Bloggers – Don’t Sell Out Cheap - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 08, 2013, 04:28:10 am
content: http://www.eevblog.com/2013/03/07/bloggers-dont-sell-out-cheap/Dave.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2013, 04:33:47 am
content: QuoteFor sure this "info graphics" thingy doesn't pay bills !Love the new text blog Dave !

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2013, 06:03:04 am
content: 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.

author: johnboxall
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 08, 2013, 06:19:29 am
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on March 08, 2013, 06:03:04 amThe 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.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2013, 06:40:40 am
content: 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.

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2013, 07:15:18 am
content: 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...

author: Neilm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2013, 03:36:04 pm
content: 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?

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 08, 2013, 05:29:02 pm
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on March 08, 2013, 06:40:40 amO0

author: StubbornGreek
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2013, 06:44:32 pm
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on March 08, 2013, 06:03:04 amThisQuote from: Bored@Work on March 08, 2013, 06:40:40 amand 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).

author: Excavatoree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2013, 07:15:27 pm
content: Quote from: Neilm on March 08, 2013, 03:36:04 pm"Welcome to the EEVWABOTBWDFLI Blog!"

author: Hypernova
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 01:01:10 am
content: Quote from: westfw on March 08, 2013, 07:15:18 amThat's what I think too, a lot of those columnists work as consultants so the supposed free publicity benefit does actually apply to them.

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 01:28:12 am
content: 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

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 02:02:36 am
content: Quote from: amspire on March 09, 2013, 01:28:12 amI don't plan on doing tutorial text blog, or anything longer really.QuotePossible, but I'd need a new wordpress template for that.The AmpHour site for example does this summary version.Dave.

author: firewalker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 07:03:41 am
content: Can't you use the<!--more-->separator.Alexander.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 07:25:06 am
content: Quote from: firewalker on March 09, 2013, 07:03:41 amAh, worked a treat, thanks!Dave.

author: firewalker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 07:29:02 am
content: Hmmm. If you didn't already try to use it when on the Text editor not the visual one.Alexander.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 07:59:13 am
content: Quote from: firewalker on March 09, 2013, 07:29:02 amYep, doesn't work on the visual editor.Dave.

author: mswhin63
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 08:42:40 am
content: 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.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 08:51:07 am
content: 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.

author: marshallh
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 09:24:45 am
content: 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

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 09:34:25 am
content: Quote from: SeanB on March 09, 2013, 08:51:07 amBut 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.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 09:47:53 am
content: 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.

author: nitro2k01
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 10:10:38 am
content: QuoteAh, 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:

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 10:16:05 am
content: YES!

author: justanothercanuck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 10:56:05 am
content: QuoteThey'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.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 12:25:10 pm
content: Quote from: justanothercanuck on March 09, 2013, 10:56:05 amSad 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/Dave.

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 02:11:16 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on March 09, 2013, 12:25:10 pmMmmh, 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.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 03:35:37 pm
content: Quote from: jancumps on March 09, 2013, 02:11:16 pmThat 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.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 04:36:45 pm
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on March 09, 2013, 03:35:37 pmWho's behaviour, the company, client or both?

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 04:45:06 pm
content: Quote from: AlfBaz on March 09, 2013, 04:36:45 pmCompany. 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.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2013, 05:03:09 pm
content: 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.

author: gregariz
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2013, 01:07:03 am
content: 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