Duolingo crying the blues (salary, premium, dollar, economy)

[ForYourLungsOnly]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

You do realize that Luis Von Ahn is himself an immigrant from Guatemala and, from what he says, the opportunity provided him via our immigration policies is near and dear to him, right? This guy is a MacArthur Fellow, invented CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA (awesome dual-purpose tech) in addition to Duolingo, and is a professor at CMU. He does train people and his company is known locally to afford great opportunity. But, as a foreign language teaching platform, how do you presume he will succeed without people who speak those languages natively? Why isn't it ok for him to stand up for people who are in the same situation he benefited from?

Originally Posted by Joe_P

It doesn't fit his right wing narrative.

Bingo.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

Sorry I thought you were referring to Trump. However I agree with your statement as well. This country needs to take care of its own first. This COVID-19 may remove trump from office but it can leave a lasting impact on the future. I think we have totally forgotten about our own people. We need to provide those opportunities for people already living here. Many come from overseas and do contribute, but at the expense and on the dime of taxpayers. Our colleges even private ones receive a lot of public money. CMU just received a 2.8 billion dollar grant for software engineering. That should be reinvested to allow the local population access to high quality education. Black lives only matter when it is an election year. Anger should be directed at folks like the owner of Duolingo. Not the cop making 50K a year and hoping to make it home alive.

Our higher education system has shut out the average American from attending. Tuition is way to high. This guy that owns Duolingo probably got taxpayer dollars to pay for his education and business startup here. I also wonder if public dollars were used in construction of the building where their offices are in East Liberty.

It’s amazing that people defend Duolingo who refuses to hire US citizens instead of immigrants. Then threatens to move his company to Canada as a result. The city and Pedutoites bow down to people like this. Yet they have no real vested interest in making the community better or investing in people already here.

On the other hand shell oil is a huge villain. Never mind they put thousands of locals to work on the cracker plant. Never mind they give money to local schools so they have the education to pursue careers in that field. These people are the enemy.

We sure live in strange times indeed. I really cannot stand Trump, but I understand why people vote for him. People are tired of getting the shaft and then the liberal elites are too busy keeping the common person from a better education, making it unaffordable while making billions hiring somebody from an undeveloped country happy to make more money here than in their own country.

I think Luis Von Ahn is really trying to "take care of his own" here. I can't speak for him, but it sure as hell seems a lot like he's trying to vote with his dollars, and use his company as leverage to influence policy. I seem to recall a certain sports franchise and local sports hero doing something similar - threatening a move - to get what they want.

It does not seem like this is at all about "cheap labor" here. In IT, you get "cheap labor" by offshoring to India and other countries. You get "cheap labor" by providing bad benefits. You get "cheap labor" by paying contractors rather than employing people as W2 full time employees. This guy is trying to give others the opportunity at the "American dream" just like he had. Did you know that Andrew Carnegie was an immigrant from Scotland? The same Andrew Carnegie whose name is borne by the University where Luis Von Ahn earned his PhD and launched his companies from.

You seem to bucket "Petudotites" into a very broad bucket. This is a very specific issue and a very specific person / company making a statement about it. That's what your post is about, can we stick to that?

[sealie]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

CMU just received a 2.8 billion dollar grant for software engineering. That should be reinvested to allow the local population access to high quality education..

Doesn’t work that way. I shouldn’t have to explain this to a conservative, but when the DOD wants you to run a cybersecurity/software engineering/AI R&D institute which they sponsor, because they determine that it is essential to national defense, you don’t get to tell the DOD what you’re doing with their money instead.

[szug-bot]

and, the idea of using money to give people 'access to high quality education' is a bad idea.

the success rate of doing that would be very low. its as if all this money will create results, when it doesn't, as most urban public school systems in the United States proves.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

and, the idea of using money to give people 'access to high quality education' is a bad idea.

the success rate of doing that would be very low. its as if all this money will create results, when it doesn't, as most urban public school systems in the United States proves.

