EEVblog Electronics Community Forum

EEVblog => EEVblog Specific => Topic started by: EEVblog on March 08, 2013, 04:28:10 am

Title: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: EEVblog on March 08, 2013, 04:28:10 am
http://www.eevblog.com/2013/03/07/bloggers-dont-sell-out-cheap/ (http://www.eevblog.com/2013/03/07/bloggers-dont-sell-out-cheap/)

Dave.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: BravoV on March 08, 2013, 04:33:47 am
Quote
"First they may offer you “info graphics” or other content to put on your blog. Don’t do it. They are trying to get cheap SEO for their highly paying client."

For sure this "info graphics" thingy doesn't pay bills !  :-DD

Love the new text blog Dave !  :-+
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: Bored@Work on March 08, 2013, 06:03:04 am
Why I agree you should ask for real hourly rates, the ones mentioned in the article are unrealistic. Not wrong, unrealistic. I happen to know a few frelance writers and some translators. They dream of such rates. They have to fight for each cent for a page. Yes, they get paid by the page (or words), not by the hour. The publishing industry is traditionally tight ass. They don't pay high rates. They rather spend some money to hype some bum to make him their "expert" instead of paying an expert expert-rates.


Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: johnboxall on March 08, 2013, 06:19:29 am
Why I agree you should ask for real hourly rates, the ones mentioned in the article are unrealistic. Not wrong, unrealistic. I happen to know a few frelance writers and some translators. They dream of such rates. They have to fight for each cent for a page. Yes, they get paid by the page (or words), not by the hour. The publishing industry is traditionally tight ass. They don't pay high rates. They rather spend some money to hype some bum to make him their "expert" instead of paying an expert expert-rates.

The amounts are not unrealistic at all. Then again it depends on which country you're in. I get paid by the hour, or charge a set amount that equates to the same hourly rate to complete the job. There's SAP documentation work in Melbourne at $800 a day, even basic manuals or quality stuff is only a bit less. You just need to know where to look.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: Bored@Work on March 08, 2013, 06:40:40 am
If you are part of the SAP ripoff machine good for you. But that is by no means the standard for technical writers or translators.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: westfw on March 08, 2013, 07:15:18 am
Yeah, I don't think technical authors (of the sort that used to write for the paper magazines like EDN, EET, and so on) ever got paid "engineer wages."

Then again, a lot of them (plus the more scholarly journals) leveraged off of engineers who were already getting paid for that time, possibly plus a "publication bonus", presumably for the good publicity for whomever they were actually working for.

There's probably a reasonable number somewhere, but both 0 and $100/hr aren't it...
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: Neilm on March 08, 2013, 03:36:04 pm
Dave - one question;

Is the name going to change to the Electronics Engineering Video with a bit of text blogging when Dave feels like it Blog?  ^-^
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: jancumps on March 08, 2013, 05:29:02 pm
If you are part of the SAP ripoff machine good for you. ....
O0
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: StubbornGreek on March 08, 2013, 06:44:32 pm
Why I agree you should ask for real hourly rates, the ones mentioned in the article are unrealistic. Not wrong, unrealistic. I happen to know a few frelance writers and some translators. They dream of such rates. They have to fight for each cent for a page. Yes, they get paid by the page (or words), not by the hour. The publishing industry is traditionally tight ass. They don't pay high rates. They rather spend some money to hype some bum to make him their "expert" instead of paying an expert expert-rates.

This

If you are part of the SAP ripoff machine good for you. But that is by no means the standard for technical writers or translators.

and this.

And many times, authors of short articles in magazines, etc., don't get more than a couple of copies of the pub and credit (which may be used to gain an extra couple of cents per word for larger pieces - considering the pub was notable and you have more than two under your belt).
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: Excavatoree on March 08, 2013, 07:15:27 pm
Dave - one question;

Is the name going to change to the Electronics Engineering Video with a bit of text blogging when Dave feels like it Blog?  ^-^

"Welcome to the EEVWABOTBWDFLI Blog!"
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: Hypernova on March 09, 2013, 01:01:10 am
Yeah, I don't think technical authors (of the sort that used to write for the paper magazines like EDN, EET, and so on) ever got paid "engineer wages."

Then again, a lot of them (plus the more scholarly journals) leveraged off of engineers who were already getting paid for that time, possibly plus a "publication bonus", presumably for the good publicity for whomever they were actually working for.

There's probably a reasonable number somewhere, but both 0 and $100/hr aren't it...


