qhat posted:

You are completely correct that these interview processes are antiquated and at best only valuable for sifting new graduates, not highly experienced engineers. It’s actually insulting, to be honest. That being said, for hundreds of thousands more dollars a year, I would drink gasoline if it meant getting an offer that is undeniably life changing.

Typo posted:

I'm still not sure whether the current leetcode style interview is a net plus or minus for the interviewees

OTOH: it's dumb af and has nothing to do with your job

OTOH: at this stage the amount of effort you have to put in to get -good- at doing those types of interviews is a fraction of what you would be putting in to get through even a single semester of a CS degree, and the returns on being good at algorithms is way higher than doing well in any of your courses in school.

Typo posted:

I'm still not sure whether the current leetcode style interview is a net plus or minus for the interviewees

OTOH: it's dumb af and has nothing to do with your job

OTOH: at this stage the amount of effort you have to put in to get -good- at doing those types of interviews is a fraction of what you would be putting in to get through even a single semester of a CS degree, and the returns on being good at algorithms is way higher than doing well in any of your courses in school.

the talent deficit posted:

i don't understand complaining about leetcode (as a candidate)

if you practice leetcode a couple hours a week it becomes very, very easy to show well in leetcode style interviews. you'd be really hard pressed to find a better financial payoff for that kind of time investment anywhere really

i get that the interviews themselves are fairly silly and a poor filter for hiring but i never want them to go away

the talent deficit posted:

i don't understand complaining about leetcode (as a candidate)

if you practice leetcode a couple hours a week it becomes very, very easy to show well in leetcode style interviews. you'd be really hard pressed to find a better financial payoff for that kind of time investment anywhere really

i get that the interviews themselves are fairly silly and a poor filter for hiring but i never want them to go away

Fidelitious posted:

Apologies to non keyboard touchers for this takeover of the housing thread.

Fuzzy Mammal posted:

So I have a loose acquaintance who's been offered a grad student position at uVic. Would she get any sort of housing stipend or on-campus accommodation or is it just massively dire over there?

qhat posted:

They are definitely not a net minus for the interviewee if they get an offer. I mean we're talking about crushing some arguably quite easy but irritatingly obtuse questions and getting lucky with the question in the tech screen. You can often re-apply after 6 months anyway, so you have a bunch of shots. I would absolutely not waste my time with these styles of interview if we're talking about an average comp since there are plenty of places that recognise how useless they are. However, for 300-500k a year, that is absolutely worth it and an opportunity most everyone would kill for.

the talent deficit posted:

i don't understand complaining about leetcode (as a candidate)

if you practice leetcode a couple hours a week it becomes very, very easy to show well in leetcode style interviews. you'd be really hard pressed to find a better financial payoff for that kind of time investment anywhere really

i get that the interviews themselves are fairly silly and a poor filter for hiring but i never want them to go away

Mandibular Fiasco posted:

Massively dire. Victoria is a rental train wreck right now. FB groups and Reddit are full of stories of people struggling to find any accommodation.

I’ve never heard of any grad student stipend coming with housing but it’s worth asking. UVic has always had an under supply of housing and the situation has only become worse of late.

Fidelitious posted:

It's mostly that it makes me very skeptical of what kind of working environment I'm supposed to expect at a place that does this kind of thing.

Fuzzy Mammal posted:

So I have a loose acquaintance who's been offered a grad student position at uVic. Would she get any sort of housing stipend or on-campus accommodation or is it just massively dire over there?

Hubbert posted:

wow crazy how most of these stories tie in directly to Council and/or kneejerk short-term land use planning based upon NIMBY public outcry

quote:

B.C. prepares to remove some housing approval powers from local governments: minister

VICTORIA — The British Columbia government is considering taking away some of the permit powers municipal governments have to approve housing construction in an effort to get more homes built in the province, the housing minister says.

Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press

--


David Eby, B.C.'s attorney general and minister responsible for housing, speaks in Vancouver on July 28, 2021. Eby is signaling the provincial government is preparing to remove some of the powers municipal governments have to approve housing developments in their communities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VICTORIA — The British Columbia government is considering taking away some of the permit powers municipal governments have to approve housing construction in an effort to get more homes built in the province, the housing minister says.

David Eby, who's also the attorney general, said the government is considering introducing legislation and regulatory changes this fall that could take the final decision-making authority for housing permit approvals out of the hands of local governments.

"The bottom line is that municipalities are not approving enough housing for our population growth," Eby said in an interview. "I think it's quite possible that we're going to need to be more prescriptive. One thing is clear is that the status quo is not acceptable."

Too many housing development proposals become stalled at the permit approval stage as local councils deliberate over building heights, parking issues and the character of neighbourhoods, he said.

This is happening as homeless encampments pop up across the province, rental units are difficult to find, house prices escalate and thousands of people are arriving in B.C. looking for places to live, said Eby.

Eby said cities should have the right to say where housing needs to go, what is a priority heritage area and where they want growth, "but they shouldn't be allowed to decide whether or not the housing goes ahead, which is currently where we are."

