Help us with a new feature for Jobs September 2, 2010 4:09 PM Subscribe
Sneak Peek at a new feature. Looking for work? Post your job availability at Jobs.
So we're rolling out an often requested feature that was mentioned in the last podcast as well: Job Availability.
It works like this:
- You make a short title summing up your dream job, there's a description that is somewhat like a cover letter where you talk about your expertise (maybe link to your resume instead of reposting it there), say how to contact you and if you're willing to relocate. You can pick one major job category that represents your main focus (if you're an expert in several areas, pick tags to match and describe your other areas of expertise in the description area).
- We'll be adding a categorized list of available for work mefites to the front page alongside the current jobs.
- Category pages and tag pages will show a 50/50 layout of jobs on the left, available members on the right.
- Pages describing an individual job will show a sidebar of people listed as available in that same job category, so hopefully the people posting jobs as well as people also hiring in that field can more easily find available members.
- You can only have one active job availability posting at any one time. You can remove your posting at any time (like if you get a job) and you can relist yourself later on with a new posting.
Sound good? Here's the posting page for listing your availability.
(we're building this as we go, so it might be a few days before all these features are done rolling out)
So we're rolling out an often requested feature that was mentioned in the last podcast as well: Job Availability.
It works like this:
- You make a short title summing up your dream job, there's a description that is somewhat like a cover letter where you talk about your expertise (maybe link to your resume instead of reposting it there), say how to contact you and if you're willing to relocate. You can pick one major job category that represents your main focus (if you're an expert in several areas, pick tags to match and describe your other areas of expertise in the description area).
- We'll be adding a categorized list of available for work mefites to the front page alongside the current jobs.
- Category pages and tag pages will show a 50/50 layout of jobs on the left, available members on the right.
- Pages describing an individual job will show a sidebar of people listed as available in that same job category, so hopefully the people posting jobs as well as people also hiring in that field can more easily find available members.
- You can only have one active job availability posting at any one time. You can remove your posting at any time (like if you get a job) and you can relist yourself later on with a new posting.
Sound good? Here's the posting page for listing your availability.
(we're building this as we go, so it might be a few days before all these features are done rolling out)
No one has posted anything yet! I thought we were in a tough market! :)
(seriously, we need test data to finish building it out)
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:39 PM on September 2, 2010
(seriously, we need test data to finish building it out)
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:39 PM on September 2, 2010
Um, I posted something, I think.
posted by nomadicink at 4:55 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by nomadicink at 4:55 PM on September 2, 2010
Yeah, it's a little confusing, after you hit post, you're still on the preview posting page, so it's not clear that you've posted.
posted by nomadicink at 5:03 PM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by nomadicink at 5:03 PM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm not missing any fields, there's no warning text, but hitting "Post" just brings me back to my job preview. Is it because I don't have "willing to relocate" checked? That's the only thing I haven't filled out.
posted by boo_radley at 5:03 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by boo_radley at 5:03 PM on September 2, 2010
it's weird that my email address is listed as "apply to:". The title in parens at the bottom of the preview seems redundant. Other than that it looks good.
posted by boo_radley at 5:06 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by boo_radley at 5:06 PM on September 2, 2010
Yep, same thing with me.
I have another thought. Why 1 job at a time? My "fake" thing is sports photography, but that's something I could certainly do around another job. Really, any freelance thing like that could be.
I think it would be nice if we could have 2 jobs active at a time.
posted by theichibun at 5:06 PM on September 2, 2010
I have another thought. Why 1 job at a time? My "fake" thing is sports photography, but that's something I could certainly do around another job. Really, any freelance thing like that could be.
I think it would be nice if we could have 2 jobs active at a time.
posted by theichibun at 5:06 PM on September 2, 2010
No, I had wiling to relocate checked too. Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9.1.11) Gecko/20100701 Firefox/3.5.11
posted by nomadicink at 5:06 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by nomadicink at 5:06 PM on September 2, 2010
I'm having the same issue with "post" returning me to the preview page (and I too checked "willing to relocate"). Macbook, OSX whatever the newest one is, Firefox whatever the newest one is.
posted by leesh at 5:12 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by leesh at 5:12 PM on September 2, 2010
What about a "Willing to telecommute" checkbox?
Also, given that we let people link to their website in their profile and disclose any number of things about themselves, perhaps a place where someone could hyperlink to their online CV, resume, portfolio ... ?
posted by adipocere at 5:21 PM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
Also, given that we let people link to their website in their profile and disclose any number of things about themselves, perhaps a place where someone could hyperlink to their online CV, resume, portfolio ... ?
posted by adipocere at 5:21 PM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
huh, I don't see any submitted posts so there's something wrong, blocking the new postings. I'm sure pb will drop in and fix it tonight, so I guess copy/paste your listings to a text file for now, so you can repost tomorrow.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 5:27 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by mathowie (staff) at 5:27 PM on September 2, 2010
I have another thought. Why 1 job at a time?
We thought a limit of one was easy to provide 1-to-1 links between new job postings and people showing expertise in that category. We didn't want some dork to post something for all 20 categories so they would show up everywhere.
We've done quite a number of things to try and dissuade people from trying to hog the spotlight for their availability, so everyone gets an equal chance (No, you should not delete and repost your availability every day so you can be on the top of a date-sorted list, etc).
posted by mathowie (staff) at 5:29 PM on September 2, 2010
We thought a limit of one was easy to provide 1-to-1 links between new job postings and people showing expertise in that category. We didn't want some dork to post something for all 20 categories so they would show up everywhere.
We've done quite a number of things to try and dissuade people from trying to hog the spotlight for their availability, so everyone gets an equal chance (No, you should not delete and repost your availability every day so you can be on the top of a date-sorted list, etc).
posted by mathowie (staff) at 5:29 PM on September 2, 2010
Yay. I'd like to see this a little broader to encompass freelancers for hire. More than once, I have wished I knew of someone here at mefi that I could turn to for a paid project - but not a "job" in the classic sense. There are so many good writers, editors, tech types here... it would help to know if people are for hire or not. Might be as simple as adding a preference box like "Seeking: full-time; part-time; freelance/projects"
posted by madamjujujive at 5:33 PM on September 2, 2010 [9 favorites]
posted by madamjujujive at 5:33 PM on September 2, 2010 [9 favorites]
Awesome. I want it live right now. Who wants to hire me?
