Dirty secret about an industry that you have worked in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the big environmental / conservation nonprofits are a complete scam . But, I'm not sure this is a secret .

What do you mean?

My spouse works at one of the biggest and best known environmental orgs, and they are the hardest-working, most dedicated people I've ever met. What orgs are you talking about?

np. Might be referring to the ones that make extensive use of canvassers. I did that one summer -- put you in buses and take you around to neighborhoods to knock on doors and ask for money. Dirty little secret is at least 50 cents of what you give me is going directly into my pocket (not as in I stole it, rather in terms of what I was paid).

Yeah we live in Bethesda and the people going door to door soliciting for Cabin John Fire Department are paid canvassers from North Carolina. The accent tipped me off. BCC Rescue Squad uses their actual people to solicit and I always give to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the big environmental / conservation nonprofits are a complete scam . But, I'm not sure this is a secret .

What do you mean?

PP here..ha ha..name one thing they produce. Massive corporate greenwashing that makes the top execs rich, they produce nothing. Complete scam.

Stop tarnishing all environmental orgs just because you worked at some door-to-door canvassing operation. The Nature Conservancy has top scientists working throughout the world and has used donations and other funding sources to preserve more than 120 million acres of land worldwide. In the U.S., "40 million acres of private land protected through conservation easements in the United States
by local and regional land trusts, national conservation groups, and state and federal agencies as of June 2014."

https://www.nature.org/about-us/private-lands-conservation/conservation-easements/conservation-easements-101.pdf

These blanket statements about ALL environmental orgs, ALL teachers and daycare workers, ALL federal employees are just wrong. They breed cynicism and susceptibility to Trumpian propaganda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is probably not a secret BUT I worked in a retail store and we all pretty much had sex all over the place in there.

+1 in restaurants. Also, lots of drinking & drugs.

Journalism--probably 50% of the stories you read are advertisements in disguise.

Child care--oh, Lord. Let's just say parents only see a TINY sliver of what goes on.

You've never worked in a newsroom.

You've never seen my resume.

We gave lip service to separation of advertising & editorial, but when it came down to it, writers who made advertisers look bad didn't last long. And yes, 90% of what I wrote about was an advertisement of some sort--reviews, previews, community events, interviews, etc. I didn't always take a totally neutral or positive angle, but any coverage is advertising of a sort. My soul felt sold in that job.

I've worked at three of the largest papers in the country in my career. And at those papers, there was a sky-high wall around editorial and advertising.

You either worked at a terrible paper -- or you don't know what it means to truly be a journalist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At academic conferences, you can present your research as a talk, or on a poster that you stand by for an hour and then people come ask you about it.

Talks are given only to high-ranking PhDs since there are limited presentation rooms. Meanwhile, acceptance rates for posters is 99% since they just throw up some poster boards in a big ballroom.

Why such a high acceptance rate? The conference organizers get kickbacks from the conference hotels like free rooms and so on, but it depends on attendees booking a certain number of hotel rooms. By accepting all posters, those people have justification to go to the conference and will then stay in a room.

I've debated having my 3 year old scribble on a poster board and submitting that. I bet she'd be accepted!

I have always wondered about this. We pay SO much to attend a particular conference and it seems like we get less and less for it every year but the rates keep going up! We used to get coffee and light snacks between some plenary session but about 2 years ago that stopped and we had to buy coffee. Basically we get a conference bag and to attend the sessions and that's it for 1k! It is the primary conference in my field so not going is not really an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Corporate attorney.

Most lawyers with billable hour quotas defraud their clients by billing for time not worked.

Sometimes it's minor "rounding" or "estimating", but it many cases it's intentional and deliberate.

i can attest to this. i was chastised for working too quickly on a memo. told i should have taken my time, and kept the meter running to go to the bathroom, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most doctors are burned out and hate their jobs and hate their patients.

