs due to this pandemic, thus I believe it would be good to develop multiple sources of income so that one is not at the mercy of any one income source. Good luck! :coolio:



UberBastid said:


> We're not educating out kids.
> They want information poured into their brain - they can't work for knowledge.
> 
> I don't think so ... I also don't think that they are out to get us ... but, they will feed on us. And in doing so may cause our demise. Like a leach who drains just enough to get fat, but not enough to kill the host.


Love the analogy UberBastid! Very creative to compare a leech to its host...:happy:

Yes Wolfgang Faust, you are correct. :cools: I learned in school about the incredible plasticity of the human brain. There is just so much potential in everyone, and this incredible "six sigma" event may be a wonderful catalyst for positive change. We can all still do Uber of course. But just in case things turn south, then inner creativity is in order.

Another suggestion I just thought of (which I did successfully) is to go to church rummage sales or large block yard sales (preferably in richer neighborhoods). This can evolve into another "side gig". Such sales in richer suburbs in any state or township yields items that are higher in quality. And...if you wait towards the end of the sale (around 3 or 4 pm), then they often have a "bag sale". In this case, they hand you a big yard plastic bag where you can fill it all up for like $5. I went to ones in Chicagoland in richer suburbs like Wilmette, Kenilworth, and Winnetka, and filled my bag with almost brand new bread makers, microwave ovens, toasters, even KitchenAid smoothie mixers! All of which can be sold online on Craigslist or Ebay! I even got my mom, who is an anesthesiologist, to come along. It is actually fun and rewarding to come up with new ways to turn an idea into money.


----------



## TheDevilisaParttimer (Jan 2, 2019)

Young Kim said:


> Excellent! Bravo!! :wink: There are so many free sources online to learn how to code. It is inspirational to hear a fellow driver advancing his/her knowledge base for possible future prospects.
> 
> Computer science does not have to be that difficult! Check out "The Odin Project" or "Codecademy" (perfect for beginners, and free). For newcomers, know there is front end, back end, and full stack. A lot of the front end can involve Webpage Development which does not require much math (i.e. algorithms, data structures, calculus, linear algebra, etc.). However, if you want to do AI or gaming, then you are going to need a lot of math.
> 
> ...


No the content didn't annoy me one bit. I can tell you put in a lot of effort into it and it was a great contribution to our little UP.net community &#128578;


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

TheDevilisaParttimer said:


> No the content didn't annoy me one bit. I can tell you put in a lot of effort into it and it was a great contribution to our little UP.net community &#128578;


Thank you so much for your kind words. It really gives me great personal happiness if I feel I can help other drivers in any way. &#128158;


----------



## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

Young Kim said:


> Love the analogy UberBastid! Very creative to compare a leech to its host...:happy:


I read a paper on leech/host relationship. I found it in JAMA magazine that was in my doctors office. It was an old mag and actually, I stole it ...

The idea behind it was supported by empirical data, as would be expected from a medical journal of that stature.

It started by explaining the symbiotic relationship between a tick, and a mammal. Then went on to explain more toxic leeches such as tape worm, or heart worm which can, eventually cause the death of the host.
But, when the host dies - so does the parasite.
It went on to explain how they looked at virology of bacteria and virus, and found that one of the things that speed up mutation is if the parasite kills the host too quickly, then it can't replicate. It needs time to spread. If you catch a virus and die an hour later, it has less of a chance to be communicated than if you walk around with it for a week.
Think about how fast people were dying of AIDS back in the 80's. Sure, some of the death rate improvement is because of science ... we've found drugs that seem to work well ... but, the bug itself has become less virulent.

The business world is not much different.
Sellers want the last nickle you got, but they really don't want to bankrupt you because they want that nickle you earn next week too.
Just wanna keep you hungry so you work, but not too full so you stop.

Don't hate the virus for being what it is.
Don't hate the company for acting to its nature.

They gonna be them.
Be you.


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

Excellent analysis UberBastid! I also read a lot of JAMA. Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine are less enjoyable for me, but JAMA is usually a more pleasant read. It is so cool how you described what Uber is doing to us drivers. I can totally understand where you are coming from. 

My thoughts may not be quite as critical as yours, but the analogy is appropriate. When I saw and read about Uber co-founders Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, and how they parachuted out with BILLIONS, I do admit to feeling a chill down my spine. 

Come to think of it, when Travis Kalanick told riders that "tipping is not necessary" implying the tip is included in the trip fare, I thought it was a bit...let's say questionable as a motive... 

Yeah... I do get what you are saying.


----------



## Christinebitg (Jun 29, 2018)

UberBastid said:


> Think about how fast people were dying of AIDS back in the 80's. Sure, some of the death rate improvement is because of science ... we've found drugs that seem to work well ... but, the bug itself has become less virulent.


The incubation period for AIDS was always measured in years. What's the source of your information that says it has mutated to become less virulent?


----------



## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

Christinebitg said:


> The incubation period for AIDS was always measured in years. What's the source of your information that says it has mutated to become less virulent?


Memory.
My mom was an RN.
She worked at Cal Berkeley doing medical studies.
Part of a whole team; research doctors, technicians, volunteers to be treated as guinea pigs ... some get the placebo. 
She told me about this new bug that was out that was causing some really awful symptoms. Fever, dehydration, and a painful wasting death. It would take a person within 6 months. There was a movie made about that time, "The Streets of Philadelphia" I think was the name. Very sad movie.
ANYway, I remember the mayor of SF closing all the bath houses because they thought it was in the water or something. They had not identified it.
But, it was tearing through a lot of young people, and taking them pretty quick - in the beginning.