Needs a category that speaks to "software project management." You have a generic "software/QA/DBA." Most people might read that "person who codes," rather than something more along the lines of a producer / project manager within the software field.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:35 PM on September 2, 2010
Needs a category that speaks to "software project management." You have a generic "software/QA/DBA." Most people might read that "person who codes," rather than something more along the lines of a producer / project manager within the software field.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:35 PM on September 2, 2010
> I'd like to see this a little broader to encompass freelancers for hire.
Me too.
posted by languagehat at 5:35 PM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
Me too.
posted by languagehat at 5:35 PM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
Yes, it's kicking me back to the preview page, too. Anyone looking for a freelance writer/editor? Guess I'll wait a few days and try again...
(running Safari on an ageing PowerBook G4, my MacBook Pro is out having a facelift...I mean motherboard replaced).
posted by bitter-girl.com at 5:38 PM on September 2, 2010
(running Safari on an ageing PowerBook G4, my MacBook Pro is out having a facelift...I mean motherboard replaced).
posted by bitter-girl.com at 5:38 PM on September 2, 2010
The only thing I'm not totally down with is the 'category' dropdown. For my part, if I'm going to be looking for work (which may be the case soon if Bad Things Happen), there are any number of industries I could be working in with the skills I have. I am large; I contain multitudes, all that.
A multiselect there would be a good thing, I think, or maybe an 'any' umbrella category. Not sure how you're planning to organize things taxonomically, though, so.
Thanks for this -- like I said, it may (god I hope not) be a timely thing for me, at least.
Couple other notes:
-- 'Go ahead and list a bit about yourself here' doesn't really tell me what I ought to be writing.
-- I think a setup like the way we add the social network bits to our user profiles, where you can select a type of contact medium (email/url/mobile/etc) then add the appropriate info, repeatedly as necessary, so we can have multiple contact methods listed, would be good.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:38 PM on September 2, 2010 [2 favorites]
A multiselect there would be a good thing, I think, or maybe an 'any' umbrella category. Not sure how you're planning to organize things taxonomically, though, so.
Thanks for this -- like I said, it may (god I hope not) be a timely thing for me, at least.
Couple other notes:
-- 'Go ahead and list a bit about yourself here' doesn't really tell me what I ought to be writing.
-- I think a setup like the way we add the social network bits to our user profiles, where you can select a type of contact medium (email/url/mobile/etc) then add the appropriate info, repeatedly as necessary, so we can have multiple contact methods listed, would be good.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:38 PM on September 2, 2010 [2 favorites]
Oh, yeah, definitely agree that freelancer-availability (with areas of skill as free text, maybe) would be nice too.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:40 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:40 PM on September 2, 2010
I'd like to see this a little broader to encompass freelancers for hire.
I figured this already did. Imagine an availability listing (sorry I used the word Job with it, we try to say "your availability" everywhere so it's not just based on a "job") of someone that is an expert in design and say, Flash.
I might want to build a flash audio player for MetaFilter, so I'll just search for the word "flash" (soon, this feature isn't built out yet) and get a listing of all jobs that included the word flash and every member showing availability with the word flash in them. I could see reviewing their postings and their work and emailing someone to see if they were available for a contract type thing building something for me.
I guess we'll need to be vigilant about descriptive words so we're not focused entirely on jobs per se, but just availability.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 5:44 PM on September 2, 2010
I figured this already did. Imagine an availability listing (sorry I used the word Job with it, we try to say "your availability" everywhere so it's not just based on a "job") of someone that is an expert in design and say, Flash.
I might want to build a flash audio player for MetaFilter, so I'll just search for the word "flash" (soon, this feature isn't built out yet) and get a listing of all jobs that included the word flash and every member showing availability with the word flash in them. I could see reviewing their postings and their work and emailing someone to see if they were available for a contract type thing building something for me.
I guess we'll need to be vigilant about descriptive words so we're not focused entirely on jobs per se, but just availability.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 5:44 PM on September 2, 2010
So if I wanted to be available for photography and music performances I would list those two things under the same post?
Just making sure I understand how that sort of thing would work.
posted by theichibun at 5:48 PM on September 2, 2010
Just making sure I understand how that sort of thing would work.
posted by theichibun at 5:48 PM on September 2, 2010
Sorry about the problem with posting—the form was still in testing mode, and only admins could post. It should be working for everyone now.
posted by pb (staff) at 6:07 PM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by pb (staff) at 6:07 PM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
This looks like a great feature, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it works when it goes fully live.
posted by Forktine at 6:14 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by Forktine at 6:14 PM on September 2, 2010
pb, it worked for me just now! OK, someone give me a job, thanks in advance!
posted by leesh at 6:15 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by leesh at 6:15 PM on September 2, 2010
From :
mathowie
Date :
Sep 2, 2010 9:16 PM
Subject :
Success! Your Jobs Post is Live
Message :
Your availability has been posted to MetaFilter Jobs. Here are the details:
posted by nomadicink at 6:17 PM on September 2, 2010
mathowie
Date :
Sep 2, 2010 9:16 PM
Subject :
Success! Your Jobs Post is Live
Message :
Your availability has been posted to MetaFilter Jobs. Here are the details:
posted by nomadicink at 6:17 PM on September 2, 2010
WILL SNARK 4 CASH
posted by BitterOldPunk at 6:20 PM on September 2, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by BitterOldPunk at 6:20 PM on September 2, 2010 [2 favorites]
Halp! I posted while there were problems with stuff showing up, and when I tried to repost just now it tells me I've already posted. Fair enough, but I still don't see a page of job postings, just my post all by itself in what looks like a preview. Safari 5.0.1.
