mr dave

I feel stupid (and contagious) for having read the last few pages of this mess.

The house painting example is spot on.

Wage Labourers and Independent Contractors are two very different beasts. Negotiations are a thing. They can happen even if you work a wage (provided you're working above entry level).

The value of the painter's labour (as an IC working an ad hoc job and not hired as a salaried employee) is how much they think their time and effort is worth. The subsequent sale value of the house is irrelevant to the painter unless they're only paid upon the sale of the house - which would be dumb, or maybe just happy.

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