On: Professional maintainers: a wake-up call

[DarylZero]

Right. Mostly they wouldn't even pay employees if they could get away with it. We have to make laws about it.

[imachine1980_ → DarylZero]

like dual licensees?qt?

[DarylZero → imachine1980_]

I mean just ordinary employees really wouldn't get paid at all if not for labor regulations.

Just look into the amount of simple "wage theft" (employers forcing employees to work off the clock, etc.) that exists in the USA.

Of course, this country fought a war over the issue of free labor from black slaves.

[jokethrowaway → DarylZero]

What you say is nonsense. Companies will try to pay as little as possible to make more profit. They won't pay you more than you can make them. Employees will try to get paid as much as possible. They won't work for something they can't live on.

All is good and dandy.

If employees are not getting paid, they'll go and do something else (like another job or growing food themselves) or steal and starve if there are no jobs or resources. They would never work for free because they can't live without eating.

[selfhoster11 → jokethrowaway]

> They would never work for free because they can't live without eating.

Except, slavery. Sure, the master pays as little as they can to keep the person alive, but staying alive is about the only good thing they get out of life.