This is great, though - thanks for setting this up.
posted by Quietgal at 6:22 PM on September 2, 2010
This is great, though - thanks for setting this up.
posted by Quietgal at 6:22 PM on September 2, 2010
Ya'll probably know this but in case you don't:
When I try to click on the link in the post to change my posting the following message pops up:
posted by nomadicink at 6:26 PM on September 2, 2010
When I try to click on the link in the post to change my posting the following message pops up:
D'oh!.
According to our records, there's a problem. You've posted a notice of availability already. You can only post one availability.
posted by nomadicink at 6:26 PM on September 2, 2010
If this job posting gets me a job I will be very impressed (also happy!)
posted by The Devil Tesla at 6:30 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by The Devil Tesla at 6:30 PM on September 2, 2010
Okay, I'm up there. Do I sound desperate enough? I'm rapidly getting desperate enough. Thanks, mathowie!
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:32 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:32 PM on September 2, 2010
I posted, but where do you see the actual posting when looking for people?
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 6:38 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 6:38 PM on September 2, 2010
Am I missing something, though? When I go to Jobs I just see Jobs, not availability.
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:40 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:40 PM on September 2, 2010
Yeah, in the next 24hrs. you'll start seeing the new homepage listing available mefites for work.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 6:45 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by mathowie (staff) at 6:45 PM on September 2, 2010
Sorry to be so clueless, but I can not figure out how to see a list of job-seeking listings. Gman is linking to pb's -- how did he find it?
posted by amtho at 6:55 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by amtho at 6:55 PM on September 2, 2010
Quietgal, your post went through. It's here. You should have also received a MeFi Mail with the post URL.
Once we have a few to work with to tweak the layout, we'll start showing them everywhere. For now it's kind of like posting into the void. Thanks for being guinea pigs while we work things out on the fly.
posted by pb (staff) at 6:56 PM on September 2, 2010
Once we have a few to work with to tweak the layout, we'll start showing them everywhere. For now it's kind of like posting into the void. Thanks for being guinea pigs while we work things out on the fly.
posted by pb (staff) at 6:56 PM on September 2, 2010
Sorry to be so clueless, but I can not figure out how to see a list of job-seeking listings. Gman is linking to pb's -- how did he find it?
Under pb's user profile. It's his 1 post to Jobs.
posted by jedicus at 6:57 PM on September 2, 2010
Under pb's user profile. It's his 1 post to Jobs.
posted by jedicus at 6:57 PM on September 2, 2010
how did he find it?
I noticed at least a couple people found my test post earlier today. They probably found it via the contact activity sidebar or through my account activity via my profile. These posts are showing up in some of those places now, we just don't have them on the Jobs site yet.
posted by pb (staff) at 6:58 PM on September 2, 2010
I noticed at least a couple people found my test post earlier today. They probably found it via the contact activity sidebar or through my account activity via my profile. These posts are showing up in some of those places now, we just don't have them on the Jobs site yet.
posted by pb (staff) at 6:58 PM on September 2, 2010
Posted an obviously fake one for testing purposes. Looks good. Do you want us to remove our test data, or will you be doing that before launch?
posted by davejay at 7:02 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by davejay at 7:02 PM on September 2, 2010
I found pb's post through the RSS feed for jobs. Is there going to be separate feeds for jobs vs availabilities?
posted by pwnguin at 7:03 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by pwnguin at 7:03 PM on September 2, 2010
Feature request: edit capacity? I made an unfortunate typo in my test entry, which obviously doesn't matter NOW -- but if I were looking for a job and realized I'd made a mistake, I'd have to delete and repost. Anyone hitting the site with an RSS reader would know I'd done so, and that certainly wouldn't reflect well on me.
posted by davejay at 7:04 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by davejay at 7:04 PM on September 2, 2010
Is there going to be separate feeds for jobs vs availabilities?
We discussed this today and decided to leave them together in one feed for now. I have a hunch we'll split things up eventually, but we're going to wait on see on feeds.
Feature request: edit capacity?
That's on our 'maybe' list too. For now you can use the contact form and we can fix it up on this end.
posted by pb (staff) at 7:06 PM on September 2, 2010
We discussed this today and decided to leave them together in one feed for now. I have a hunch we'll split things up eventually, but we're going to wait on see on feeds.
Feature request: edit capacity?
That's on our 'maybe' list too. For now you can use the contact form and we can fix it up on this end.
posted by pb (staff) at 7:06 PM on September 2, 2010
although I suppose neither would the typo in the initial article posting they'd already pulled down. maybe nevermind.
posted by davejay at 7:06 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by davejay at 7:06 PM on September 2, 2010
I did not receive a MeMail. Did the post go through?
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 7:09 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 7:09 PM on September 2, 2010
Yeah, no memail here either but it's showing up in my profile under jobs.
posted by mygothlaundry at 7:11 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by mygothlaundry at 7:11 PM on September 2, 2010
pb, thank you. I got the MeMail notice but it just took me to my solo post, not a whole page of fellow unemployed MeFites. Misery loves company, so I look forward to seeing this page go live.
I propose we set up a beer fund or something for the mods, and everybody who gets a job through this page kicks in $5 or so; at that point we'll be able to afford it!
posted by Quietgal at 7:15 PM on September 2, 2010
I propose we set up a beer fund or something for the mods, and everybody who gets a job through this page kicks in $5 or so; at that point we'll be able to afford it!
posted by Quietgal at 7:15 PM on September 2, 2010
Will the email address be displayed publicly? If so, how can I go edit my posting?
posted by Mister_A at 7:24 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by Mister_A at 7:24 PM on September 2, 2010
Jesus, it's hard enough having to come up with ways to describe myself prompted by job postings. Doing it without the postings is gonna drive me crazy.