I was pretty young then, probly 50 years ago now.


----------



## Amos69 (May 17, 2019)

UberBastid said:


> We're not educating out kids.
> They want information poured into their brain - they can't work for knowledge.
> 
> I don't think so ... I also don't think that they are out to get us ... but, they will feed on us. And in doing so may cause our demise. Like a leach who drains just enough to get fat, but not enough to kill the host.


Why aren't you educating your kids?

I damn sure did mine, and now we are educating our grandchildren. Lots of people are still working hard and learning things.

Stupid people are a byproduct of stupid people.


----------



## Christinebitg (Jun 29, 2018)

UberBastid said:


> "The Streets of Philadelphia" I think was the name.


Your memory is better than mine. I don't remember that movie, but Wikipedia does.

Also according to Wikipedia, the latency period for AIDS is 3 to 20 years, with an average of 8 years. That latency period is preceded by (in SOME cases - 40 to 90%) flu-like or mononucleosis-like symptoms. Others have no initial symptoms.

Of course, this is the stuff that we know NOW. Back then, those flu like symptoms went unnoticed. Those gay men who were dropping fast were infected years earlier.

This next part is just from memory... The reason that I heard for closing the bathhouses wasn't because of the water. It was because that's where gay men had sex. And by then, it was known that's how you got it.

For a while, it was known that gay men caught it. But wasn't known how it was transmitted. I remember people worrying about catching it from a mosquito bite, from a mosquito that had bitten a gay man. (I was living on the east coast, so we were a little behind the curve there.)

Odd facts - Arthur Ashe and Isaac Asimov died from AIDS, contracted from blood transfusions during heart surgery.


----------



## UberLAguy (Aug 2, 2015)

Young Kim said:


> *Increasing Productivity In Our Down Time.*
> 
> *Time to Rethink
> View attachment 462364
> ...


I find your encouragement very valuable. Just by reading the title of your post I already know what should be done. But I am not sure about 95 percent of the drivers here. Most of them don't even read beyond the 2nd paragraph and would say "what a boring post."


----------



## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

Amos69 said:


> Why aren't you educating your kids?
> 
> I damn sure did mine, and now we are educating our grandchildren. Lots of people are still working hard and learning things.
> 
> Stupid people are a byproduct of stupid people.


Oh, I do, and I have.
Much to the dismay of many I may add.

I remember a discussion I had with my daughter one day. I asked her what she learned in school today (she was fifth grade I think). She said they studied the American Civil War - specifically the years leading up to it. She mentioned that the war was fought to free slaves. I disagreed and explained that all wars are about the same thing .... money and power. I told her of the existence of a letter that President Lincoln wrote to President Davis (of the CSA) imploring him not to continue with the secession. In that letter Pres Lincoln even said that the south could keep their slaves. 
But, that isn't what the war was about ... so it went on to be what it is.

Of course, she discussed this with her teacher. I got called to he principles office where it was explained to me that teaching was _their_ job, not mine. 
You can believe this or not, but that turned into a very heated discussion the end result of which we agreed that she was MY child, and they were not going to be allowed to monitor our discussions of any nature, but especially religious or political. I reminded that principle of the existence of the first amendment.

It was a good learning experience for my daughter. We discussed how liberals react when faced with uncomfortable facts.



Christinebitg said:


> Your memory is better than mine. I don't remember that movie


I highly recommend it.
Great movie.
Rent it.


----------



## UberLAguy (Aug 2, 2015)

Young Kim said:


> Excellent! Bravo!! :wink: There are so many free sources online to learn how to code. It is inspirational to hear a fellow driver advancing his/her knowledge base for possible future prospects.
> 
> Computer science does not have to be that difficult! Check out "The Odin Project" or "Codecademy" (perfect for beginners, and free). For newcomers, know there is front end, back end, and full stack. A lot of the front end can involve Webpage Development which does not require much math (i.e. algorithms, data structures, calculus, linear algebra, etc.). However, if you want to do AI or gaming, then you are going to need a lot of math.
> 
> ...


Cybrary is another great resource. You can start with the free lectures. And once you are ready you can pay $300/year to get access to hands-on labs and tests.


----------



## Christinebitg (Jun 29, 2018)

UberBastid said:


> It was a good learning experience for my daughter. We discussed how liberals react when faced with uncomfortable facts.


I'm sure it was. As a self-proclaimed moderate, I've seen that discussion from both sides. Religious conservatives have been beside themselves for years over organized prayer getting kicked out of public schools.


----------



## jeanocelot (Sep 2, 2016)

reg barclay said:


> A breath of fresh air. Someone advocating improvement of job situation through marketable skills, without being gloaty or condescending.


I am always for self-improvement, but if everyone gained these marketable skills, we'd still end up with the same number of unemployable folks as the bar would be set higher, but with the same number of failures, just like a game of musical chairs.


----------



## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

Christinebitg said:


> I've seen that discussion from both sides


And, that is all I asked for. The presentation of both sides.
That's the way I was raised and educated.
Both in school and at home.

I was encouraged to ask questions, challenge positions and debate. 
I was allowed to come up with my own position, and to defend it. 
I was permitted to be wrong, and stupid and young ... my teachers knew that would change.

Surprised the hell out of em.
I stayed stupid and wrong ... just got old.


