I recently read some blog posts by HN frequenters about the work they have their unpaid interns doing. I don't believe it's legal to have them doing that work without pay; if you treat an intern like an employee, you have to pay them, or you're violating both federal and state labor laws.
This seems strange...the most recent ad basically says "if you need an industry level professional for cheap we've got it." If you are an industry level professional why are you at HyperIsland doing internships? The ads are slick, but by definition they offer a product that doesn't exist. It will be difficult for them to bridge the expectation gap created by the ads.
There is no gap, HyperIsland well specifically the students of HyperIsland are touting that they are good enough such that agencies should come to them instead of the other way around and it is as easy as getting an app.
I was not able to see any hidden meaning of cheap / low value in there.
I like the background track but it is much too distracting to hear what the ad is saying. Is it just me?
In any case, if executed well I personally think this is a great idea. Student interns are pretty much cheap contractors because they generally lack experience and seek experience. For simple tasks companies can benefit from filtering through a database and watching a few videos to look for a great personality to work with.
When I was an intern I learned a lot and they got cheap labor out of it. Win-win IMHO.
Just a reminder.
http://www.startupcompanylawyer.com/2010/04/15/can-a-califor...