Outsourcing is Good for You

gManZboy writes "Catherine Mann, from the Institute for International Economics, has a look at What Global Outsourcing Means for U.S. IT Workers up over at Queue. She's got an interesting argument: outsourcing means cheaper IT products, meaning businesses will buy more, meaning more products to make & manage = net gain of IT jobs in the US. Ummm, did you follow that?"

Outsourcing your own job.

[dazilla]

On top of that, you can outsource your own job, take up another one, and outsource it too. Basically you can be making way more than you currently are. I think there was a /. story on this a while back.

Corrected version

[linuxwrangler]

Should have read:
a net gain of _outsourced_ jobs in the US

United States?

[Ratso Baggins]

Oh, the United States of India...

it sure is

[ch-chuck]

Thanks to outsourcing, everything I buy at WalMart with my unemployment check is cheaper!

it really works

[zippo01]

I outsouced my /. reading to India, i pay 4 dollars a day. They even make quality posts about random topics on it.

So you actually *made* money in Amway?

[dogfart]

Sounds like you discovered the secret of multi-level marketing. Sssh.. before someone patents your idea.

Protect yourself by becoming useful

[Inthewire]

Become a security guard for rich people.
Build trust over a decade or so.
When the upcoming collapse is in full swing, abuse that trust by handing the boss over to the tar-n-feathers brigade.
Ya gotta think long term.

Re:Corrected version

[ilsa]

Maybe we can start outsourcing economists, too.

Perpetual Employment!

[ShaniaTwain]

I guess there's none of them pesky thermodynamics laws in the world of economics huh?

Chewbacca Economic Theory

[MooseByte]

This has to be the first ever economic theory equivalent of the Chewbacca Defense [wikipedia.org].

• Chewbacca supposedly lives on the planet Endor. Now why would an 8-foot tall wookie live on a planet with a bunch of 3-foot tall Ewoks? Why, I tell you why: because it doesn't make sense.
• Claiming that outsourcing IT jobs from a country will increase IT employment in that same country doesn't make sense.
• None of this makes any sense.
• If it doesn't make sense, there will be more jobs for American IT workers.

Re:Perpetual Employment!

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

Of course not. You can also give tax breaks to rich people, and it helps you and I because they have more money to spend on hiring us to scrub their mansion floors with toothbrushes!

Shh!

[nwbvt]

Don't apply reason or actual economics to the outsourcing debate on slashdot! You will be modded down -1 Troll!

Remember the following 5 slashdot offshoring axioms:

• Indians, Chinese, Japanese, and anyone else who may take a US job are the spawn of Satan
• Americans have an inalienable right to overpaid jobs
• Anything under 100% employment represents a failure of the US economy
• Bush is responsible for every job that leaves the US
• John Kerry will fly in and save the world from the evil "Benedict Arnold CEOs"

Re:Outsourcing your own job.

[LiquidMind]

this reminds me of a lil joke i heard some years ago (so the wording might be a bit off)....

"I just hired a person that takes care of all my worries for me"
"that's great. how much does he charge?"
"$200 the hour"
"how are you gonna afford that?"
"i have no idea. let him worry about that"

Re:It IS good for us.

[chris_mahan]

Coding is manual labor? Please explain...

Well, you see, to use your keyboard, you place the right hand on the keyboard, and you place the left hand on the keyboard. Then, using the little keys on the keyboard (which have been conveniently coded) you code. With your hands.

Next time we'll discuss the mouse.

Re:Chewbacca Economic Theory

[Anonymous Coward]

I think we are all supposed to become MBAs

Re:Corrected version

[Anonymous Coward]

As the joke goes...

If you lined up the world's economists in a line, they wouldn't reach a conslusion.

Re:Chewbacca Economic Theory

[Anonymous Coward]

you make star trek fans look cool.

Re:Shh!

[jcuervo]

John Kerry will fly in and save the world from the evil "Benedict Arnold CEOs"

...I just got the most disturbing image of John Kerry in tights... Man, I'm going to have some fscking nightmares tonight.

What about this...

[Anonymous Writer]

Catherine Mann, from the Institute for International Economics, has a look at What Global Outsourcing Means for U.S. IT Workers up over at Queue. She's got an interesting argument: outsourcing means cheaper IT products, meaning businesses will buy more, meaning more products to make & manage = net gain of IT jobs in the US.

I say outsource her job, then see what she has to say about it.

Upcoming Indo-Pakistani War will correct this

[Anonymous Coward]

Once the Pakistanis deliver a couple of nukes to Delhi and Bangalore, the triggered Indian nuclear response will simultaneously solve several of America's most serious problems:

• Pakistan's madrasas will become radioactive as thousands of jihadists are instantly delivered to Allah or Satan himself (do not pass GO, do not collect 72 virgins),
  
• outsourcing to the Indian subcontinent will cease to be de rigeur for American corporations,
  
• Best of all, wages for American programmers will attain unforeseen new highs.
  

Re:Outsourcing your own job.

[Anonymous Coward]

You teach them your job, then you let them have it.

Free flow of knowledge? Scary stuff. We should keep these foreigners ignorant or we won't have anyone to pretend we're better than.