[impatientduck]

I guess, but then how are developers in first world countries supposed to pay the rent? If a company wants to source all their developers from third world countries maybe they shouldn't be allowed to list their stock in first world exchanges. Seems fair, no?

[xyzzyz]

They can take some other job which will presumably pay more? Nobody's forcing them to work for $25/hour.

[impatientduck]

Except if we outsource all the jobs...Likewise, no one would be forcing Automattic to list on a first world exchange - there are many other ones where they could be free to float their stock. How come all's fair for labor, but not for capital?

[cutler]

Exactly. In the long game remote = outsourcing = race to the bottom. Marx saw it coming a long time ago.

[dimitar]

Not at all - both sides benefit from trade. And also 3rd world investors buy a big part of that stock (including a part of my savings).

AFAIK developers in the first world still get better than the average salaries.

[RobertKerans]

Looking at the current exchange rates, I don't earn a huge amount more than this, and I have a mortgage, support my partner and child financially, and live very comfortably in a city in a first world country. Admittedly one with non-insane healthcare, and not in a capital city/city where house prices are sky high, but still.

[fsloth]

In Finland 25$ per hour would be way higher than average wage. Finland is very much a first world country.