I mean, how much do I emphasize my beard? Does anyone need a handsome, bearded writer? I'll write whatever you want, just not about beards.
posted by klangklangston at 8:02 PM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
I mean, how much do I emphasize my beard? Does anyone need a handsome, bearded writer? I'll write whatever you want, just not about beards.
posted by klangklangston at 8:02 PM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
Oh, this is splendid. If I wasn't all incoherent with fatigue I'd be all over this for reals. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.
Thank you!
posted by Neofelis at 8:08 PM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
Thank you!
posted by Neofelis at 8:08 PM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
Do you do other things besides write? I have plans for an appropriately handsome bearded man, but it may not involve multi-syllabic words...
posted by hippybear at 8:10 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by hippybear at 8:10 PM on September 2, 2010
But Hippybear, the writing is the fiction we both need to make the exchange of money not feel weird.
posted by klangklangston at 8:26 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by klangklangston at 8:26 PM on September 2, 2010
Mister_A, yeah, if you put an email address in the contact space other members will see it. The public won't. So MeMail me with a replacement if that's not what you want.
posted by pb (staff) at 8:34 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by pb (staff) at 8:34 PM on September 2, 2010
I'm noticing that people are putting their names or things that link to their names there. This is terrific but I'm wondering if it makes sense to noindex this stuff so people don't get crawled all over by sketch "recruiter" types.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:59 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:59 PM on September 2, 2010
Okay, so I posted, including a link to my little website where I have my resume hosted, and then immediately thought better of it.
Mere hours ago I answered an AskMe about genital piercing. And while I have no qualms about discussing that with friends (that's you all!), I really am not thrilled at the prospect of greekphilosophy coming up if someone searches for my domain or my personal professional email.
Is this meant to be internal? Nonindexed? Viewable only by logged in members? Is that a potential switch that we could choose to turn on or off for ourselves? I'd be much more likely to use this feature under those circumstances. After all - I'd use this feature to make myself available to other mefites (who I know will base their judgments not on spurious things like what taboo subjects I discuss frankly and semi-publicly on the Internet, but on important things like the quality of my fpps, my number of favorites, how many best answers I've given, how original my username is, and how pretty I am). If I wanted to spray the Internet with my resume, I'd use Monster. Which I do. Only, Monster doesn't immediately lead a recruiter to that post where I talk about being an alcoholic or that other post where I mention my ex's penis piercing.
Is that asking too much of this new feature? Would that undermine it's intended use? Am I silly for thinking I can even keep separate-ish identities online and off? If that's a priority to me, should I just consider this a feature for someone else who is either in a less conservative field or who has fewer pierced exes? And finally was this all discussed in the podcast that I haven't yet listened to, and did I just waste my time typing this out on my phone for nothing?
posted by greekphilosophy at 10:15 PM on September 2, 2010 [5 favorites]
Mere hours ago I answered an AskMe about genital piercing. And while I have no qualms about discussing that with friends (that's you all!), I really am not thrilled at the prospect of greekphilosophy coming up if someone searches for my domain or my personal professional email.
Is this meant to be internal? Nonindexed? Viewable only by logged in members? Is that a potential switch that we could choose to turn on or off for ourselves? I'd be much more likely to use this feature under those circumstances. After all - I'd use this feature to make myself available to other mefites (who I know will base their judgments not on spurious things like what taboo subjects I discuss frankly and semi-publicly on the Internet, but on important things like the quality of my fpps, my number of favorites, how many best answers I've given, how original my username is, and how pretty I am). If I wanted to spray the Internet with my resume, I'd use Monster. Which I do. Only, Monster doesn't immediately lead a recruiter to that post where I talk about being an alcoholic or that other post where I mention my ex's penis piercing.
Is that asking too much of this new feature? Would that undermine it's intended use? Am I silly for thinking I can even keep separate-ish identities online and off? If that's a priority to me, should I just consider this a feature for someone else who is either in a less conservative field or who has fewer pierced exes? And finally was this all discussed in the podcast that I haven't yet listened to, and did I just waste my time typing this out on my phone for nothing?
posted by greekphilosophy at 10:15 PM on September 2, 2010 [5 favorites]
This is terrific but I'm wondering if it makes sense to noindex this stuff so people don't get crawled all over by sketch "recruiter" types.
Well, noindex is like a suggestion for bots. Google follows that suggestion fairly well, but there's no reason that Joe Scraper running SketchRecruiting.com will follow that suggestion. And I'm not sure a members-only site like greekphilosophy is suggesting would be the answer because there's nothing to keep SketchRecruiting.com from paying $5 and then scraping as a member. A members-only or noindexed version would give us some illusion of privacy more than the real thing, and I'm afraid that might make us less careful about what we share there.
I definitely think this feature could blend personal and professional personas too closely for some, and we need to make sure we're clear that information posted to the site is public. We do show different information for members/non-members on profile pages, and for contact information at Jobs. We just need to keep in mind that $5 isn't a brick wall.
posted by pb (staff) at 10:34 PM on September 2, 2010 [2 favorites]
Well, noindex is like a suggestion for bots. Google follows that suggestion fairly well, but there's no reason that Joe Scraper running SketchRecruiting.com will follow that suggestion. And I'm not sure a members-only site like greekphilosophy is suggesting would be the answer because there's nothing to keep SketchRecruiting.com from paying $5 and then scraping as a member. A members-only or noindexed version would give us some illusion of privacy more than the real thing, and I'm afraid that might make us less careful about what we share there.
I definitely think this feature could blend personal and professional personas too closely for some, and we need to make sure we're clear that information posted to the site is public. We do show different information for members/non-members on profile pages, and for contact information at Jobs. We just need to keep in mind that $5 isn't a brick wall.
posted by pb (staff) at 10:34 PM on September 2, 2010 [2 favorites]
Yes, seconding that it would be good to say loud and clear which info is visible to whom. Eg, might put that into the instructions on the posting page? "Email address - remember this will be visible to the whole internet" or whatever?
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:39 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:39 PM on September 2, 2010
And if the RSS feed is anything like the RSS feed for AskMe it will appear verbatim on a thousand fake-o websites, too. So whatever you send out in that feed will be hard to remove from the web at large.