That's what I think too, a lot of those columnists work as consultants so the supposed free publicity benefit does actually apply to them.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: amspire on March 09, 2013, 01:28:12 am
I like the idea of text blogs, but I think it takes up too much space on your homepage - you have to scroll down a long way to see what else is new on your site.

If you did something like a tutorial text blog, it could end up being very long.

You cannot see the most recent video blog for example if you do not scroll down past any recent text blogs. I use the home page sometimes to see if there is a new video blog.

I would prefer it if a blog summary was posted on the home page with a link to the full blog. Alternatively, I don't know if there is a way you can have a show/hide feature on the blog text so it can be expanded on the homepage for reading, then shrink it again to a one line summary. Something like that would be perfect.

Richard
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: EEVblog on March 09, 2013, 02:02:36 am
I like the idea of text blogs, but I think it takes up too much space on your homepage - you have to scroll down a long way to see what else is new on your site.

If you did something like a tutorial text blog, it could end up being very long.

I don't plan on doing tutorial text blog, or anything longer really.

Quote
You cannot see the most recent video blog for example if you do not scroll down past any recent text blogs. I use the home page sometimes to see if there is a new video blog.

I would prefer it if a blog summary was posted on the home page with a link to the full blog. Alternatively, I don't know if there is a way you can have a show/hide feature on the blog text so it can be expanded on the homepage for reading, then shrink it again to a one line summary. Something like that would be perfect.

Possible, but I'd need a new wordpress template for that.
The AmpHour site for example does this summary version.

Dave.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: firewalker on March 09, 2013, 07:03:41 am
Can't you use the <!--more--> separator.

Alexander.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: EEVblog on March 09, 2013, 07:25:06 am
Can't you use the <!--more--> separator.

Ah, worked a treat, thanks!

Dave.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: firewalker on March 09, 2013, 07:29:02 am
Hmmm. If you didn't already try to use it when on the Text editor not the visual one.

Alexander.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: EEVblog on March 09, 2013, 07:59:13 am
Hmmm. If you didn't already try to use it when on the Text editor not the visual one.

Yep, doesn't work on the visual editor.

Dave.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: mswhin63 on March 09, 2013, 08:42:40 am
I must admit Dave, I am not a fan of reading the blogs, I have too much reading to do in my profession and studies. I think you have made a name for yourself purely on video blogging and have worked well. I like the way of sitting back and relaxing watching your videos and even for the long one I can continue to work or do other things and keep an ear and occasional glance in the direction.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: SeanB on March 09, 2013, 08:51:07 am
With text I generally can read faster than listening, and it is easier to spend a minute reading a post that might take 5 minutes to listen to, so reading is good. you can also pause reading very easily and come back later if disturbed.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: marshallh on March 09, 2013, 09:24:45 am
To Dave's credit he is much more interesting to listen to on video than many talking heads.. but if you are going to write up blog posts, I can read and process them a lot faster.

+1 on reading text
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: mikeselectricstuff on March 09, 2013, 09:34:25 am
With text I generally can read faster than listening, and it is easier to spend a minute reading a post that might take 5 minutes to listen to, so reading is good. you can also pause reading very easily and come back later if disturbed.
But you can have a video on and be doing something else - most of the content is in the audio. The flipside is you can scan and skip more easily on text.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: SeanB on March 09, 2013, 09:47:53 am
Multitasking is not going to allow you to concentrate on both at the same time, one will be backgrounded and ignored after a minute. Concentrated reading will be retained for longer.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: nitro2k01 on March 09, 2013, 10:10:38 am
Quote
While I’m on the subject, as a blogger you will eventually get approached by an online ad agency rep. They will attack you several ways.

First they may offer you “info graphics” or other content to put on your blog. Don’t do it. They are trying to get cheap SEO for their highly paying client.
Ah, I've had quite a few of those. I usually say "yes". Then they say "great" and give me the HTML code they want to post. To which I say "yes". Kind of like this:

How to torment telemarketers with one word (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33BCEPMGggU#ws)
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: SeanB on March 09, 2013, 10:16:05 am
YES!


Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: justanothercanuck on March 09, 2013, 10:56:05 am
Quote
You’ve seen them, the big companies going all “social media” internet happy and wanting to draw in and dominate engineering audiences with their online blogs, and piss-poor attempts at setting up online communities.