----------



## IMMA DRIVER (Jul 6, 2017)

Ok, ok, ok.....great post from the OP but I'll be that poster who says why look for another line of income? Didn't 90% of full time driver's leave their previous employer because they wanted a better stream of income? A better way of making a living? No boss, free time, work when you want, if you want, how you want, yada, yada yada. Isn't Uber the one providing the free online tuition at Arizona State? What other job is giving out free tuition? Also what other job do you get a raise by working on Friday and Saturday nights? What job do you get a huge boost in weekly pay on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, Valentine's day, Cinco de Mayo, 4th of July, Thanksgiving Eve and Halloween? Do other normal jobs pay better when your sports team is in town? I'm in New England and there's significant money to be made when the Pats, Bruins, Sox and Celtics are in town. How about concerts, pride week, outdoor festivals, towns with beach travelers, Comic con, WWE events, etc.....do regular jobs pay better during summer months when people are out and about spending lavishly. Will your new job pay better because there's 40 weddings in one month in your town?...Is a buyer going to tip me $20 selling an Iron board on Ebay?. I understand people should pursue their passions, find other streams of income, look for something better because they think the grass is greener. But as the OP stated; if (and that's a big IF) things would return to normal then driving rideshare has a lot of perks that other jobs just can't provide. Hence the reason why most driver's got started in the first place.


----------



## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

IMMA DRIVER said:


> Hence the reason why most driver's got started in the first place.


Yes.
Exactly.

"Here kid. Eat this. It's free this time. It won't hurt you. It will feel good. Go ahead, you'll like it."

Then reality sets in.
And after spending tens of thousands on a car, thousands on insurance, camera's, barf bags and combination jumper cables/vacuum cleaner and stun gun ... then getting notified by Uber that you're done. For ever. Why?
Because you refused to let a muddy stinky dog in your car.
Reality.


----------



## Christinebitg (Jun 29, 2018)

UberBastid said:


> then getting notified by Uber that you're done. For ever. Why?


Or because your rider wanted a free trip, and so they made up a story that you weren't wearing a mask over your nose and mouth. Or that you didn't have your windows down far enough to suit them.


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

jeanocelot said:


> I am always for self-improvement, but if everyone gained these marketable skills, we'd still end up with the same number of unemployable folks as the bar would be set higher, but with the same number of failures, just like a game of musical chairs.


Dear jeanocelot, interesting remark. And very true in theory. You have a good empirical mindset. However, every person has their own unique skill set, and their own personal drive. I think that if an individual pursues their internal exclusive talent with passion, then they can "get an edge" and thrive even as others exert efforts in parallel manners.



Christinebitg said:


> Or because your rider wanted a free trip, and so they made up a story that you weren't wearing a mask over your nose and mouth. Or that you didn't have your windows down far enough to suit them.


Hi Christinebitg! Top of the morning to you! :cools: You and others are right. Many passengers DO take advantage and as such we always have to have our guards up. That is why I feel the need to emphasize having multiple sources of income. For myself, living my life with different sources really comforts me and keeps my anxiety low. That way, if I am ever deactivated from Uber for something which I was not guilty of, then I can fall back and rely on my other abilities and work. I personally feel it is really important to be flexible. Gone are the days of companies that will protect their workers, even the independent contractors. Some of my family members who are a generation above me worked for unions, and they were totally protected. They even told me they saw some older workers who had lots of seniority who would really "slack off on the job", and the supervisors could not do anything.

The 80s saw the beginning of massive layoffs and jobs in the U.S. whcih were exported to other countries. I don't like that companies ended up putting profits over the welware and security of their workers.


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

UberBastid said:


> Oh, I do, and I have.
> Much to the dismay of many I may add.
> 
> I remember a discussion I had with my daughter one day. I asked her what she learned in school today (she was fifth grade I think). She said they studied the American Civil War - specifically the years leading up to it. She mentioned that the war was fought to free slaves. I disagreed and explained that all wars are about the same thing .... money and power. I told her of the existence of a letter that President Lincoln wrote to President Davis (of the CSA) imploring him not to continue with the secession. In that letter Pres Lincoln even said that the south could keep their slaves.
> ...


UberBastid, not only is that movie outstanding, but you mentioned the Civil War which is so incredibly fascinating. I agree with you that all wars are about money and power. Those forces are also in place regarding the geopolitical tensions that exist even today (and one can argue are growing!) I grew up in Fairfax, VA before moving to Chicago for college. Thus, there were a lot of Civil War battlefields around my area which I visited...like Manassas, Ox Hill, and of course the bloodiest battle of them all Antietam. Plus Gettysburg... There is a free Civil War documentary on YouTube:






It is 8 hours long and very well made if you or your daughter are interested... :happy:


----------



## jeanocelot (Sep 2, 2016)

Young Kim said:


> Dear jeanocelot, interesting remark. And very true in theory ... However, every person has their own unique skill set, and their own personal drive. I think that if an individual pursues their internal exclusive talent with passion, then they can "get an edge" and thrive even as others exert efforts in parallel manners.


But would that addition of "unique skill sets" actually grow the economy? OK, maybe someone gets on the path to thinking up some new thing that really fosters growth, but the question needs to be asked - how many folks that are in that situation would be ants, and would only get out of the antpile? 



Young Kim said:


> You have a good empirical mindset.


:coolio:



UberBastid said:


> I remember a discussion I had with my daughter one day. I asked her what she learned in school today (she was fifth grade I think). She said they studied the American Civil War - specifically the years leading up to it. She mentioned that the war was fought to free slaves. I disagreed and explained that all wars are about the same thing .... money and power. I told her of the existence of a letter that President Lincoln wrote to President Davis (of the CSA) imploring him not to continue with the secession. In that letter Pres Lincoln even said that the south could keep their slaves.
> But, that isn't what the war was about ... so it went on to be what it is.