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:40 PM on September 2, 2010
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:40 PM on September 2, 2010
I mean, how much do I emphasize my beard? Does anyone need a handsome, bearded writer? I'll write whatever you want, just not about beards.
I am a homely, bearded, not-writer-or-much-of-anything-else, but I will write about beards* for money.
*Excluding the typographical kind. But if you want 1000 words on Phyllis Gates or Basilios Bessarion... [Does the 'Call Me' gesture]
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:50 PM on September 2, 2010
I am a homely, bearded, not-writer-or-much-of-anything-else, but I will write about beards* for money.
*Excluding the typographical kind. But if you want 1000 words on Phyllis Gates or Basilios Bessarion... [Does the 'Call Me' gesture]
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:50 PM on September 2, 2010
Sorry about the problem with posting—the form was still in testing mode, and only admins could post. It should be working for everyone now.
PB SCREWED UP! YOU SHOULD GIVE ME HIS JOB!
I spent 3 hours today writing html in notepad so I think I am more than qualified.
posted by nestor_makhno at 11:22 PM on September 2, 2010
PB SCREWED UP! YOU SHOULD GIVE ME HIS JOB!
I spent 3 hours today writing html in notepad so I think I am more than qualified.
posted by nestor_makhno at 11:22 PM on September 2, 2010
Is this meant to be internal? Nonindexed? Viewable only by logged in members?
Yeah, come to think of it: important questions. I've spent the last 10 years keeping my wonderchicken identity carefully separated from my real name (with some googleable exceptions, here and elsewhere, in extremis), and although I'm starting, George Costanza-like, to consider merging the worlds (and the nickname with the real name), man, yikes.
My faceholes are leaking from the stress of trying to figure this shit out right here.
I spent 3 hours today writing html in notepad so I think I am more than qualified.
I've spent 15 years writing html in notepad (or, for the last few, notepad++). Can I please have a cookie now? I like cookies.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:14 AM on September 3, 2010
Yeah, come to think of it: important questions. I've spent the last 10 years keeping my wonderchicken identity carefully separated from my real name (with some googleable exceptions, here and elsewhere, in extremis), and although I'm starting, George Costanza-like, to consider merging the worlds (and the nickname with the real name), man, yikes.
My faceholes are leaking from the stress of trying to figure this shit out right here.
I spent 3 hours today writing html in notepad so I think I am more than qualified.
I've spent 15 years writing html in notepad (or, for the last few, notepad++). Can I please have a cookie now? I like cookies.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:14 AM on September 3, 2010
Oh, so we can't active edit the job posting once we've made it? and there are no plans to implement an editing feature?
Uh oh: http://jobs.metafilter.com/783/Freelance-Planet-Operations-Manager
posted by nomadicink at 4:05 AM on September 3, 2010
Uh oh: http://jobs.metafilter.com/783/Freelance-Planet-Operations-Manager
posted by nomadicink at 4:05 AM on September 3, 2010
Is there any way we can do like Craigslist, where it will generate a random email address for you that mails your actual email address? Not so keen on leaving my actual email address (which has my actual full name in it) on the site for all to see (My real name is Phineas Q. Butterfat, for those of you who just need to know.
posted by orville sash at 5:24 AM on September 3, 2010
posted by orville sash at 5:24 AM on September 3, 2010
I would like a job involving genital piercing.
Yours, mine or the dog's?
posted by nomadicink at 5:30 AM on September 3, 2010
Yours, mine or the dog's?
posted by nomadicink at 5:30 AM on September 3, 2010
pb, I'm fine with other members seeing my email address, thanks.
posted by Mister_A at 5:37 AM on September 3, 2010
posted by Mister_A at 5:37 AM on September 3, 2010
The only thing I'm not totally down with is the 'category' dropdown. For my part, if I'm going to be looking for work (which may be the case soon if Bad Things Happen), there are any number of industries I could be working in with the skills I have. I am large; I contain multitudes, all that.
I hate using "This." but stavros couldn't have said it any better. If my dream job was within 100 miles of me, I'd already know about it since it's such a niche field. Since I'm not currently willing to relocate* I am willing to do just about anything that matches my skills, which are varied. I'm getting to a desperation point in my job search, and narrowing down my focus seems like absolute folly.
Another "This." to what greekphilosophy said - I've written extensively about topics that an employer does not need to know about. Even if someone is non-judgmental, it may create an awkward TMI situation. My identity is already known by a lot of mefites, and it's easy to find anyway. I don't want to make it super-easy for an outside person.**
I'll have to see both of these things addressed before I'm willing to post, but I am glad you are moving forward with this idea. And if anyone in the Milwaukee metro area is willing to pay me to do just about anything legal, my email's in my profile!
*We're in the process of getting licensed for foster care, which naturally requires us to live in the same county as the agency, and which license is non-transferable. We can't move while we have a foster child, but once we legally adopt him, we'd be more open to moving.
**Some of the information I've given out on mefi might torpedo the foster care process because of prejudice in the agency.
posted by desjardins at 6:00 AM on September 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
I hate using "This." but stavros couldn't have said it any better. If my dream job was within 100 miles of me, I'd already know about it since it's such a niche field. Since I'm not currently willing to relocate* I am willing to do just about anything that matches my skills, which are varied. I'm getting to a desperation point in my job search, and narrowing down my focus seems like absolute folly.
Another "This." to what greekphilosophy said - I've written extensively about topics that an employer does not need to know about. Even if someone is non-judgmental, it may create an awkward TMI situation. My identity is already known by a lot of mefites, and it's easy to find anyway. I don't want to make it super-easy for an outside person.**
I'll have to see both of these things addressed before I'm willing to post, but I am glad you are moving forward with this idea. And if anyone in the Milwaukee metro area is willing to pay me to do just about anything legal, my email's in my profile!
