Relsqui comments on (Virtual) Employment Open Thread - Less Wrong

35 Post author: Will_Newsome 23 September 2010 04:25AM

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Comment author: Relsqui 23 September 2010 06:08:14AM 3 points [-]

I'm intrigued, haven't read it, and don't have available funds for a new book right now--what in it is ethically dubious?

Comment author: mattnewport 23 September 2010 06:29:39AM 8 points [-]

Off the top of my head:

  • He won a high level kick boxing tournament by exploiting a rule about ring-outs - legal but unsportsmanlike and feels like cheating.
  • His first major business success was selling supplements online (a 'neural accelerator') with unspecified (in the book) health benefits. You get the impression from reading the book that this business was only a couple of steps above those herbal viagra emails.
  • He advocates being persistent to the point of pushy / obnoxious in certain respects.
  • He talks about testing out business ideas by advertising products which don't exist and if someone completes an order telling them the product is on back order. If you get enough orders you make the product.

There are other elements which might trigger ethical qualms for others but which didn't bother me like the idea of personal outsourcing.

Comment author: Relsqui 23 September 2010 08:36:17AM *  4 points [-]

Yeah, I see what you mean. Not illegal or lying, but not quite honest or pleasant either. On the third point, "selling myself" has always been one of my weaknesses (to the point that I'm bad at asking for money for work already done or promised). I like the model of levels of self-marketing presented in this blog post, though.

Comment author: NancyLebovitz 23 September 2010 11:04:48AM 4 points [-]

For what it's worth, I've seen an analysis which claims that the four hours of work neglects to include the amount of time Ferriss spends on self-promotion.

Comment author: Relsqui 23 September 2010 05:35:08PM 2 points [-]

the amount of time Ferriss spends on self-promotion

If he fits with other advice I've read about self-marketing, he's basically doing it all the time. Which is great, if that's enough of your personality or natural enough to you that you don't consider it work.

Comment author: waitingforgodel 23 September 2010 06:34:45AM 6 points [-]

http://thepiratebay.org/search/4%20hour%20work%20week/0/99/0

Comment author: Relsqui 23 September 2010 08:37:12AM 0 points [-]

Fair enough.

Comment author: gwern 23 September 2010 01:53:20PM 3 points [-]

If anyone asks, this link was broken when I posted it: http://rapidshare.com/files/72981174/Timothy_Ferriss_-The_4-Hour_Workweek.rar

Comment author: Anubhav 16 March 2012 10:12:25AM 2 points [-]

Wow, it's still broken! That doesn't happen too often.

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