From the POV of the slave states, it was about slavery - in the sense that folks there did not want the federal government to outlaw slavery or impede the system, such as a law that would allow Dred Scott to go ... scott-free.  From the POV of the non-slave states, it was about keeping the union whole; sure there were a few morally motivated folks who wanted it gone, but they were a small minority.

IOW, it was about money & power - but the power to continue to make money off of the slaves.


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

jeanocelot said:


> But would that addition of "unique skill sets" actually grow the economy? OK, maybe someone gets on the path to thinking up some new thing that really fosters growth, but the question needs to be asked - how many folks that are in that situation would be ants, and would only get out of the antpile?
> 
> :coolio:
> 
> ...


My friend jeanocelot, great wisdom you indeed possess... (as Master Yoda would say). We did digress off the topic of "productivity and self improvement" (which was the topic of the thread), and I see a clear segue regarding "money & power" that involves Uber drivers.

While we are not "slaves" as in the Civil War (Uber doesn't own us and cannot force us on the app), some drivers on Uberpeople.net have expressed disappointment that us drivers lack the "influence" to pull our average hourly earnings higher. I wrote before that there seems to be a trend that one can see if you span out years of driving that Ubering has been more difficult to maintain solid wages. We are not "Civil War era" slaves, but like them we share a frontier...

The Uber corporate division and their algos seem to be squeezing us more as time goes on, and we can't really do much about that. Driving for Uber has its positives, but the individual Uber driver does not have a powerful stance to "push back" if conditions worsen. Contrast that to someone with a unique skillset that is very specialized (like a Javascript software developer or data scientist). They are better able in their position to "push back" if the company tries to curtail their income or autonomy. By comparison the Uber driver is on a more tenuous footing.

And this pandemic has made it even more stressful to be an Uber driver (at least it has for me).

After the states gradually reopen, and as the unemployment benefits that many are (or will) be getting dry up, I posit that we face greater uncertainty. This situation I believe requires Uber drivers to expand themselves and their particular skillsets. One can learn more specialized skills such as computer engineering (free resources available on the Internet), or possibly selling on eBay from items found in rummage sales, or any number of new avenues that require minimal capital to start. My hope is that during this time of uncertainty, and with so many Uber drivers going on unemployment, it can be a great opportunity to expand their marketability if they have time off. If nothing else, they should sign up for more and more apps that involve "driving" and "delivering" if they do not pursue paths that seem too foreign or formidable to them (I understand that if someone completely lacks math and logic, they will find computer engineering difficult). Not everyone is the same. But I believe everyone should do something...


----------



## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

jeanocelot said:


> From the POV of the slave states, it was about slavery


POV has a lot to do with it.
And the southern democrats, the slave owners, sold that line to the populace: "Your women won't be safe, the slaves will starve because they too stupid to care of themselves, and you'll go bankrupt." That was the bumper sticker; the sales slogan. And most of the democrats back then believed it.
But, Lincoln really did offer to allow the south to keep their slaves - he really didn't care that much about slavery. It wasn't an issue for him either way. if Davis had accepted his deal ... things would have been different.
AND, the southern democrats turned it down because ... it really wasn't about slavery. It has been well demonstrated throughout history that slavery, as an institution, doesn't work. It is not sustainable. It takes two men to keep one in the gutter; and if the one in the gutter gets pissed off, it might take a whole lot more than that. Not market efficient AND, it was in the process of failing anyway. 
It was about money.
It was about the differing needs of the industrial north vs the agricultural south. 
Lincoln didn't even free the slaves for a couple years after the war started, AND, he did that only because he needed recruits for the fight. And, believe this, the ***** soldier units were assigned the most dangerous and awful duties ... and, if they got caught in uniform by the southern democrats - they were hung on the spot.


----------



## Illini (Mar 14, 2019)

No offense, OP, but if I was a passenger in your car and you started talking to me like this, I'd jump out.


----------



## Christinebitg (Jun 29, 2018)

UberBastid said:


> Lincoln didn't even free the slaves for a couple years after the war started


AND...

Constitutionally, he couldn't free the slaves that were in states that didn't secede. Those included Kentucky and Maryland. They were slave states that didn't secede with the Confederacy.

Freeing those slaves required a Constitutional amendment that happened years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

There were intense efforts made to keep Maryland in the Union. Not the least of which is because the capitol of the U.S. was at the *southern* edge of Maryland. And as a slave state, there was a lot of southern sympathy in Maryland.


----------



## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

Christinebitg said:


> AND...
> 
> Constitutionally, he couldn't free the slaves that were in states that didn't secede. Those included Kentucky and Maryland. They were slave states that didn't secede with the Confederacy.
> 
> ...


Isn't history fascinating?
One of the best times in my life was from 15 to 17 years old. 
I ran away from home and ended up in Europe in 1968. I spent much of the 'summer of love' in Switzerland.

Went to school and lived in Germany for a year.
I got to actually meet, and talk to and interview ... people who were IN Germany during WW2.
I remember a middle aged woman telling me about living in a small village called Dachau.
I talked to a man who was a foot soldier in the Wehrmacht and served on the Russian front.
I talked to a woman who lived in Dresden during the fire bombing.


----------



## Christinebitg (Jun 29, 2018)

UberBastid said:


> Went to school and lived in Germany for a year.
> I got to actually meet, and talk to and interview ... people who were IN Germany during WW2.


I always wanted to go visit eastern Germany before it became indistinguishable from the western part. Haven't gotten around to it though.