*We're in the process of getting licensed for foster care, which naturally requires us to live in the same county as the agency, and which license is non-transferable. We can't move while we have a foster child, but once we legally adopt him, we'd be more open to moving.
**Some of the information I've given out on mefi might torpedo the foster care process because of prejudice in the agency.
posted by desjardins at 6:00 AM on September 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
Another thought: if someone has discussed a disability on mefi, or another protected class such as race or religion, might it create legal problems for HR?
posted by desjardins at 6:08 AM on September 3, 2010
posted by desjardins at 6:08 AM on September 3, 2010
Isn't this meant to be more of a "MeFites helping MeFites" feature rather than necessarily a super-serious job-hunting tool? I sincerely don't mean to dismiss legitimate legal and privacy concerns -- I'm still on the fence about what/whether to post there myself -- but if I'm posting my work availability on MetaFilter, I'm doing so on the assumption that other MeFites who have seen and know my posting history will be the audience, and pro or con, that's going to affect their inclination to help me out with a job or gig.
posted by Gator at 6:18 AM on September 3, 2010
posted by Gator at 6:18 AM on September 3, 2010
Still no memail.
The specialization and drop down categorization are a bit of a problem. I tried to make my posting as vague and general as possible because, like desjardins, I'm getting desperate and I'm willing to do any number of things. This is a small town and I'm afraid that the chances of an actual job here opening up through mefi are vanishingly small. The other mefites in town already know I'm unemployed. Besides, I'm in the middle of an inadvertent career change for this very reason: there are a limited number of museums in Asheville and I've already worked at two of them, so stressing my museum background is sort of hopeless. Still, despite these drawbacks it would take a LOT for me to relocate, so I'm trying to stress the things I can do online, which is to say, more or less anything. I can write! I can photoshop! I can make you a nifty brochure! I can put numbers into Excel for hours on end! I can do much - except be bearded like Klang, that I cannot pull off.
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:28 AM on September 3, 2010
The specialization and drop down categorization are a bit of a problem. I tried to make my posting as vague and general as possible because, like desjardins, I'm getting desperate and I'm willing to do any number of things. This is a small town and I'm afraid that the chances of an actual job here opening up through mefi are vanishingly small. The other mefites in town already know I'm unemployed. Besides, I'm in the middle of an inadvertent career change for this very reason: there are a limited number of museums in Asheville and I've already worked at two of them, so stressing my museum background is sort of hopeless. Still, despite these drawbacks it would take a LOT for me to relocate, so I'm trying to stress the things I can do online, which is to say, more or less anything. I can write! I can photoshop! I can make you a nifty brochure! I can put numbers into Excel for hours on end! I can do much - except be bearded like Klang, that I cannot pull off.
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:28 AM on September 3, 2010
I am willing to be bearded if that's what it takes, damnit.
Gator: of course I don't mind that mefites know my posting history. Like greekphilosophy said, I am concerned with outsiders being able to link my identity to my mefi username. Right now it's impossible to google "Jane Smith" and come up with "desjardins." I've been very careful with that.
I don't care that it works the opposite way: even without posting to the jobs board, it's pretty easy for a mefite to find out that my name is Jane Smith. You can't just Google "desjardins" and get that info, however. (hint: I am not a bank or a hockey player)
posted by desjardins at 6:43 AM on September 3, 2010
Gator: of course I don't mind that mefites know my posting history. Like greekphilosophy said, I am concerned with outsiders being able to link my identity to my mefi username. Right now it's impossible to google "Jane Smith" and come up with "desjardins." I've been very careful with that.
I don't care that it works the opposite way: even without posting to the jobs board, it's pretty easy for a mefite to find out that my name is Jane Smith. You can't just Google "desjardins" and get that info, however. (hint: I am not a bank or a hockey player)
posted by desjardins at 6:43 AM on September 3, 2010
OK, I take that back, apparently you can find out my first name and location pretty quickly using Google, which should let you narrow it down, but if you're a mefite you already have that, and again, I don't care.
posted by desjardins at 6:52 AM on September 3, 2010
posted by desjardins at 6:52 AM on September 3, 2010
Ooh! Why didn't I think of this? Instead of giving an email, couldn't you just set it to send to memail?
posted by orville sash at 6:54 AM on September 3, 2010
posted by orville sash at 6:54 AM on September 3, 2010
Instead of giving an email, couldn't you just set it to send to memail?
The contact field is completely free form. We don't require an email address, phone, or URL. You could write "MeFi Mail Me" in that spot.
Is there any way we can do like Craigslist, where it will generate a random email address for you that mails your actual email address?
No, we don't want to get into that. We have MeFi Mail, and you could always create a throwaway email address with some service that does that specifically for the post if you need that.
There's also no requirement to use your real name in your post, so it's possible to post and keep your real name separate from your username.
posted by pb (staff) at 7:06 AM on September 3, 2010
The contact field is completely free form. We don't require an email address, phone, or URL. You could write "MeFi Mail Me" in that spot.
Is there any way we can do like Craigslist, where it will generate a random email address for you that mails your actual email address?
No, we don't want to get into that. We have MeFi Mail, and you could always create a throwaway email address with some service that does that specifically for the post if you need that.
There's also no requirement to use your real name in your post, so it's possible to post and keep your real name separate from your username.
posted by pb (staff) at 7:06 AM on September 3, 2010
Any plans to make these postings editable, or do you just take 'em down and re-post updated version?
posted by Mister_A at 8:00 AM on September 3, 2010
posted by Mister_A at 8:00 AM on September 3, 2010
Maybe on editing, we're not sure yet. In the meantime you can email us with corrections.
posted by pb (staff) at 8:04 AM on September 3, 2010
posted by pb (staff) at 8:04 AM on September 3, 2010
Hmm, now I'm thinking that maybe a good approach to HireMe would be to think of it as a way to pick up gigs or stopgap jobs. I'm a biochemist and I've been to enough meetups to know that biotechie MeFites are pretty rare and they're not hiring. But maybe somebody needs a writer, copy editor, or general dogsbody, and they might have formed a good enough impression of me to offer me the gig.
