How do I handle Woo in the office?

[Foolmewunz]

What is an "on-line agency"? Sounds like advtising or marketing.

That's sort of like being a corporate attorney; you check your scruples at the door when you report for work. If your company's position is that they have to do what's best for their client (and that's most companies' position) then they do so (and you do so if you wish to be employed there) without questioning.

If you are unable to contribute junk to their campaign, ask that you be assigned to another project, or ask that you not be responsible for editorial (verbal) content, perhaps. Or quit.

 

[Yithmas]

Please do. Some of us can read German, and I am sure you could translate a paragraph or two for us.

Well, you asked for it (visit at your own risk): http://www.globuli.de (there's also a .org with slightly different content).

 

[ThatSoundAgain]

Thanks for the advice, everybody! Highly appreciated. I could pos a link to the site *sigh*, once it is up, but alas, it will be in German, which is kind of cool, since this limits its range.

It's also worth noting that homeopathy and alt-med in general are quite strong in Germany if I understand it correctly. Worth noting when assessing how much of an uphill battle it can be. You might be challenging universally accepted truths more than e.g. a Brit.

Very clean and neat site, graphically speaking, by the way.

 

[Yithmas]

It's also worth noting that homeopathy and alt-med in general are quite strong in Germany if I understand it correctly. Worth noting when assessing how much of an uphill battle it can be. You might be challenging universally accepted truths more than e.g. a Brit.

Tell me something I don't know... *howls* *shakes fist at sky*

Very clean and neat site, graphically speaking, by the way.

Thanks , I chose the design (it's a slightly customized premium wordpress theme)

What I consider especially disgusting: People are so fanatical about it and have such a "I know so much more than you, poor fool" attitude.

I mean, the face our midwife made when I told here (quote loosely translated):
"My son is getting all the vaccinations and your homeopathic pills are just expensive tiny sweets."

 

[McHrozni]

I agree.

Someone asked me to explain homeopathy once and I said that there are three important principles - the first is like cures like. At that point she interrupted and said, "that's bul*****. I don't need to hear the rest."

What I find particularily funny is that the next rule - lower dillutions are more effective - is a lot worse than the first one ...

McHrozni

 

[ThatSoundAgain]

Tell me something I don't know... *howls* *shakes fist at sky*

Sorry, that was more directed at the non-Europeans here, for context.

Still, here in Denmark where it's not as bad, alt-med seems to be on the rise. I live above a zone therapy / hypnosis / cranio clinic. Overall they seem to be decent people who are genuinely self-deluded and mean well. It's more of a wellness, massage and smelly candle type deal, and I trust they'll send any genuinely ill people to evidence-based practitioners.

It's also a consolation that I'm less than a kilometer away from the large hospital where 9,000 employees work with cutting-edge tech to do lifesaving surgery and cancer treatment.

 

[cwalner]

Yithmas, I would ammend the consensus here and advice you to do what I did in a very similar situation:

Do the Woo for now. Look for another job.

I had worked for a company that sold dehydrated wheatgrass juice as a health product. The owner (my boss) was a completely dishonest woo-monger. I shut up and did my job, but got very unhappy about working there. I eventually found another job and left, and now feel much better about myself.

 

[Yithmas]

Yithmas, I would ammend the consensus here and advice you to do what I did in a very similar situation:

Do the Woo for now. Look for another job.

I had worked for a company that sold dehydrated wheatgrass juice as a health product. The owner (my boss) was a completely dishonest woo-monger. I shut up and did my job, but got very unhappy about working there. I eventually found another job and left, and now feel much better about myself.

Fortunately, this is the only woo thing we are doing. The rest is the usual online advertising stuff.

 

[Yithmas]

Update (Good news and bad news)
The Good:
I have found something new, better company, better office building, better hours, better pay, four more days of payed leave.

The bad (actually horrible thing):
A former colleague told me, my ex-bosses younger daughter (3 years old, as far as I know) was hospitalized with a temperature of 105 or something. I do not know what the cause was, but Rota virus is going aroound here once more. Apparently, the little girl got the full broadside: Homeopathic treatment and no vaccination.
*sigh*

 

[ricbritain]

Good for you. I wish I could do the same.

 

[RobRoy]

It's very unfortunate about the daughter. This is a major reason why, although I hate seeing my children poked with needles, that I endorse it. I'd rather they suffer a little crying now, rather than lots and lots of horrible suffering from a preventable disease.

 

[Autolite]

I've learned that you must decide which is more important to you. Your self respect or a steady paycheck. 'Cause you can't have both...

 

[RobRoy]

I've learned that you must decide which is more important to you. Your self respect or a steady paycheck. 'Cause you can't have both...

I'm not certain that's true . . .

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

I'm not certain that's true . . .

It's not. I love my job and I have no ethical issues with it at all.

 

[RobRoy]

It's not. I love my job and I have no ethical issues with it at all.

I don't love my job, but I certainly haven't shucked my self-respect by doing it.

 

[Yithmas]

It's very unfortunate about the daughter. This is a major reason why, although I hate seeing my children poked with needles, that I endorse it. I'd rather they suffer a little crying now, rather than lots and lots of horrible suffering from a preventable disease.

Yep, exactly. Hagen (my son) had his third round of shots yesterday, poor thing. But my wife picked him up straight afterwards and the world was OK again.

And about self-respect: I like my job, although I wish I could make a living by blogging about SciFi and Fantasy stuff. The company I work for now is a major publisher for magazines in Germany and I respect the company. It is more than just the place my pay check comes from.

 

[mikeyx]

Hi folks,

I have a pretty urgent question:

I work for an online-agency and my boss, who is also a friend, is a firm believer in homeopathy, as are more than half of my colleagues (especially the two younger ladies, they are almost militant about it).

I was recently assigned to contributing content for an H-word project which is due to be online within the next few weeks.

How shall I handle the situation? I could make up content, no problem, but this would be lying, spreading misinformation and promoting woo.

On the other hand, my son is six weeks today and we only have my income, so I want to play it safe. What can I do?

you shut your pie hole and like it, lest ye become the asshat in the office who can't leave his politics at home.

 

[Beerina]

As long as homeopathy doesn't convince people to give up on conventional treatments, in place of homeopathy, it at least does no harm. Beyond the money ripoff, anyway.


If it makes you feel any better, I used to work on fancy car navigation radios, and I've probably killed more people through distraction, even with all the safeguards, than you will. So have bars and alcohol manufacturers. And fast food restaurants with drive-throughs so people can eat in their cars. And cell phone makers.

Hell, baby seat-in-airplane regulations have probably killed more babies (people) than you will by forcing people to drive, and certainly more than the 1 or 2 they might have actually saved.

 

[ehcks]

As long as homeopathy doesn't convince people to give up on conventional treatments, in place of homeopathy, it at least does no harm.

That depends on where the money comes from. If it's all out-of-pocket, then fine. Spend your money on whatever you want.

If it's from an insurance company, you're spending from a pool that's meant for everyone purchasing from that company. You are effectively wasting a large number of other people's money.

And if there's any government funding into homeopathy, then you're wasting the money of every tax payer in your country.

 

[mikeyx]

That depends on where the money comes from. If it's all out-of-pocket, then fine. Spend your money on whatever you want.

If it's from an insurance company, you're spending from a pool that's meant for everyone purchasing from that company. You are effectively wasting a large number of other people's money.

And if there's any government funding into homeopathy, then you're wasting the money of every tax payer in your country.

Can you explain what that has to do with Rlancaster's dead hamster and the dirt it has on him?