----------



## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

Christinebitg said:


> I always wanted to go visit eastern Germany before it became indistinguishable from the western part. Haven't gotten around to it though.


I went to E Berlin in 1966.
One of the most depressing places I have ever been.
The difference between E Berlin and W Berlin was night and day.
W Berlin was FUN. They work hard, but baby, your average kraut knows how to party. I had a blast in W Berlin.

East was dark and dingy. Shades of gray everywhere. People with blank expressions, all thousand yard stares. Didnt want to look me in the eye. I asked someone why and she whispered that "you are American, you are being watched, that means that everyone around you is being watched too."
Fear

I was there for two days, but had to be back to the 'other side' of the wall by sundown.
And, I was warned to be early because every border guards definition of sundown was different.

I will never forget getting through Checkpoint Charley.


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

Illini said:


> No offense, OP, but if I was a passenger in your car and you started talking to me like this, I'd jump out.


Dear Illini, I hope also u realize that the previously written posts on this thread about Uber driver productivity that reference slavery is not being written by me, but my friend UberBastid. As for me, don't worry if u ever were my passenger. I ONLY talk sports and weather with passengers. Unless they press another subject with me...then I'll chime in, but in monosyllabic words.



UberBastid said:


> Isn't history fascinating?
> One of the best times in my life was from 15 to 17 years old.
> I ran away from home and ended up in Europe in 1968. I spent much of the 'summer of love' in Switzerland.
> 
> ...


Pretty cool UberBastid. I watch History Channel a lot and World War II is by far my favorite series. So much went on. Probably the greatest event that shaped modern history in every way...social, scientific, cultural, economic, you name it...


----------



## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

Young Kim said:


> Dear Illini, I hope also u realize that the discussions on this thread on slavery is not being written by me, but UberBastid. As for me, don't worry if u ever were my passenger. I ONLY talk sports and weather with passengers. Unless they press another subject with me...then I'll chime in, but in monosyllabic words.


This isn't a thread about slavery.
We got off topic.
And the off topic was history.
People do some ugly things ... but then; that's history.
We have to look at ugly sometimes to make sure it doesn't happen again.


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

UberBastid said:


> I went to E Berlin in 1966.
> One of the most depressing places I have ever been.
> The difference between E Berlin and W Berlin was night and day.
> W Berlin was FUN. They work hard, but baby, your average kraut knows how to party. I had a blast in W Berlin.
> ...


UberBastid, your talk about E. Germany vs. W. Germany reminds me of the difference between N. Korea vs. S. Korea.


----------



## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

Young Kim said:


> Pretty cool UberBastid. I watch History Channel a lot and World War II is by far my favorite series. So much went on. Probably the greatest event that shaped modern history in every way...social, scientific, cultural, economic, you name it...


Yea, me too.
And, really WW2 started at the end of WW1 ... so ya really gotta look at both of em.



Young Kim said:


> UberBastid, your talk about E. Germany vs. W. Germany reminds me of the difference between N. Korea vs. S. Korea.


Have you ever seen the photos from space looking down at that?
It's a real clear line ....


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

UberBastid said:


> This isn't a thread about slavery.
> We got off topic.
> And the off topic was history.
> People do some ugly things ... but then; that's history.
> We have to look at ugly sometimes to make sure it doesn't happen again.


You

UberBastid, you are corrrect. I didn't write my post to Illini accurately. My bad. I edited my post a few seconds ago. Yes, this entire thread is not about slavery and you are right that we did get off topic. I appreciate it though. One of my great loves is history, because it is the story of the human race, both in its ugliness and grandness. And I agree with you about the importance of studying it and not repeating terrible mistakes. Regarding wars, both the Civil War and WWII are two of the most covered by historians for obvious reasons. Both case studies reflect the greatest sins and triumphs.


----------



## Uberdriver2710 (Jul 15, 2015)

aoejedimaster said:


> That's where you're wrong bucko.


Right... they're out to get our bucko$!!! :smiles:


----------



## Mole (Mar 9, 2017)

I can dig it.


----------



## got a p (Jan 27, 2018)

Lissetti said:


> I've been doing a lot of coding. I've completed my associate's in computer science/programming, working on my bachelor's, but I want to learn new languages and so I'm working on that. I've been able to move up in my job and get promoted into divisions I was not even hired for, simply because I can do it. Further my employer is highly encouraging of the new interests I have in other aspects of coding and are giving me the tools and encouragement to pursue my goals. Further I'm willing and able to move so that's a plus.


What language or languages do you work with?



Young Kim said:


> Excellent! Bravo!! :wink: There are so many free sources online to learn how to code. It is inspirational to hear a fellow driver advancing his/her knowledge base for possible future prospects.
> 
> Computer science does not have to be that difficult! Check out "The Odin Project" or "Codecademy" (perfect for beginners, and free). For newcomers, know there is front end, back end, and full stack. A lot of the front end can involve Webpage Development which does not require much math (i.e. algorithms, data structures, calculus, linear algebra, etc.). However, if you want to do AI or gaming, then you are going to need a lot of math.
> 
> ...


I'm about to get into lua because my kid wants to use Roblox studio to create games. Lua has been around for quite some time, it looks pretty straight forward though. Learning this kinda stuff is more fun when you're making games or robots and stuff.


----------



## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

got a p said:


> What language or languages do you work with?


At my job I use SQL. However this is a good place to practice;

https://www.mysql.com/products/workbench/
I earned my degree in C#, SQL, HTML, CSS, and we dabbled in Javascript and Java. My school gets more into that in the Bachelor's program. On my own I will learn Python, C, and PHP.