So I'll keep looking for a biotech job the usual way, but I guess I'd like to change my "job wanted" posting here to Writer/Editor/Gofer.
Using Jobs this way would, in turn, solve a lot of problems regarding online vs real-life personas. The level of disclosure required for a gofer gig is a lot lower than for a legal/financial/academic/etc position. If I was looking to hire some short-term help, and I saw (for example) that greekphilosophy was available, I'd think "Oh yeah, he's articulate and says sensible things - I bet he'd be a reliable person." No need to tie his MeFi comments to his professional life, since I'd be hiring him on the basis of what he's done here, not in real life.
Maybe we should just think of it as GigFilter, post our availability accordingly, and restrict access to members only?
posted by Quietgal at 10:21 AM on September 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
So I'll keep looking for a biotech job the usual way, but I guess I'd like to change my "job wanted" posting here to Writer/Editor/Gofer.
Using Jobs this way would, in turn, solve a lot of problems regarding online vs real-life personas. The level of disclosure required for a gofer gig is a lot lower than for a legal/financial/academic/etc position. If I was looking to hire some short-term help, and I saw (for example) that greekphilosophy was available, I'd think "Oh yeah, he's articulate and says sensible things - I bet he'd be a reliable person." No need to tie his MeFi comments to his professional life, since I'd be hiring him on the basis of what he's done here, not in real life.
Maybe we should just think of it as GigFilter, post our availability accordingly, and restrict access to members only?
posted by Quietgal at 10:21 AM on September 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
...and restrict access to members only?
I'm not sure I see why this is necessary. I think this would give us a false sense of security rather than actual security. Anyone can join MetaFilter, after all. I know it feels like we all know each other at times, but we are a public site. 99% of the information you post at MetaFilter is for public consumption, so I'm not sure I see the benefit of changing that for these particular posts.
posted by pb (staff) at 10:46 AM on September 3, 2010
I'm not sure I see why this is necessary. I think this would give us a false sense of security rather than actual security. Anyone can join MetaFilter, after all. I know it feels like we all know each other at times, but we are a public site. 99% of the information you post at MetaFilter is for public consumption, so I'm not sure I see the benefit of changing that for these particular posts.
posted by pb (staff) at 10:46 AM on September 3, 2010
I see your point, pb, so maybe the best thing is for people to be circumspect. There's no need to post your real name or email and again, for a gig or stopgap job, your resume is probably not necessary, at least not up front. I guess I'm thinking that we're counting on our MeFi identity and history to get a foot in the door, and those don't have to be tied to real-world information.
posted by Quietgal at 1:10 PM on September 3, 2010
posted by Quietgal at 1:10 PM on September 3, 2010
As for posting personal info: I think the instructions on the posting page will make a big difference here and possibly save people (including the mods) headaches down the road from people posting personal info without thinking it through. (Especially because if the info goes out in the RSS feed and is syndicated by other sites, the mods may be unable to remove it, period)
The current instructions on the page say "All fields are required" and under contact info it says "Include an email/etc". I think it would be good to include "MeMail" explicitly there. And include a reminder: "Remember that anyone on the web can see this contact info" or similar.
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:34 PM on September 3, 2010
The current instructions on the page say "All fields are required" and under contact info it says "Include an email/etc". I think it would be good to include "MeMail" explicitly there. And include a reminder: "Remember that anyone on the web can see this contact info" or similar.
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:34 PM on September 3, 2010
That's a good point, we should be able to make that clear without being too oogy boogy about it.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:39 PM on September 3, 2010
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:39 PM on September 3, 2010
Yeah, we could definitely add a hey, this information is public, but we don't include that anywhere else on the site. I'm not sure why the expectations are different here, and I'm afraid that calling attention to the public nature of the site will have people thinking about this division between private/public that doesn't really exist.
posted by pb (staff) at 1:49 PM on September 3, 2010
posted by pb (staff) at 1:49 PM on September 3, 2010
Related Jobs question/pony: I notice that there's a "This job has been filled" banner at the bottom of some job posts. Is there a way to flag those on the main Jobs screen if filled positions are to remain on the page?
posted by catlet at 1:50 PM on September 3, 2010
posted by catlet at 1:50 PM on September 3, 2010
Filled positions don't remain on the main page. They're only available in the archive.
posted by pb (staff) at 1:53 PM on September 3, 2010
posted by pb (staff) at 1:53 PM on September 3, 2010
d'oh! That shouldn't be there. I'll fix that up.
posted by pb (staff) at 2:07 PM on September 3, 2010
posted by pb (staff) at 2:07 PM on September 3, 2010
thinking about this division between private/public that doesn't really exist
I think this is what I needed to hear.
posted by greekphilosophy at 2:22 PM on September 3, 2010
I think this is what I needed to hear.
posted by greekphilosophy at 2:22 PM on September 3, 2010
I'm not sure why the expectations are different here
Well, your profile page is members-only, and we sometimes make a point of not letting people post stuff from profile pages in comments on other parts of the site. (Eg, "I see from your profile you're in Houston", though in practice this happens sometimes in AskMe if people are asking for like "how do I register my car" or something where location matters but it's not too personal-seeming)
There is no other part of the site (except profile) where you're encouraging people to post their real-world info, so maybe more explicit reminders are suitable here. I think people can be naive and not think about ways their info can get out of their control. People feel like they can "take it back", but really they can't. And if you warn them more explicitly up-front, you'll have fewer people coming to you later saying "oh shit, I didn't think about it but now when you google my name you get all these syndicated sites that have my real name and details about my work experience, please make it better". I think some reminders can reduce the potential for headaches of that type.
Another thing I might think about changing would be the phrasing of "Include a link to your resume if available". I would read that as "it's expected that you should link to a resume", and if my resume has my real name and real-world contact info, I might be reluctant to link to it. Might soften that phrasing to "You can include a link to your resume if you like." or something else that makes it more explicit that it is strictly optional to link to real-world identity info.
