Spot on.

The root of the issue is the FTDI chip is to damn expensive. It performs a relatively trivial function and is not cost effective. It's only claim to fame is it works on a large number of platforms without installing any device drivers. This is why the Chinese want to make counterfeit chips. The genuine part costs too much.

You can't sue them as you agreed not to in the click-through EULA.

Binding Arbitration is a power grab by the corporates to enable them be bad actors

Is the product or service absolutely essential? If not, what about doing without? We pay money for a lot of things which are not absolutely required and end up with a garage full of stuff which we never use and pay to have stored. We also use things which appear to be "free" but have hidden costs. These things are a burden, and should be eliminated.

There is only one way out of this mess. Become financially independent before age 50. Do not let yourself become enslaved by debt. Reject materialism, and seek out providers of the lowest cost products and services.For more details, read some of the articles on http://mrmoneymustache.com. This guy was an engineer, and
through will power and determination saved enough money to not be subject to the whims of employers.

Correct. Couple this with a requirement that all companies pay a living wage, and most of the problem would be solved.

The US will go the way of China if this ever becomes popular enough to happen. The US business community, the far right, and the southern states will not tolerate such a change, and a "second business plot" will happen and be successful. The rest of the industrialized world has decent laws in place to protect its employees, but not the US and China. Where else will the fat cats go to if a maximum wage is adopted in the US? China? I would think that would not want to go to China unless they are assured they will have complete control there as well. With no place to flee to with thier capital, they will fight to the bitter end here in the US.

If enough of us vote for a change then it will either happen, or there will be a Coup.

The truly stellar performers are not rank-and-file, and should be handled differently and with above-board negotiations.

Did Intel, Qualcomm, Cisco, Oracle or move out of California?... I thought not... If they do, then it will be an issue.

Also, Texas allows non-competes and it is this reason, along with the horrible weather, and no state initiative and referendum why I would never move there.
I do like the gun laws in Texas though....

All citizens deserve a basic level of protection against exploitation from greedy entities. This isn't Lake Wobegon where everyone is "above average". As I stated previously, this type of behavior needs to be discouraged. There are too many "fish being shot in the barrel" in this country. Time focus our efforts on something more worthwhile...

The lube is already there: It's called "Employment At Will" and only the US practices this. The rest of the civilized world uses the contract form of employment.

People who are truly good at what they do should be paid well....

Actually it is quite the opposite: MoneyInTheBank == Freedom. If you truly want to be free, you must make the effort and do this, otherwise you will always get the short end of the stick.

If you really want indentured servitude, just continue with the secret no-poach agreements, and the H-1B visa program....

Mod parent up... Somebody gets it

California has one vital thing going for it: Weather. Executives want to live here because of it. Executives want to have there employees close to manage them. (Especially at a start up) That's why Gov. Perry was largely unsuccessful in wooing California tech companies to Texas. While large scale manufacturing can be done anywhere, R&D is still predominately stateside and on the Left coast due to the favorable weather.