Gyroscopic Investing

In 2015, over 22 percent of U.S. workers held an occupational license at the State, Federal, or local level, while around 26 percent held a license or a certificate. While licensing and certification seek to ensure that workers have the necessary qualifications, especially for occupations impacting consumer safety and well-being, overly-broad application of licensing requirements can create costly and unnecessary barriers to entering a profession. Licensing can lead to higher wages for those able to obtain a license, but can also lead to inefficiency and unfairness, including reducing employment opportunities and depressing wages for excluded workers, reducing workers’ mobility across State lines, and increasing costs for consumers. To address these challenges, the Administration is collaborating with States to encourage reforms that reduce licensing burdens for workers, while continuing to safeguard the well-being of the public, in line with best practices for licensing.

Pointedstick wrote:Pleasantly surprised!

https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/06 ... al-license

In 2015, over 22 percent of U.S. workers held an occupational license at the State, Federal, or local level, while around 26 percent held a license or a certificate. While licensing and certification seek to ensure that workers have the necessary qualifications, especially for occupations impacting consumer safety and well-being, overly-broad application of licensing requirements can create costly and unnecessary barriers to entering a profession. Licensing can lead to higher wages for those able to obtain a license, but can also lead to inefficiency and unfairness, including reducing employment opportunities and depressing wages for excluded workers, reducing workers’ mobility across State lines, and increasing costs for consumers. To address these challenges, the Administration is collaborating with States to encourage reforms that reduce licensing burdens for workers, while continuing to safeguard the well-being of the public, in line with best practices for licensing.

Pointedstick wrote:Fewer paper credentials and more real skills, in other words. What a concept.

Pointedstick wrote:Robots will replace anything that operates on the principle of mass production, whether that's cars, computers, or fast food. But robots will never replace humans in most jobs that cannot easily be routinized. When do you expect to see a robot replacing a water heater, running a 7/11 franchise, repairing watches, or designing custom part? Don't make me laugh.

l82start wrote:replacing a water heater, fixing plumbing etc. is not going to happen till the buildings the equipment is in is designed in a way that makes it possible.. so those jobs are safe as long as their are old buildings, running a 7/11 franchise, repairing watches, or designing custom part, are a lot easter to envision as being automated...

Pointedstick wrote:And the thing is, anything designed to be easily replaceable by a robot is likely to be equally as easily replaceable by a human. Making something automatable generally entails breaking it down into actions that are as simple, discrete, and predictable as possible. Once you've done that, the only advantages that robots bring to the table are speed and strength, which won't really apply to home repairs like they do for heavy industry and mass production.

MachineGhost wrote:

Pointedstick wrote:And the thing is, anything designed to be easily replaceable by a robot is likely to be equally as easily replaceable by a human. Making something automatable generally entails breaking it down into actions that are as simple, discrete, and predictable as possible. Once you've done that, the only advantages that robots bring to the table are speed and strength, which won't really apply to home repairs like they do for heavy industry and mass production.

And knowledge. Most people don't know jack shit about home repairs/improvement and I don't see it getting any better in the future. It's just not an interesting subject compared to leading an "active adult" lifestyle of playing golf, tennis and whatever the hell else boring social signaling stuff those old people do in master-planned communities. The Internetz and smartphone is making us all lazier and innate stupid and robots are an idea whose time has come to fix that new problem.

Pointedstick wrote:You've been living in California too long my friend! People aren't so valid and useless everywhere. In my middle-class neighborhood full of retired people, everyone does their own home improvement or shops it out to a more-skilled neighbor. Their vice is owning like five cars.

l82start wrote:there is a shrinking generational window for the "jack of all trades" "universally useful man" in between the old folks who used to be competent generalists, but got to old or cant be bothered anymore/can afford to pay to get things done, and the younger generation who not only don't seem to have a clue how anything works or goes together, but don't even seem to care to learn.... the exception may be farm country where young men can still do or fix anything they set there mind to, but i doubt the demographics are very good even there...