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My Life as a TaskRabbit - Businessweek

No, thanks.

3:25 PM Sep 14 2012

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I sincerely doubt this:

Leah Busque, a former IBM software engineer who started and runs TaskRabbit, says thousands of people make a living (up to $60,000 a year) on her site, which operates in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and five other cities. “We are enabling micro-entrepreneurs to build their own business on top of TaskRabbit, to set their own schedules, specify how much they want to get paid, say what they are good at, and then incorporate the work into their lifestyle,” she says.

Companies like TaskRabbit are training young people and poor people to be a cheap workforce for wealthy patrons.

Didn't we used to call these Temp jobs?

Aren't these the jobs the economy is eager to replace with GDP-expanding work?

No benefits, no healthcare, and not enough work. Why would anyone aspire to this?

This just sounds awful:

TaskRabbiting felt ignominious. Washing cars for Cherry was physically grueling. Joining the Postmates messenger corps was both.

I disagree with the fundamental premise of TaskRabbit, Cherry, Postmates, and others like them that pay young people and poor people to do rich peoples' odd jobs.

10:05 PM Sep 15 2012

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