I'm pleased to say that my Columbia Journalism Review piece has started to make some ripples. It was discussed on Slashdot, which is always a big deal. And it was discussed by Andrew Sullivan, which is also always important.
I've also gotten some very thoughtful emails, too--although, alas, I feel like this idea is still a bit too radical for people. Which is unfortunate. What do folks think I ought to do at this point to make more bloggers wake up and act in their own self-interests?
- Log in to post comments
Too many people see blogging as "putting your diary online" or semi-literate spew. So when they ask "why would anyone want to pay for that?", they probably have a point. The idea that there is a huge difference in quality gets lost. I agree that, if you are "hiring" bloggers, you should pay them. If you are making money off bloggers, you should pay them.
The point is made that there are millions who would do the job for free. That is true. No matter how many people you convince of the need to expect pay, there will always be someone willing to do the job for free. But if you convince enough people to expect pay, then the pool of people willing to work for free shrinks to the point where publishers can't get the quality they need for free. But how do you build that perception? Actually, it's remarkable that so many of us see our time as having little or no real value...
Well, a bit of income for the commenters will certainly be welcome! Will I be paid per word or per character? Because I can put lllllllllloooooooooooooooooooooottttttttttttts of characters in if need be.