Continued from here.
Mari – at 22:18
lugon – at 21:09 - The main difference as I see it is that some occupations (“cottage” type) that would be very important during a pandemic aren’t valued very much in our fast-food, throw-away society. Apparently many people don’t cook routinely but pick up something on the way home. They might not even have the equipment to cook a meal from scratch. If transportation slows down between China and the rest of the world, clothing, tools, down to nuts & bolts is going to get scarce. A Jack-of-all-Trades handyman, a truck gardener, a cook, and a seamstress once again will be in demand.
WOW!!! Sorry I can’t post everyday, it’s a family and a job thing. My thought is more in terms of collecting a database to get started. An online, click the skills you have, the area you live in, a confidential contact e-mail or phone number then a match up when it is necessary from the business community looking to fill the jobs that the pandemic will bring. Pre-pandemic is already taken care of by the temp agencies that we have now. A whole new type of temp agency will be needed during and after the pandemic. Your ideas are wonderful! This can expand and evolve as we go, no need to be perfect in the beginning (unless the pandemic starts tomorrow).
I know only just a little of open source (I like OpenOffice), but maybe we can get software connected to a database, so that part is automated. But it would need to be monitored and then eventually divided by area and a person or persons in each area would be in charge of assigning the jobs as they come in. Of course, the companies needing people must be willing to pay for the service and the worker. That’s where everyone benefits. In the beginning, there would be no income for anyone. During and after the pandemic, it would most likely be what the company can afford to either give or barter and what the worker is willing to accept. I worked as a temp for a while and I didn’t have to take any job I didn’t want. Just because you sign up for this shouldn’t mean you are obligated to take whatever is thrown at you. That’s where someone’s talent to match up the right job to the right person comes in, so there is not a lot of waste of time. But I’m thinking we’ll all be rather desperate and the jobs will go fast (and then keep coming!) as the pandemic unfolds. I’m praying that this is needed only as a short term solution, but I fear that the second and third waves are going to blow us out of the water. To have a system in place to fill the gaps in all the companies that don’t realize they will have gaps - seems to me to be essential. We know they will have gaps and we are trying to anticipate what those gaps will be and then be there to help.
lugon, I love the global/local economics.
I’m going back to reread the links and then I’ll come back to the future!
I don’t think I have communicated this very well, but the point is: to put together all the plans and skills to make a full circle. Yes, we need to prepare with food and water, yes we know there will be chaos, then what. Then the problem will be getting back to work and on our feet again. That’s where this whole idea comes in. This is recovery. And I know from economic and physical set backs I have been through, if you plan to recover, you probably will.
Reader - chaos, then what is a great way to put it.
Maybe you can focus on the system’s description, and leave the software specifications to others? I mean, maybe you can think of what data is needed and how the user experience would be - someone else can code it for the computer to understand. Even better, there will be many different coders, and some communities will do it with pen and paper (I can imagine a local church might not use an Oracle database). Just provide the outline, a detailed outline, no?
Ask for help if you want to set up a wikipage. It’s not difficult at all - maybe try and lend a hand with recipes and then create a simple page about “working”. :-)
Please keep banging at this - I’ll be away for a few weeks and this is definitely one of the threads I take on my mind.
We can think in two broad directions:
Yes, this should go into “strategies” but I really must go now.
Have fun with the design!
I can build a table as an expedient working tool. I will need help with the wikipage.
I’m good with tables, have built a few databases, designed spreadsheets, am shy with online stuff. I understand about the coding and I will concentrate on the headings.
I will put together the ideas that are in my head into the table and make it an “outline” that can be expanded in different directions.
Have a very busy weekend, too much stuff to still do while there is summertime to do it. I will be working on it this coming week.
How do I put a table in here or on another wikipage? I have looked at the strategies section, but not sure about putting it there either.
For anyone who thinks they will be working from home: have alternatives for internet access. We lost power for 2+ days and dh (who works from home) couldn’t do much as we have a cable modem which requires power to run. Luckily his “crackberry” worked so he parked himself in his air conditioned car in our driveway for two days. We are going to look into both phone/dsl connections that don’t require power and/or battery backup for the modem.
Laura, please let us know what you come up with.
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