[andrewljohnson]

I really scoff at the notion that any sort of white collar programming job is exploitative. I know there is some controversy over interns in some industries (not tech), Wal-Mart workers, overseas child slaves, and other real problems in the workforce. But to call out Penny Arcade for what amounts to a very honest job listing, for one of the most high-paying jobs in the country and the world, is just absurd.

So what if the blogpost describes a myth, and they'll settle for someone who does a bit of each? That's not a crime, that's a strategy.

[thirdtruck]

I understand the frustration with the disconnect between the particular complaint and far worse problems.

That said, if a rushed Bill Gates pays you $500 for a Starbucks coffee and you bring him instant coffee instead, it doesn't matter whether he drinks it: you still exploited him. These are all examples of exploitation, just of relative degree.

[SheepSlapper]

I can't agree more. They're not going to find someone who can do 4 different jobs each as well as if they hired 4 people who were experts in their fields, but what people seem to be missing is the fact that hiring a jack of all trades is probably what they're aiming for.

I've been in positions where I was in charge of developing software, building servers from scratch (which was a ton of fun, since I got to play with tens of thousands of dollars worth of hardware that I wouldn't have otherwise), doing desktop support, creating a build/deploy/test strategy, planning projects, and on and on. I wasn't the best guy to be in charge of building servers, and I'm sure I got some things wrong (looking back, I definitely got some things wrong!), but it got the job done and was a hell of a learning experience. And it all worked. And the company made some decent money off it.

So as a fellow "Jack of All Trades Master of None", I say good luck to PA. :)

[socalnate1]

I want to upvote this a hundred times.