Video Games Hangouts
EtcetEra Hangouts
Trending

Man, I hate unnecessary manual labor

Suicide King

Suicide King

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,018
So I just got a new job, writing for an economy blog. I think it's great, honestly, but something is really bothering me: the amount of repetitive labor is insane!

We usually have to post articles from partners and agencies we hired, and this is a task that should be automated, so I tried doing that. Nope. I don't have access to the CMS to automatically add everything from an RSS feed as a draft. Then I tried just e-mailing them to myself using IFTTT, but apparently a lot of websites nowadays just don't have an actual RSS feed file.

What is the best way to parse RSS posts into formatted HTML pages? I was thinking of setting up a local Node.js server and then using JSON and some GET client to do it, but it feels like someone already did that. Someone should have done, I think.

Also, it feels like IFTTT has not evolved too much. It still does the same basic things it did 4 years ago.
 
djkimothy

djkimothy

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,388
I’m with you. I work for a forensic lab and we have to hand type all our reports and sign each one. We go through thousands of reports a year but nothing changes. I’ve advocated for simplifying our report format and making a template but just get rebuffed. It’s what happens when seniority gets out of hand.
 
shnurgleton

shnurgleton

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,204
Boston
Yea dog that's not manual labor, that just sounds like normal work stuff

Let me know once you start needing to dig a bunch of post holes
 

Deleted member 12379

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,999
this is pretty much how the north korean camps are run, endless rows of computers all writing economy blog articles over and over again.
 
OP
OP
Suicide King

Suicide King

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,018
Manual work doesn't just mean working at a coal mine. It also means work that is not automated.

And it is especially annoying when it can be automated. Y'all keep being cynical, but I'm sure you guys aren't manually compiling your own codes or hunting your own cows to make some burgers.
 
Akronis

Akronis

Lizard Daddy
Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,128
Easiest way to move up in a role and look good, in my opinion, is automating everything. Consider yourself lucky for the opportunity to automate all of those manual tasks ;P
 
Hassel

Hassel

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,363
Oh sweet summer child.
Is this your first job?

You should consider quiting if they can not automate your work...;)
 
OP
OP
Suicide King

Suicide King

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,018
Hassel said:
Oh sweet summer child.
Is this your first job?

You should consider quiting if they can not automate your work...;)
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Not really. And the thing is: it's not actually my job. I'm a journalist. I'm also doing research and talking to my sources so I can write my own material. The problem is that I am also wasting time by copying and pasting articles from partners, just so that we can have content to feed our social media.

If I don't need to do that, great. I'll just write at my own pace like I did on other jobs. Also, I used to be a developer, so it's not like the work environment can't get more productive without getting me fired.
 
GrooveCommand

GrooveCommand

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
1,340
Suicide King said:
So I just got a new job, writing for an economy blog. I think it's great, honestly, but something is really bothering me: the amount of repetitive labor is insane!

We usually have to post articles from partners and agencies we hired, and this is a task that should be automated, so I tried doing that. Nope. I don't have access to the CMS to automatically add everything from an RSS feed as a draft. Then I tried just e-mailing them to myself using IFTTT, but apparently a lot of websites nowadays just don't have an actual RSS feed file.

What is the best way to parse RSS posts into formatted HTML pages? I was thinking of setting up a local Node.js server and then using JSON and some GET client to do it, but it feels like someone already did that. Someone should have done, I think.

Also, it feels like IFTTT has not evolved too much. It still does the same basic things it did 4 years ago.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Have you considered using a markdown editor? You could easily pop in some text and save it as an html file:

https://jbt.github.io/markdown-editor/

To fully automate the process, you can use something like showdown:

https://github.com/showdownjs/showdown
 
Mivey

Mivey

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,691
Am I the only one who thinks of hard physical tasks when hearing "manual labor"? This sounds more like first world problems.
 
Shadybiz

Shadybiz

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,738
Lol. Well yeah, I guess that is technically manual labor...just not of the sort that would normally come to mind.
 
Mivey

Mivey

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,691
Manzoon said:
Based on the thread title I assumed it was going to be about pointlessly assembling, disassembling, and then reassembling something.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
"Had" to do that once as a summer job. It's easy work, until you have to do it for 8 hours standing, with maybe 2 five minute breaks.
 