This is a great Python learning platform. I really recommend everyone learn Python. :smiles:

https://pythonprogramming.net/
As it is right now because I'm not currently in school, I'm simply coding in what I know to keep it fresh. C# , HTML, CSS and Javascript. BTW CodePen is an awesome source for that.

https://codepen.io/
I'm also learning Graphics Design platform GIMP. I've already learned Photoshop though and actually prefer it to GIMP, but hey, GIMP is free.

https://www.gimp.org/


----------



## got a p (Jan 27, 2018)

The Linux library is full of amazing free software, I'm Debian. That's awesome, I had no idea you were a computer geek. My favorite rides are IT geeks on their way to the airport or back, get to pick their brains for a while.

Just checked out your link, gonna check out the quantum computing part later I think. Pygame is a cool module, got into that a bit with my kid.


----------



## waldowainthrop (Oct 25, 2019)

got a p said:


> The Linux library is full of amazing free software, I'm Debian. That's awesome, I had no idea you were a computer geek. My favorite rides are IT geeks on their way to the airport or back, get to pick their brains for a while.


I know you didn't ask me, but my areas of expertise are HTML/CSS/responsive design/typography, with some limited knowledge about user experience design, technical photo and audio editing, web performance, web maps, JavaScript, command line use, basic general programming.

I've also built my own computer, and know my way around MacOS, Linux, and Windows machines.

I've also enjoyed talking with the tech folks whenever I've had an opportunity.


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

I recommend any newbies interested in computer programming to start with either freecodecamp.org or codecademy.com. They are free! And they are good solid resources to decide if programming is the right fit. If they "click" with coding, they can sign up for udemy.com or teamtreehouse.com to access VERY inexpensive and solid lessons to build their own projects. If they "click" even more, then they can sign up for a coding bootcamp (but those can be pretty expensive). I recommend doing it on their own, as there are also so many free tutorials online. Once they have developed some skills, they can sign up on Leetcode or Stackoverflow and join a community where they can develop their coding skills. 

Even if they don't feel the confidence to be hired at a company doing coding, they can leverage what they have learned and create passive income by building websites and monetizing them. They can build their own websites and sell a product online in a niche in which they are familiar. There are myriads of avenues to explore. I encourage everyone to have confidence and improve their love of life...which can then be leveraged to make more money. Just don't be discouraged. Rather use time productively.


----------



## waldowainthrop (Oct 25, 2019)

I second Codecademy. It's a nice way to build a basic linguistic and conceptual understanding of programming, while keeping you focused on a _project_, which some books and lessons are not as good at.

One caveat to learning HTML and CSS in particular: they are not programming disciplines, and you can learn far more from reading certain instructors, blogs, and resources than you can from "learn by doing" with Codecademy. I do recommend Codecademy for learning the basics, but the real skill that it can't teach you is how to make accessible, standards-compliant, maintainable HTML and CSS, which is only obtainable from certain experts, lots of targeted searching, and lots of "view source". If you learn HTML and CSS through mere syntax and practice, HTML will seem easy and CSS will seem simplistic and annoying, but neither of these things is actually true.

MDN is a good resource. w3schools is generally not a good resource.

CSS is a programming language, but it is declarative in nature, which leads people to rightly draw a sharp distinction between it and other programming disciplines. Many programming principles that are important to learn cannot easily be accomplished or taught in HTML and CSS, which is why people insist that they are _not_ programming languages. HTML is actually not a programming language at all but it's nearly essential to understand for web programming.


----------



## got a p (Jan 27, 2018)

waldowainthrop said:


> I know you didn't ask me, but my areas of expertise are HTML/CSS/responsive design/typography, with some limited knowledge about user experience design, technical photo and audio editing, web performance, web maps, JavaScript, command line use, basic general programming.
> 
> I've also built my own computer, and know my way around MacOS, Linux, and Windows machines.
> 
> I've also enjoyed talking with the tech folks whenever I've had an opportunity.


What's your favorite Linux distro?

PS. I might hit you up for some advice on css bc my son wants to put together a website and I'm not into web design. I dabbled a bit in the 2000s but it is not interesting to me. Problem is my kid wants to do the freaking website from scratch and I'm not into writing hundreds of lines of css or learning about it all. But he's all about not using css templates. I'm not against putting some time into the HTML to get all that right but I'm not into web design much at all.


----------



## waldowainthrop (Oct 25, 2019)

got a p said:


> What's your favorite Linux distro?
> 
> PS. I might hit you up for some advice on css bc my son wants to put together a website and I'm not into web design. I dabbled a bit in the 2000s but it is not interesting to me. Problem is my kid wants to do the freaking website from scratch and I'm not into writing hundreds of lines of css or learning about it all. But he's all about not using css templates. I'm not against putting some time into the HTML to get all that right but I'm not into web design much at all.


I have only used Ubuntu and it was all right but I would probably look further than that if I were to get back into installing or trying out distros. I was looking for a safe choice, being familiar with Windows and Mac. I can configure via command line and don't have a need for Ubuntu in particular. I need Lightroom and other Mac-specific software (mostly content creation) so I could never fully switch. I would have to dual-boot like I have in the past unless I were willing to have two separate computers roughly doing most of the same tasks. My main use case for Linux would be web development, but I dunno why I need it since macOS is _so_ good for that and has a good terminal command line app. Both Windows and Linux aren't as good for me since they don't "do it all" as well.