What is this in response to?

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

What is this in response to?

sealie's response to independent's quote, directly above my comment.

off-topic, i admit, bit i felt it too significant to allow with no response.

[Independentthinking83]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

I think Luis Von Ahn is really trying to "take care of his own" here. I can't speak for him, but it sure as hell seems a lot like he's trying to vote with his dollars, and use his company as leverage to influence policy. I seem to recall a certain sports franchise and local sports hero doing something similar - threatening a move - to get what they want.

It does not seem like this is at all about "cheap labor" here. In IT, you get "cheap labor" by offshoring to India and other countries. You get "cheap labor" by providing bad benefits. You get "cheap labor" by paying contractors rather than employing people as W2 full time employees. This guy is trying to give others the opportunity at the "American dream" just like he had. Did you know that Andrew Carnegie was an immigrant from Scotland? The same Andrew Carnegie whose name is borne by the University where Luis Von Ahn earned his PhD and launched his companies from.

You seem to bucket "Petudotites" into a very broad bucket. This is a very specific issue and a very specific person / company making a statement about it. That's what your post is about, can we stick to that?

No not in the very least. And I have no problem with immigration or immigrants making money and starting a business. His comments were just plain stupid. Anybody else would be held to them. The immigration pause is due to the pandemic. Everybody gets to share in this pain.

It does t change the fact the pause is happening and in place till December 30th of this year.

Many prayed for rain. It came and now everybody has to deal with the mud.

[PghSportsGuy420]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

I think he means this. Statement for why trump did what he did.

“American workers compete against foreign nationals for jobs in every sector of our economy, including against millions of aliens who enter the United States to perform temporary work. Temporary workers are often accompanied by their spouses and children, many of whom also compete against American workers. Under ordinary circumstances, properly administered temporary worker programs can provide benefits to the economy. But under the extraordinary circumstances of the economic contraction resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak, certain nonimmigrant visa programs authorizing such employment pose an unusual threat to the employment of American workers.“


https://www.whitehouse.gov/president...irus-outbreak/

You fix the problem of H1B dilution of the labor pool, and exploitation of foreign guest workers, by raising the pay requirement for an H1B worker above the current laughable $60K a year - preferably by pegging it somehow to local market averages.

You do NOT fix the H1B dilution problem by lighting the entire system on fire. Pittsburgh's H1B community is large and vibrant, and the city would be worse off without them.

[Independentthinking83]

Originally Posted by PghSportsGuy420

You fix the problem of H1B dilution of the labor pool, and exploitation of foreign guest workers, by raising the pay requirement for an H1B worker above the current laughable $60K a year - preferably by pegging it somehow to local market averages.

You do NOT fix the H1B dilution problem by lighting the entire system on fire. Pittsburgh's H1B community is large and vibrant, and the city would be worse off without them.

Really how large and vibrant is it? What percentage of the population do they make up?

This is happening because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is trying to prevent the spread of the disease. They are also trying to protect American workers so they are hired first. Plus House Democrats are fine with it as well. It needed done. The president has more than Pittsburgh to worry about.

I’d also venture to guess the community is very small that you are referring to in Pittsburgh. If we are relying only on them for vibrancy this city has much deeper issues. I know the local black community is in shambles.

Anyways the guy who owns this company feels he deserves special treatment while a pandemic goes on. A country that gave him so much that wasn’t possible where he is from. He should be grateful. Everyone is going to feel the pain. He should’ve had a better business model than just immigrants and Pittsburgh needs to rely on just more than people from overseas going to colleges in Oakland.

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few on this one.

[PghSportsGuy420]

Is this about protecting American workers or is this about preventing the spread of COVID-19? Which one? You can't switch reasons when it's convenient for you.

I've worked at three Pittsburgh companies that had sizable numbers of H1B workers. At this point in time, we should be happy that foreign workers want to make a life for themselves here and encourage them to do it. The alternative is stagnation.