OP
OP
Suicide King

Suicide King

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,018
New Donker

New Donker

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,968
Suicide King said:
Manual work doesn't just mean working at a coal mine. It also means work that is not automated.

And it is especially annoying when it can be automated. Y'all keep being cynical, but I'm sure you guys aren't manually compiling your own codes or hunting your own cows to make some burgers.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I've never heard manual labor referred to as just "work that is not automated"

Construction workers, plumbers, electricians, landscapers....not working on a computer
 
Shadybiz

Shadybiz

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,738
Mivey said:
Am I the only one who thinks of hard physical tasks when hearing "manual labor"? This sounds more like first world problems.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
No. Read the posts above yours; you are clearly not the only one. OP seems to be the outlier, lol.

I think “manual processes” would probably have been a better choice of words.
 
Last edited:
PMS341

PMS341

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 29, 2017
6,119
Cocolina said:
I’m not “stanning” for anyone. I’m laughing @ you.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Your laughing is misguided, then. You should be laughing at the incredibly shitty and rude dismissal of saying "womp womp" towards the OP without any reasoning or context. Considering that the phrase is in the current alt-right vocabulary, it's pretty obvious that the poster is severely uneducated, especially regarding the work the OP does.

But still. I understand why you may feel the way you do, though it's unfortunately ignorant.
 
OP
OP
Suicide King

Suicide King

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,018
SeanR1221 said:
I've never heard manual labor referred to as just "work that is not automated"

Construction workers, plumbers, electricians, landscapers....not working on a computer
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
English is not my first language, so I checked an online dictionary and it seems like, while awkward, it's not wrong. I guess I derailed my own thread, though.
 
8byte

8byte

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,746
Kansas
Suicide King said:
Manual work doesn't just mean working at a coal mine. It also means work that is not automated.

And it is especially annoying when it can be automated. Y'all keep being cynical, but I'm sure you guys aren't manually compiling your own codes or hunting your own cows to make some burgers.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Nah, I think you're wrong on this one:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_labour

I get being bothered by repetitive work, but what I'd encourage you to do is present the possibility to your supervisor, especially if you can correct it and handle the automation yourself. Then you'll make your job easier, and you'll have a nice bullet point on you resume "Built automation systems to save considerable work loud and man hours, improving efficiency and accuracy."
 
LosDaddie

LosDaddie

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,622
Longwood, FL
Imagine the OP talking to a group people who work in trades (Electrician/HVAC/Plumbers/Landscapers/Roofers/etc) and telling them, “Yeah, I’ve done my share of Manual Labor too. I know how tough it is!” .....and then explain this job to them.
 
Cocolina

Cocolina

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,555
PMS341 said:
Your laughing is misguided, then. You should be laughing at the incredibly shitty and rude dismissal of saying "womp womp" towards the OP without any reasoning or context. Considering that the phrase is in the current alt-right vocabulary, it's pretty obvious that the poster is severely uneducated, especially regarding the work the OP does.

But still. I understand why you may feel the way you do, though it's unfortunately ignorant.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Just a big fuckin lol at this whole thing. Keep fighting that fight, er...whatever that fight is.
 
PMS341

PMS341

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 29, 2017
6,119
Clockwork said:
What's wrong with you?

But yeah... Lol @ manual labor. Sweet summer child...
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I suppose you don't understand that manual labor isn't just lifting heavy things or working out in the sun. The OP clearly explained what he meant.

Cocolina said:
Just a big fuckin lol at this whole thing. Keep fighting that fight, er...whatever that fight is.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Basic reading comprehension is lost on many, such as yourself, so I guess I'll fight for that.
 
OP
OP
Suicide King

Suicide King

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,018
8byte said:
Nah, I think you're wrong on this one:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_labour

I get being bothered by repetitive work, but what I'd encourage you to do is present the possibility to your supervisor, especially if you can correct it and handle the automation yourself. Then you'll make your job easier, and you'll have a nice bullet point on you resume "Built automation systems to save considerable work loud and man hours, improving efficiency and accuracy."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Manual labour (in British English, manual labor in American English) or manual work is physical work done by people, most especially in contrast to that done by machines, and to that done by working animals. It is most literally work done with the hands (the word "manual" comes from the Latin word for hand), and, by figurative extension, it is work done with any of the muscles and bones of the body

Really? I mean.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.