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:26 PM on September 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
Well, your profile page is members-only, and we sometimes make a point of not letting people post stuff from profile pages in comments on other parts of the site. (Eg, "I see from your profile you're in Houston", though in practice this happens sometimes in AskMe if people are asking for like "how do I register my car" or something where location matters but it's not too personal-seeming)
There is no other part of the site (except profile) where you're encouraging people to post their real-world info, so maybe more explicit reminders are suitable here. I think people can be naive and not think about ways their info can get out of their control. People feel like they can "take it back", but really they can't. And if you warn them more explicitly up-front, you'll have fewer people coming to you later saying "oh shit, I didn't think about it but now when you google my name you get all these syndicated sites that have my real name and details about my work experience, please make it better". I think some reminders can reduce the potential for headaches of that type.
Another thing I might think about changing would be the phrasing of "Include a link to your resume if available". I would read that as "it's expected that you should link to a resume", and if my resume has my real name and real-world contact info, I might be reluctant to link to it. Might soften that phrasing to "You can include a link to your resume if you like." or something else that makes it more explicit that it is strictly optional to link to real-world identity info.
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:26 PM on September 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
Maybe a better way of putting what I'm saying is - even in the rest of the site people sometimes get to feeling like "it's just us in our little discussion club here" and they don't think about what they're posting - so you have people wanting to retroactively anonymize AskMes, etc. And here you're adding a site function that allows/encourages/makes it natural to post one's real-world information.
So, to head off the expectation that their info will be kept semi-private, or to remind people who otherwise kind of forget that this is all part of the web not just a private club, it might make sense to be explicit that this is available for all to see, that they can't edit it, that they don't have to include real-world info in order to post, etc.
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:34 PM on September 3, 2010
So, to head off the expectation that their info will be kept semi-private, or to remind people who otherwise kind of forget that this is all part of the web not just a private club, it might make sense to be explicit that this is available for all to see, that they can't edit it, that they don't have to include real-world info in order to post, etc.
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:34 PM on September 3, 2010
I think some reminders can reduce the potential for headaches of that type.
Absolutely. Great points, thanks for that explanation. People share their real-world lives all the time on various parts of the site. I wasn't seeing the explicit call for a link to someone's real life as something different, but a reminder will probably help more than it hurts. I think I'm overthinking this one.
Include a link to your resume if available
Ah ok, yeah, makes sense. We wanted people to think about that space as a cover letter rather than a resume, so we included that line to let folks know they shouldn't simply paste their resume in that space. But I can understand that's also a call to action.
posted by pb (staff) at 2:37 PM on September 3, 2010
Absolutely. Great points, thanks for that explanation. People share their real-world lives all the time on various parts of the site. I wasn't seeing the explicit call for a link to someone's real life as something different, but a reminder will probably help more than it hurts. I think I'm overthinking this one.
Include a link to your resume if available
Ah ok, yeah, makes sense. We wanted people to think about that space as a cover letter rather than a resume, so we included that line to let folks know they shouldn't simply paste their resume in that space. But I can understand that's also a call to action.
posted by pb (staff) at 2:37 PM on September 3, 2010
Cheers, pb.
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:45 PM on September 3, 2010
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:45 PM on September 3, 2010
Is this referring to something you've already seen or something you're suggesting as a guideline? I'm pretty sure that's the sort of thing we're unlikely to see unless there's some huge craigslist migration.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:55 PM on September 3, 2010
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:55 PM on September 3, 2010
But I freelance!
posted by nomadicink at 2:59 PM on September 3, 2010
posted by nomadicink at 2:59 PM on September 3, 2010
I just went to the main page of Jobs and realized that I have indeed been thinking it is only visible to logged-in members, like profile pages -- because the first line on the Jobs page says "MetaFilter Jobs is an area for sharing job openings among members of MetaFilter".
I think I have been interpreting that as "these jobs are only visible to logged-in people." I wonder if anyone else has had this interpretation, and if maybe deleting that phrase would help? Not sure, just thought it was worth noting here.
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:06 PM on September 3, 2010
I think I have been interpreting that as "these jobs are only visible to logged-in people." I wonder if anyone else has had this interpretation, and if maybe deleting that phrase would help? Not sure, just thought it was worth noting here.
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:06 PM on September 3, 2010
It would really be nice to be available in more than one category. I do just as much design as I do writing, but I put myself in the writing category, thinking that there might be more online openings for that then for design work. Still, I'm not much liking the category thing. It works beautifully for jobs but maybe not so much for people? It might be nicer to have just a few, very broad categories rather than such a specific list or it would be cool if people could pick more than one.
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:39 PM on September 3, 2010
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:39 PM on September 3, 2010
Right, have just posted my ad.
Because when you think about it, there really isn't any reason why I SHOULDN'T be able to find a job like the one I'm looking for, seeing as I have over a dozen years of experience in two different fields that could play very well together.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:43 PM on September 3, 2010
Because when you think about it, there really isn't any reason why I SHOULDN'T be able to find a job like the one I'm looking for, seeing as I have over a dozen years of experience in two different fields that could play very well together.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:43 PM on September 3, 2010
This is really, really cool. I might even get back to work.
Does anyone else read nomadicink as noma - dink?
posted by deborah at 7:18 PM on September 3, 2010
Does anyone else read nomadicink as noma - dink?
posted by deborah at 7:18 PM on September 3, 2010
"No sex jobs!"
What, hand and blow hobbies?
posted by klangklangston at 9:08 PM on September 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
What, hand and blow hobbies?
posted by klangklangston at 9:08 PM on September 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
Awesome! Thanks, mods!
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 7:22 AM on September 4, 2010
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 7:22 AM on September 4, 2010
My pony request was really just a hopping onto Quietgal's preexisting pony! All kudos to Quietgal!
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 11:51 AM on September 4, 2010
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 11:51 AM on September 4, 2010
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posted by iamabot at 4:14 PM on September 2, 2010