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Re: adnohr
Thank you.
posted by
mousehop
on January 10, 2009 at 2:01 PM
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Re: calia14
From what I see, the economic stimulus package should work. What worries me is that the Fed, right now, is making money through easy credit to banks, to combat deflationary pressures. That will work, and makes sense because so much money disappeared from the money supply with the real estate price drop, and the collapse of the securities based on mortgages. But once things get moving, the easy credit could drive the money supply beyond what the market needs, and give us extreme inflation. It will take quick work, and good foresight, to stop that. There may be other, less obvious, parts of the stimulus package that will need quick changes in a few months, and I don't know if government is nimble enough for the job. But I am cautiously optimistic, as I have seen these things discussed in the media, so Congress should know they exist. It's a start.
posted by
mousehop
on January 10, 2009 at 2:01 PM
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Re: Exactly, mousehop, I want less government, better government,
I agree completely. I's a small-government fiscal conservative. And you're right; most tests focus on general skills and knowledge, not specific, useful skills. But I think companies should be free to develop tests that help them pick out who can do the job. After all, colleges argue all the time over what should be included in general education requirements and specific majors, and they don't care what employers want. They care who takes their classes, and how much work they have to do.
posted by
mousehop
on January 10, 2009 at 1:54 PM
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Good read, although I don't know enough about it to make a constuctive comment. Just enough to realize that what you say makes sense.
posted by
adnohr
on January 10, 2009 at 12:19 PM
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I did not know about the aptitude test scenario, that is a crazy twisted situation. I think some of the economic stimulus package is bound to not work, but hopefully it will help improve most things!
posted by
calia14
on January 9, 2009 at 10:47 PM
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Exactly, mousehop, I want less government, better government,
more quickly responsive, up and down and good and bad and making and unmaking, doing and undoing government.
They are like a braking oil tanker, an 18 wheeler on ice. They get the behemoth moving and then no one wants to stand in front of it to make it stop.
I remember the tests for grocery store stocker. I went with the refugees and watched them take these tests, with pictures of can tops, where they had to group things to count quickly, etc. or count across one row and then down to multiply, but instead, just counted every depicted can. The test was timed and they always timed out. Made me insane. I tried to teach them the skill after they failed, but while some got it, many did not.
I want simple tests like that for everyone, heh heh heh, for every job. Sure. But tests just show whether you can read, write and do math, the interview tells you with whom you are speaking.
Great blog post.
posted by
benzinha
on January 9, 2009 at 3:03 PM
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