(no subject)

[radlilim]

Last day of work at Four Lakes Color Graphics / Laserwords Publishing today. I know that I could have done so much more here, if they only would have let us at some of the newer book technologies, both for making them (XML, XSLT, Grep, etc.) and outputting them (eBooks, HTML, ePub, etc.). But they didn't. They wanted those things done over seas in India. Their loss.

I hope my friends that are left here find something better before all of their jobs are outsourced. It's a horrible feeling knowing that you can so easily be replaced. I've seen the quality of the work from those people, there were times I was ashamed to be associated with a project because of it.

Clearly to the Indian overlords ten years of experience and a degree don't mean a lot. I know that this parent corporation for Laserwords is huge and spans many, many industries in India. I do not understand why when the economy for one of their industries is doing badly, another one that is doing fine can't "loan" them money. I thought that was the reason for diversifying.

Now I have to task myself with making lists and keeping busy looking for a new job so I don't fall into a deep depression. More face time with Jack and Laura might be needed.

Comments

[lurkingheretic.livejournal.com]

As you know, I've been reading about this job for awhile. I realize that LJ is often a 'bitch book' but still...I got the impression that you were working hamstrung half the time. Still, a crappy job is better than no job simply by being a paycheck. Laserwords is apparently still stuck in bottom-line cheapthink, which hasn't been debunked in near enough parts of the world. Like here, for instance. The big recruiter for teaching jobs out here is going to Midwest colleges to get fresh grads, no teaching experience and often no life experience, and then wondering why these people flake out or turn out to be alcoholics who can't teach. There are dissenting voices in Korea who understand this, but I've seen this cheapthink in action. New grads get lower salaries...people like me stick around and do a much better job.

Or when Earthlink first outsourced their customer help, and the people I'd get in the chat window would copy-and-paste answers to my questions, usually missing the important part of the question. They've gotten better, but the time before last I was definitely aware that the person on the other end was ESL. The quality's improved but it was years (and lots of feedback) coming.

The p.o. job will buy you some time, but I truly don't envy your situation right now.