They're common in the gaming community as well.  Groups like ScrewAttack, GameTrailers, Normal Boots (now defunct), Gamervision, Retroware TV...  Media moguls (and wannabe moguls) setting up Youtube brands for gaming-related content.  Problem is, you sign your soul away in the process.  You go to all the events, but you're not there for yourself, you're there to tout your media group.  They've ruined quite a few good people on Youtube.   :-//
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: EEVblog on March 09, 2013, 12:25:10 pm
They're common in the gaming community as well.  Groups like ScrewAttack, GameTrailers, Normal Boots (now defunct), Gamervision, Retroware TV...  Media moguls (and wannabe moguls) setting up Youtube brands for gaming-related content.  Problem is, you sign your soul away in the process.  You go to all the events, but you're not there for yourself, you're there to tout your media group.  They've ruined quite a few good people on Youtube.   :-//

Sad to hear.
That's another area I didn't touch on - the Youtube management companies that want to sign you up (and take 20-40% of your Adsense revenue)
I've been formally approached by at least a dozen of them now (I must have hit some threshold to put me on their radar). When questioned extensively, not one of them has been able to prove they add any value at all.
This is also an interesting read:
http://newmediarockstars.com/2012/12/why-i-left-maker-studios/ (http://newmediarockstars.com/2012/12/why-i-left-maker-studios/)

Dave.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: jancumps on March 09, 2013, 02:11:16 pm
...
This is also an interesting read:
http://newmediarockstars.com/2012/12/why-i-left-maker-studios/ (http://newmediarockstars.com/2012/12/why-i-left-maker-studios/)
...

Mmmh, I have difficulties with that one. Not with the subject itself, but with the way these kinds of fights sometimes are thrown out in the open. I have the same reaction with posts thatngo like 'don't buy anything from Company x'.
Having bad experiences and blogging about it is welcome and often informative. But fighting a battle in the open isn't always a pretty sight. At that point I feel that a community is used for ones private reasons.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: Bored@Work on March 09, 2013, 03:35:37 pm
[Mmmh, I have difficulties with that one. Not with the subject itself, but with the way these kinds of fights sometimes are thrown out in the open. I have the same reaction with posts thatngo like 'don't buy anything from Company x'.
Having bad experiences and blogging about it is welcome and often informative. But fighting a battle in the open isn't always a pretty sight. At that point I feel that a community is used for ones private reasons.

That goes off-topic now, but the sad reality is, these days it is more and more required. Many companies simply give a rat' arse when you contact them privately in need of support. Unfortunately you have to make a stink in public, on junk sites like facebook or twitter to get their attention. They only act when they believe there is a real risk that something can become a PR desaster. It is a disgusting behavior which becomes more and more common.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: AlfBaz on March 09, 2013, 04:36:45 pm
...It is a disgusting behavior which becomes more and more common.
Who's behaviour, the company, client or both?
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: Bored@Work on March 09, 2013, 04:45:06 pm
...It is a disgusting behavior which becomes more and more common.
Who's behaviour, the company, client or both?

Company. Their non-responsiveness is the root cause. With that they push their clients / customers in a corner where they find they have no alternative than to go public.
Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: AlfBaz on March 09, 2013, 05:03:09 pm
It seems that way to me, especially in the case shown in that link. The guy complaining brought up several issues and/or concerns and the company response did not address any of them, aside from trying to take the altruistic stance that it shouldn't be fought in public.

Title: Re: Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap
Post by: gregariz on March 15, 2013, 01:07:03 am
I think the video blogs make the site unique.. but I imagine it gets harder to do after a while... the first 100 are the interesting ones for me. Those were the video's you seem to let your frustrations out about the "fear and loathing" that exists in the engineering world. I guess you would need to go get a day job again for a while to be suitably pissed off at the state of the industry to do some more of those.

As far as selling out by others goes.. it seems to me that Dave is one of the lucky few that earns a crust doing this. I suspect alot of people would love to quit their dayjobs and do it but don't for financial reasons. Maybe the Ben Hecht show also started out trying to do something that was also entertaining and I watched a few but his hacks seem a little like too much work so I stopped watching. I still check the forum here from time to time, but I don't watch any videos or podcasts any longer... I am just too busy with my own stuff.

There is a real opportunity cost to quiting your day job in plain $. And with so many people who would love to do it I suspect it will get harder to do.

See following for some inspiration for the fear and loathing you need

A Very Peculiar Practice - Black Bob's Hamburger Suit (1986) (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xr6d0s)