Therapists and psychologists always come from screwed up families and often have way more issues than their own patients!

i think there is some truth to this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For all the daycare workers who witnessed abuse: Did you report it? What happened after you reported? You were all mandated reporters, you know...

I worked at a daycare center in grad school. I witnessed a teacher shaking a little boy. I reported it, she was fired the same day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Corporate attorney.

Most lawyers with billable hour quotas defraud their clients by billing for time not worked.

Sometimes it's minor "rounding" or "estimating", but it many cases it's intentional and deliberate.

i can attest to this. i was chastised for working too quickly on a memo. told i should have taken my time, and kept the meter running to go to the bathroom, etc.

Big IT consulting firms do this, too. They get mad if the consultant does the work too quickly. One reason I will never work for a big IT consulting company directly. I'm independent, and I live on my reputation for being efficient. To me, if I'm efficient and good at what I do, I get repeat work.

[Anonymous]

All the big environmental / conservation nonprofits are a complete scam . But, I'm not sure this is a secret .

Also interested in what you mean by this. I've worked at and for a few, and in general found hard working dedicated people getting paid peanuts.
There are some interesting stories about misogynist and sleazy behavior among the old (white, male) leaders of days of yore, but the workforce is turning over and most of that is on the way out, at least at the places I have worked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At academic conferences, you can present your research as a talk, or on a poster that you stand by for an hour and then people come ask you about it.

Talks are given only to high-ranking PhDs since there are limited presentation rooms. Meanwhile, acceptance rates for posters is 99% since they just throw up some poster boards in a big ballroom.

Why such a high acceptance rate? The conference organizers get kickbacks from the conference hotels like free rooms and so on, but it depends on attendees booking a certain number of hotel rooms. By accepting all posters, those people have justification to go to the conference and will then stay in a room.

I've debated having my 3 year old scribble on a poster board and submitting that. I bet she'd be accepted!

I have always wondered about this. We pay SO much to attend a particular conference and it seems like we get less and less for it every year but the rates keep going up! We used to get coffee and light snacks between some plenary session but about 2 years ago that stopped and we had to buy coffee. Basically we get a conference bag and to attend the sessions and that's it for 1k! It is the primary conference in my field so not going is not really an option.

Usually for coffee and snacks they get a sponsor, but sponsors started balking. We were at a conference with 1,000 people and they wanted $6k to "sponsor" a 15-minute coffee break. I realize they pay hotel catering rates for coffee, and it's based on # of attendees not # of people who actually get a drink, but it's just not worth it. We'd rather spend half that money on a happy hour at a local bar and get much more benefit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the big environmental / conservation nonprofits are a complete scam . But, I'm not sure this is a secret .

What do you mean?

PP here..ha ha..name one thing they produce. Massive corporate greenwashing that makes the top execs rich, they produce nothing. Complete scam.

Stop tarnishing all environmental orgs just because you worked at some door-to-door canvassing operation. The Nature Conservancy has top scientists working throughout the world and has used donations and other funding sources to preserve more than 120 million acres of land worldwide. In the U.S., "40 million acres of private land protected through conservation easements in the United States
by local and regional land trusts, national conservation groups, and state and federal agencies as of June 2014."

https://www.nature.org/about-us/private-lands-conservation/conservation-easements/conservation-easements-101.pdf

These blanket statements about ALL environmental orgs, ALL teachers and daycare workers, ALL federal employees are just wrong. They breed cynicism and susceptibility to Trumpian propaganda.

Well, naturally. That's why a big part of these posts were made. The more they can get others to see the world as perversely as they do, the more people are likely to vote out of fear, anger, envy, hatred--all the things that make the world a worse place to live in for all of us.

[Anonymous]

Hospitality Industry (Hotels) - Top and very recognizable name...

Housekeeping wiped with used guest towels on the floor just about everything - Tubs, toilets, sinks, trash bins, tumblers, coffee pots, microwaves, dishes, refrigerator. Bed bugs and lice were common issues. I take clorox wies and wipe down everything and I do not use the coffee pots and mugs before washing in hot water and dish washing liquid. The comforters are never washed and the "stains that are caused by bodily fluids are only spot cleaned.