Eby said the government is looking at other jurisdictions that have implemented similar policies to increase housing supply, including California, Oregon, Washington stateand New Zealand, where state-level governments recently set minimum targets.

Craig Hodge, a member of the Union of B.C. Municipalities executive and a city councillor in Coquitlam, said the union has been working with the province on housing issues, but Eby's comments are a concern.

"We are receiving mixed messages right now and that is concerning, particularly because the UBCM and the province have had a long history of working together," said Hodge. "My main concern about some of the things the minister is talking about is making sure that we maintain local autonomy and the decision-making process in our communities."

The union does not believe there is a one-size fits all housing formula for communities, especially while there is a labour shortage and other issues that affect housing development, he said.

Every building permit application is different, said Hodge, adding that for every housing development Eby considers too slow, there are others that can proceed from permits to completion within one year.

"When you take that power away from municipalities you're taking away that power from the citizens of those municipalities," he said.

Eby said the government is speaking co-operatively with local governments about speeding up housing developments, but it's likely the government will move forward with legislation and regulatory changes this fall that focus on minimum housing development standards.

"I do think we're going to have to ultimately prescribe some minimum standards for municipalities, but right now it's a very active conversation and a lot of policy work as we prepare for the fall session when we hope to introduce some legislation on this," he said.

Prof. Andy Yan, director of the City Program at Simon Fraser University, said housing is a many-sided issue and the focusby the government on one facet will be challenging.

"Is the problem really the permitting process?" he asked. "Is it the zoning process? How much of this is a labour issue? How much of this is an infrastructure issue within municipalities to process these applications?"

Yan said working together with local governments on housing is more productive than imposing standards, but there is also room for the government to make housing development principles that municipalities must follow.

"To play hardball is also to understand that planning and community building is a team sport."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 21, 2022.

quote:

"The bottom line is that municipalities are not approving enough housing for our population growth," Eby said in an interview. "I think it's quite possible that we're going to need to be more prescriptive. One thing is clear is that the status quo is not acceptable."

Too many housing development proposals become stalled at the permit approval stage as local councils deliberate over building heights, parking issues and the character of neighbourhoods, he said.

This is happening as homeless encampments pop up across the province, rental units are difficult to find, house prices escalate and thousands of people are arriving in B.C. looking for places to live, said Eby.

Eby said cities should have the right to say where housing needs to go, what is a priority heritage area and where they want growth, "but they shouldn't be allowed to decide whether or not the housing goes ahead, which is currently where we are."

Eby said the government is looking at other jurisdictions that have implemented similar policies to increase housing supply, including California, Oregon, Washington state and New Zealand, where state-level governments recently set minimum targets.

Hubbert posted:

Fidelitious posted:

the province comes in and slams 40-storey towers wherever they want

leftist heap posted:

Which demographic votes more now, developers or NIMBYs?

Femtosecond posted:

I think the BC NDP is hoping it's millennials on the outside looking in that want to buy non-existent townhouses and condos.

Mandibular Fiasco posted:

How much does anyone want to wager than since Russia invaded Ukraine, interest rates will stay in the ditch? Just the excuse they were all looking for. Bring on currency devaluation!

leftist heap posted:

Which demographic votes more now, developers or NIMBYs?

eXXon posted:

Thanks for reminding me about that Russian diplomat who drove drunk and killed a woman in Ottawa a while back and got off scot free thanks to immunity.

e: gently caress, that was 21 years ago, and he got sentenced in Russia to 4 years in a penal colony?!

evilpicard posted:

Saw one of these today.

When society found out millenials have weird dishwashing habits the response wasn't that we should build adequate housing with kitchens that actually have a proper sink or dishwasher. No! They want usto invent a new way to spray soap directly onto the dishes and wash them one at a time!

leftist heap posted:

https://twitter.com/cbcnewsbc/status/1499044972384899084?s=20&t=PaFstY75saBGoM60mGzodQ

Arivia posted:

you're generally right and justified to think this is lovely but i've seen tons of acclaim for this specific product from disabled people/disability support communities for people who have issues doing cleaning labour

Mandibular Fiasco posted:

Rates are doubled!

Still pointless. The horse is out of the barn and over the horizon. Hope you all got your piece of this.

Subjunctive posted:

Yeah, my fiancée’s colleagues in occupational therapy were talking about this thing the other day and we didn’t know what it was until we looked it up, but it’s a staple of their rehab teaching kitchen now apparently. Expensive, though.

evilpicard posted:

When society found out millenials have weird dishwashing habits

yippee cahier posted:

Am I missing something about this product or can you just put diluted dish soap in a spray bottle from the hardware store?

Cerepol posted:

Uh what are these weird dishwashing habits, i didn't think there was a 'wrong' way to wash dishes as looking as they come out clean

qhat posted:

For the record I have always washed dishes one at a time because one it's cleaner and two it's a pain to rinse when you only have a single sink. Every place I've had a double sink has also had a dishwasher.