I can answer some questions about building from scratch if you have specific ones. I've created a lot from scratch and not very many from templates or frameworks. I think if your goals are modest, it's a big task but a manageable one for one person.

A lot of templates are pretty garbage from a performance/accessibility standpoint anyway, so building from scratch can be a good way to not learn bad lessons, _if _your goal is to learn website design as a craft and not merely as a means to an end.


----------



## got a p (Jan 27, 2018)

Yeah we got into creating some style sheets but he wants to go in every direction and I think he enjoys programming the most by far so I don't want him to spread himself thin. We made a couple very basic style sheets, when we get back into it I just want it to look like it wasn't made in 2000, but still very basic bc web design is so time consuming and I don't want to spend time learning it myself really. He just needs a basic website to put his games and music on. We can write a little basic HTML so that part is fine. Good to know I got someone I can ask for help, it will be as basic as possible without looking decades old.


----------



## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

Here's an interesting article I received in my news feed today:

*The world would fall apart if it weren't for these ancient programming languages*
By Neil GladstoneMay 23, 2020 6:00AM PST










"How the heck did we get here that we literally need COBOL programmers?" asked New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy at a recent press conference.

Faced with an unprecedented number of unemployment applications, the state had to expand its 40-year-old unemployment claims platform immediately - an overhaul that instantly kicked off a frantic search for programmers familiar with the decades-old coding language COBOL.

It's not just New Jersey that has this problem, though. A lot of the world's banking, defense, and artificial intelligence systems chug along on programming languages that were in vogue back when Apple was run out of a garage.

The tech industry has an affinity for things that are new and cutting-edge, but if it weren't for ancient coding languages like COBOL, Ada, Pascal and Fortran, the credit industry, scientific research organizations, and numerous defense systems would come to a screeching halt. In other words, without all this old code, we'd be screwed.

Fifty year-old programming languages are still calculating millions of transactions and stats, and serving as the backbone for systems that the modern world relies on. For example, over 95 percent of ATMs and 40 percent of banks use COBOL code, according to a 2017 Reuters report.

Several of these ancient tabulators still do specific functions very well. There are also a lot of business executives that don't want to pick apart the time-tested software that's vital to their company's business, so instead of overhauling and modernizing, they simply patch old code and hope for the best.

Wrestling with ancient technology isn't a new phenomenon. For example, California has blown hundreds of millions of dollars trying to update its DMV and payroll technology. Yet the current pandemic and resulting wave of unemployment have illuminated how much of America's software infrastructure is crumbling like its physical one.

Here are five "vintage" languages our world depends on more than you realize, and why that might make you a little nervous....

https://www.digitaltrends.com/features/the-modern-world-runs-on-ancient-code/?amp


----------



## waldowainthrop (Oct 25, 2019)

@got a p I recommend starting out with articles on CSS Tricks for all kinds of basic web development and design, but particularly CSS. If there's a simple problem with layout or look, someone has done it there. Steer clear of advanced stuff, which that site also has its fair share of. There are some truly basic tutorials there, if you dig.

MDN has a lot of beginner and advanced references and guides for HTML/CSS/JS and is often nearly as useful as reading the specification of the languages, particularly for beginners.

PM me for more questions if you run into them. I'm a big proponent of "making your own website" without using third party tools, and it's one of the few things I have deeper expertise on.


----------



## jeanocelot (Sep 2, 2016)

Christinebitg said:


> I always wanted to go visit eastern Germany before it became indistinguishable from the western part. Haven't gotten around to it though.


I visited in 1987. There was a huge main street with hardly any cars on it. No one hanging around outside. The Wall was completely sterile-white. In the West, there were small streets loaded with traffic, with folks hanging around the street all over the place - a lot of jugglers I recall, with the Wall being non-stop grafitti. Quite the contrast.


----------



## Gone_in_60_seconds (Jan 21, 2018)

Lissetti said:


> I've been doing a lot of coding. I've completed my associate's in computer science/programming, working on my bachelor's, but I want to learn new languages and so I'm working on that. I've been able to move up in my job and get promoted into divisions I was not even hired for, simply because I can do it. Further my employer is highly encouraging of the new interests I have in other aspects of coding and are giving me the tools and encouragement to pursue my goals. Further I'm willing and able to move so that's a plus.


Isn't IT and computer coding jobs outsourced to India (Bangalore) and Eastern Europe now? That's what my friend in IT has said.


----------



## nightshaadow (May 2, 2019)

Young Kim said:


> *Increasing Productivity In Our Down Time.*
> 
> *Time to Rethink
> View attachment 462364
> ...


I'll spend my money however the heck I want!


----------



## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

Gone_in_60_seconds said:


> Isn't IT and computer coding jobs outsourced to India (Bangalore) and Eastern Europe now? That's what my friend in IT has said.


Nope. Not all. At my job, in Seattle Washington, the redundant stuff, like product/software testing, data entry, consumer interest type stuff is outsourced, but the powerhouse stuff that makes our company run, is all done at our corporate HQ in Menlo Park CA, and other HQ's in the US.

However I do know other tech giants just down the street from our buildings "insource" for their high up tech and programming jobs. Over half of employees at Microsoft HQ's campus in Redmond Washington are H1B visas. Amazon is coming close to those numbers with their own H1B Visa employees. At my job, its around 90% American born, Caucasian, predominantly male employees.


