Outsource Your Own Job!

The Times of India - Outsource your job to earn more! — "Says a programmer on Slashdot.org who outsourced his job: "About a year ago I hired a developer in India to do my job. I pay him $12,000 out of the $67,000 I get. He's happy to have the work. I'm happy that I have to work only 90 minutes a day just supervising the code. My employer thinks I'm telecommuting. Now I'm considering getting a second job and doing the same thing." "

The thing I mostly find interesting is the perspective on outsourcing from the other side. Rather than the simple "they're sending our jobs away" perspective, we hear a point of view of people who benefit from the practice.

Not that I generally approve of it. But I do find it ironic that people happily bought Nike shoes made by 12 year olds in tinderbox factories for years, but as soon as their white collar programming jobs are threatened suddenly the loss of (north) American jobs to developing countries is a huge problem.

On the other hand, the race to the bototm isn't going to leave anyone better off except the people who don't actually do the real work.

Perhaps, eventually, we'll flatten out the wage gaps between countries. But not if it's at the sole expense of working people. I think if a company employs someone that personshould have the same employee rights regardless of which country they live in. By that I mean the right to unionize, the right to a safe work environment, and the right to make a decent living for their work.