Comment by harlanji | Hacker News Reader

Comment by harlanji | Hacker News Reader

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I'm one of the homeless you speak of, since last year. I came to the BA in 2011 after graduating Uni and worked as a programmer, to SF in 2014, and then had my reputation destroyed in 2016 by a false assault allegation by my old boss to HR--limiting job prospects via black list. I've an uncommon name and rare specialization.

I think of "destitute" as the keyword, at various layers of Maslow's hierarchy. The ones you talk about are destitute socially but probably have food and temporary sleeping provisions, seldom rising above the 3rd layer into esteem tho. I have a bit of my old network supporting me, and I sometimes think I'll get off the street.

I work as a waiter 30hr/wk in Mountain View at minimum wage, and don't make enough money yet to have housing prospects. Answering interview questions without needs being met sends overwhelmingly negative signals. I have all my professional stuff like books and computers in a storage unit, but rarely have a place to use it.

I don't apply for high paying jobs in my field because I know that I lack the basic necessities to make a good impression. I've tried and do entertain opportunities that fall on my lap, but I always make a blunder due to not having the resources I need and they fade away. It feels safter to not try, given domino effects of interviewing poorly (permanent record, data). "Learned helplessness" for sure. I was hired to my current job on the spot, thankfully, and almost didn't get it due to logistic issues that I'm intentionally vague about.

Personally I was not a supporter of Prop C and take no government assistance, instead fasting and meditating when I can't earn money and nobody in my network can help me out.

We'll get through this. I'm staying strong.

This is the problem right here.

A person working a job 30 hours a week, does not make enough money to afford a place to live. And it's not that they have to live in a shitty place, it's not that they need roommates, they just don't have anywhere to stay. This should be unacceptable for a society.

Wages are too low, and housing prices are too high. Those are the 2 problems that need to be fixed. And for the housing problem the only way to get rid of it,is build, build, build. Make building new houses cheaper, and development worth it, and prices will go down.

the problem is this guy wants to live in an area where you need a large stable source of income and he doesn’t have it. he should move.

your online presence paints you as crazy, especially your twitter. your personal website would make me avoid hiring you for sure too. take all that crap down and send some resumes out in a different part of the country. there's no sense killing yourself to make it in the bay area.

I'll step in quickly to say this is probably good advice, even if it's in the spirit of tough love. You described a feeling of destitution and no doubt that is being reflected in your online presence, and it may be best to refrain from tweeting until you feel in a better place mentally. I wish you the best of luck.

Well put. I have some level of empathy/understanding for why he would feel compelled to write Tweets like that, given his personal situation.

That said, there are _definitely_ a couple of tweets/photos I would STRONGLY suggest removing. The first thing prospective employers do is take a look at your social media.

I don't think someone deserves to be destitute just because they have a fragile worldview and are sour at their poor prospects. Material security is a great way to deradicalize people and keep them from getting there in the first place.

I don't think the parent was suggesting the grandparent deserves to be destitute, but was offering some tough-love advice that might make him more hireable.

No one deserves to be destitute, which is why we have a social safety net (and should have a stronger one). But as an employer, the danger of hiring someone who appears unstable is high: how will they treat their coworkers? What happens if they have a bad day right before a deadline? What if a customer criticizes them and their coping mechanisms break down?

Some jobs specifically have structures in place to help people make those transitions: lots of structure, clear direction, very specific expectations, independent work, separating customer-facing and non-customer-facing roles, close oversight of interpersonal interactions. Fewer tech companies expect to provide that kind of transitional support and most aren't willing to put themselves in a position where they would have to.

Painting a public persona that makes people want to work with you is the most basic of sales techniques. No one deserves to be destitute, but no one is guaranteed a high-paying tech job either.

I haven't found his twitter presence and feel a bit creepy trying to, but I think you are being pretty uncharitable. His personal website may not exactly sparkle, but I don't think it paints him as crazy and there many talented techies out there who have successful careers with an even less polished of a personal website. Let's not fool ourselves into believing that tough love is what everyone needs. Let's also not fall into the trap of believing that everyone who is struggling is struggling because of obvious mistakes they made. Bad luck that plays a much larger role in many people lives than you might imagine if you have lived comfortably.

The twitter account is quite a bit 'crazier' than the personal website.

EDIT: not that there's anything wrong with that per se.

Thanks so much for sharing your story. I believe you can get through it.

Would you be willing to explain why you don't take government assistance? Is it because the sort of assistance available isn't helpful to you or is it because you disagree with idea of government assistance in principle? From what you say about needing to meet basic needs before you can make a good impression in job interviews, it seems like some temporary assistance from the government or otherwise could have a big impact in getting you back on your feet. It would be nice to know whether you are someone the government could help if the programs were structured right or someone who just refuses to take government assistance on principle.

Why not take the food stamps you are entitled to? I bet you none of the people here who bought homes are forgoing their mortgage interest deductions and just fasting and meditating instead. And you'll probably qualify for the EITC too.

Those programs are there for a reason, and there is no nobility in starving yourself to avoid some paperwork.

I would get a bus ticket and get out. Start with a government job in a smaller city perhaps, and get yourself on your feet. Small steps instead of big leaps. Good luck, and thanks for sharing your story.

Not that I'm disputing what you are saying at all, but I do really wonder whether a "black list" really exists. There are plenty of people hiring software engineers here, I don't think word-of-mouth is THAT powerful that a low-level engineering manager who didn't like you can completely ruin your future job prospects. As long as you do not have a criminal record or bad publicity from the false allegation, you should be all right.

If you feel comfortable reaching out, I am more than happy to refer you to a couple of really great companies that I have personal connections to that are hiring! I also know some people personally that were in similar "down on their luck" situations as you that were able to rebound that can definitely help.

There are many companies here that would love to be portrayed as doing positive social good by hiring homeless.

You can use an alias, you'd be surprised how easy it is. Or use your middle name as your go by name.

Thanks for sharing your story. Your contribution greatly illuminates this conversation for the rest of us.

Did you just get the job and don't have enough savings for rent? I see rooms for rent from $500-700/mo in mountain view.

I was just at the Mountain View Walmart last night and I noticed a lot of campers in the parking lot. Maybe that could be an option for you?

Really?

Yes, I did this for about three months when I first moved to California. I was flat broke and it gave me a chance to stay dry and save up money.

There's a huge difference between voluntarily living in a van in the Google parking lot while saving for a downpayment with your engineering salary or lowering your burn rate for your bootstrapped startup -- and actually being homeless [1].

[1] https://www.businessinsider.com/google-employee-lives-in-tru...

This is why I rarely post on the internet. So easy to misunderstand tone. I seems as if you are mis-understanding my original post. I was only hoping for the best for Harlanji based upon my personal experience. BTW, I was delivering furniture that first year.

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