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

Lissetti said:


> Nope. Not all. At my job, in Seattle Washington, the redundant stuff, like product/software testing, data entry, consumer interest type stuff is outsourced, but the powerhouse stuff that makes our company run, is all done at our corporate HQ in Menlo Park CA, and other HQ's in the US.
> 
> However I do know other tech giants just down the street from our buildings "insource" for their high up tech and programming jobs. Over half of employees at Microsoft HQ's campus in Redmond Washington are H1B visas. Amazon is coming close to those numbers with their own H1B Visa employees. At my job, its around 90% American born, Caucasian, predominantly male employees.


I agree with you. There are still plenty of jobs in computer programming area that are staying in the U.S. Particularly in the area of blockchain technology, there are growing opportunities in that field.

For those new to the subject, blockchain technology is basically a decentralized distributed ledger. It stores transactional records (i.e. "the block"), of public transactions in numerous databases (i.e. "the chain") within a network connected by peer-to-peer nodes.

In the future, it should gain wider acceptance to do things we already do like facilitate money transfers (the best well known e.g. of this is Bitcoin), and the use will spread to other areas like in "smart contracts" (e.g. Ethereum), for digital contracts, digital IDs, transferring titles, etc.

The best way to start is to learn some fundamentals of C++, maybe C#, JQuery and SQL, and Javascript. There are a lot of free online tutorials on this. Then endeavor to gain some knowledge of what I talked about before regarding smart contracts (how they work and WHEN it makes sense to implement them), and possibly Solidity, and Hyperledger. Then after awhile, you can start building your own projects!


----------



## Funky Monkey (Jul 11, 2016)

Because we're 'Murca and we should be productive and run ourselves into the ground even if there's nothing to do. I have been productive but our hurry up culture is for ret*rds. Hurry up!!


----------



## excel2345 (Dec 14, 2015)

Young Kim said:


> Come to think of it, when Travis Kalanick told riders that "tipping is not necessary" implying the tip is included in the trip fare, I thought it was a bit...let's say questionable as a motive..


Actually I think the app actually said s "the tip is included"


----------



## BayStateUBER (Apr 5, 2018)

Crosbyandstarsky said:


> This is a lecture.


This is wisdom. Ignore it at your peril.



Funky Monkey said:


> Because we're 'Murca and we should be productive and run ourselves into the ground even if there's nothing to do. I have been productive but our hurry up culture is for ret*rds. Hurry up!!


I TOTALLY understand that mentality that you're talking about Funky Money and I despise it too. I have been overworked and stressed to a dangerous point. And America has that mentality that if you're not working, working, working you're lazy. I know what it's like when you get a chance to relax from that job.

The way I took this post was more about how Uber may not be a dependable source of income and a driver looking out for other drivers. Uber is a corporation that can pull the plug on drivers anytime and totally screw drivers. That's obvious from their already well-known poor support for drivers. This is a good time to learn something new just so you can at least maybe have a backup plan / plan B for income. To protect yourself from hard economic times that might be coming. You never know. Plan for the worst.


----------



## Funky Monkey (Jul 11, 2016)

BayStateUBER said:


> This is wisdom. Ignore it at your peril.
> 
> 
> I TOTALLY understand that mentality that you're talking about Funky Money and I despise it too. I have been overworked and stressed to a dangerous point. And America has that mentality that if you're not working, working, working you're lazy. I know what it's like when you get a chance to relax from that job.
> ...


N How. I forgot what the post was about but man. Trying to depend on the service industry at all. 40 yo guy next to me has waited tables for the same restaurant co (they own numerous franchises) for 10 years and has nothing to do. Almost have to train to become a phone rep of some kind. Also, because of generation "coddled, can't cope w/ anything" we could have a complete collapse due to electrical grid crashing, etc. I've asked my sister to keep a cot for me at their ranch in rural Georgia should the shit hit the fan in the next 5 to 10 yrs!


----------



## gofrthr (Apr 13, 2018)

I am a part time Uber driver- 15-20 hrs a week. Am I eligible to any stimulus PUI for the 9 weeks I didn't drive because of the Covid virus ?


----------



## MMAdelivery (Jul 20, 2020)

This is my take and I'm sure it's been contested over and over but atleast uber drivers are actually doing someting maybe its part time but still (productive) while millions of people are sitting around scratching their buts and hanging out in dirty undies while getting all that free money and not making any attempt to do anything . well when mister president trump gets re_ elected well I'll leave that up for discussion .


----------



## Young Kim (Jan 28, 2015)

gofrthr said:


> I am a part time Uber driver- 15-20 hrs a week. Am I eligible to any stimulus PUI for the 9 weeks I didn't drive because of the Covid virus ?


Indeed, you should be. At least it seems a lot of drivers in your case were getting PUA driving part time, and getting a lump sum. You would need to apply quickly and have it apply retroactively. Try to apply in your state and attempt to reach a city unemployment official on the phone if possible.



BayStateUBER said:


> This is wisdom. Ignore it at your peril.
> 
> 
> You never know. Plan for the worst.


Indeed my friend, so many wise drivers on this board have discussed a lot of contingency plans. The gap between the rich and poor has never been greater. I read somewhere that once a nation reaches this critical level where the gap between rich and poor is so great, there is a revolution coming (they referenced past revolutions like the French, Russian, Chinese, etc. Revolutions). I definitely don't wish for it to be a violent one, but one seems inevitable at some point if this extreme historical gap is not addressed.



excel2345 said:


> Actually I think the app actually said s "the tip is included"


I think Travis singlehandedly destroyed and prevented MILLIONS of dollars in tips from flowing from the drivers to the customers, just to expand his empire. Now, pax are so accustomed to NOT tipping, that even with the tip function now built into the app, a lot of riders don't tip, unlike my taxi driver days when practically everyone tipped nicely.


----------