So, strip those off and use bedsheets and blankets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At academic conferences, you can present your research as a talk, or on a poster that you stand by for an hour and then people come ask you about it.

Talks are given only to high-ranking PhDs since there are limited presentation rooms. Meanwhile, acceptance rates for posters is 99% since they just throw up some poster boards in a big ballroom.

Why such a high acceptance rate? The conference organizers get kickbacks from the conference hotels like free rooms and so on, but it depends on attendees booking a certain number of hotel rooms. By accepting all posters, those people have justification to go to the conference and will then stay in a room.

I've debated having my 3 year old scribble on a poster board and submitting that. I bet she'd be accepted!

I have always wondered about this. We pay SO much to attend a particular conference and it seems like we get less and less for it every year but the rates keep going up! We used to get coffee and light snacks between some plenary session but about 2 years ago that stopped and we had to buy coffee. Basically we get a conference bag and to attend the sessions and that's it for 1k! It is the primary conference in my field so not going is not really an option.

Usually for coffee and snacks they get a sponsor, but sponsors started balking. We were at a conference with 1,000 people and they wanted $6k to "sponsor" a 15-minute coffee break. I realize they pay hotel catering rates for coffee, and it's based on # of attendees not # of people who actually get a drink, but it's just not worth it. We'd rather spend half that money on a happy hour at a local bar and get much more benefit.

I don't know if they used sponsors for it before I kind of doubt it though, it's an international conference organized by an organization based in France (but our conference is held in a different venue around the world). That is in line with what we pay when we "host" workshop sessions- they accept our workshop then make us rent from their chose facility at ridiculously high rates in Euros- like 10k (I'm at an American company). But they can practically do whatever they want because it's THE conference in my field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At academic conferences, you can present your research as a talk, or on a poster that you stand by for an hour and then people come ask you about it.

Talks are given only to high-ranking PhDs since there are limited presentation rooms. Meanwhile, acceptance rates for posters is 99% since they just throw up some poster boards in a big ballroom.

Why such a high acceptance rate? The conference organizers get kickbacks from the conference hotels like free rooms and so on, but it depends on attendees booking a certain number of hotel rooms. By accepting all posters, those people have justification to go to the conference and will then stay in a room.

I've debated having my 3 year old scribble on a poster board and submitting that. I bet she'd be accepted!

I have always wondered about this. We pay SO much to attend a particular conference and it seems like we get less and less for it every year but the rates keep going up! We used to get coffee and light snacks between some plenary session but about 2 years ago that stopped and we had to buy coffee. Basically we get a conference bag and to attend the sessions and that's it for 1k! It is the primary conference in my field so not going is not really an option.

Usually for coffee and snacks they get a sponsor, but sponsors started balking. We were at a conference with 1,000 people and they wanted $6k to "sponsor" a 15-minute coffee break. I realize they pay hotel catering rates for coffee, and it's based on # of attendees not # of people who actually get a drink, but it's just not worth it. We'd rather spend half that money on a happy hour at a local bar and get much more benefit.

I don't know if they used sponsors for it before I kind of doubt it though, it's an international conference organized by an organization based in France (but our conference is held in a different venue around the world). That is in line with what we pay when we "host" workshop sessions- they accept our workshop then make us rent from their chose facility at ridiculously high rates in Euros- like 10k (I'm at an American company). But they can practically do whatever they want because it's THE conference in my field.

Not sure if this is related, but some conferences we do move around to a new city each year. While it's fun to see new places, it also means our money doesn't always go so far. It costs us 50% more to have a reception in NYC than in Texas. No surprise, just maybe they had to cut back some years due to high costs in that city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most doctors are burned out and hate their jobs and hate their patients.

Therapists and psychologists always come from screwed up families and often have way more issues than their own patients!

i think there is some truth to this.

Truth to both statements.