“Can ‘crowdsourcing’ be slave labor?” (Nawwwwwww … and the pope doesn’t poop in the woods.)
“These initiatives typically tout the importance of companies creating new interactive relationships with their consumers in the digital age. But as Paul Boutin wrote in a recent BusinessWeek column, this concept of “crowdsourcing” is not necessarily utopian in all forms. The main reason is compensation–or, more accurately, the lack thereof.”
thanks for this to the heads up at no-spec.com
If I was ram-rodding some cheapskate chiselling VC firm, I’d find some way of having a buncha bliss-ninnies brain-storm like some derainged ADHD-stricken focus group, keeping them happy by passing out balloons and offering free refills on the helium.
Gadzooks … in the name of all that’s holy, I really am not advocating cynicism, but something approaching self-esteem with an eye to realism and pragmatism!
Yes I am blowing off steam. I’ve been drop-kicking “on spec” work for years nae decades, so the “Oooh peachy keen lets cuddle-puddle our social capital and make out like lemmings” more than triggers my gag reflex.
On the other hand, to return to no-spec.com … don’t just think about it, do it!
various logos
Pop into that site and read … it’ll do all of us a bit of good
On the third hand, following a link from one of my Behance.net circles: MathewBrowne.com on heh sanity in an insane world. Two must must must read posts by him:
* “Automated SEO Reciprocal Link Requests” … not the stuff of humour, normally, but Matt huh huh had me cackling out loud.
* “Nightmare Web-Design Clients” … nowhere near the haa-has, but a real fine start on something like a “best practices” list.
On that second subject, something I keyboarded elsewhere today:
practically all my substantial exchanges with clients (in a consulting capacity) have their impact recorded on the Work To Be Done document. (This is a variation on “Every action item must be accompanied by initials of whoever is responsible / has signed off / will act as anchor.”)