The Movement has Started - Bloggers Need a Union … Not
August 7, 2007 12:09 pm blogging
And so as blogging matures, mutates and generally grows up one must accept the growing pains that come associated with it. More so than any other industry because we’re dealing with a varied amount of people from the extremes of the smart, thoughtful ones to the the plain old stupid smucks - and everything in between.
But that’s okay. Blogging is all about giving voice to everyone and anyone and every crackpot view and idea that can be thrown against the virtual wall. Thankfully, most of the shit doesn’t stick.
And so out they roll (they usually being lefties high on idealism and low on reality) the “we need a union” placard for bloggers … for bloggers! Yep, you read that right. Health Insurance, Collective bargaining …
These fat cat blog network slave drivers rolling in the moolah, sipping caviar and eating champagne (yes I mixed that up just because they can sip caviar and ..) all the while those blogging monkeys hammering away post after post after post being fed peanuts and if they do a good job maybe a better form of nut may come their way.
Of course, these peanut-paid bloggers had no idea what they were getting into when they first chose their route.
Jeremy Wright, slave blog network owner, pretty much rips the whole issue apart in a well though out post.
As one commenter put it at Master Wrights’ post …
A union for bloggers? bahahahaha
Come on… I think some people are starting to over value their self worth.
But I like this comment best …
This is stupid. No one ‘forcing’ anyone to work for a blog network or site. Anyone who feels oppressed can very easily start a blog, then it is up to the community to decide it’s value. If the writing is worth anything, your audience will grow, you can sell ads etc… It is hard work, however and one needs to do more than write. It also takes some coding, design etc..
All this whining is from writers who want to take no risk, spend nothing on design, tech, marketing, equipment etc…, and just want to be paid.
Get real
Over at Workboxers I nearly did fall over …
Insurance? Against what? Falling off your desk chair from too many Wild Turkeys?
Lucky I didn’t, else a lawsuit would come your way, via your employer… ;-)
August 7th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
On blog networks in particular, the problem arises when someone called them an “industry” — a certain J. Wright of Toronto in fact.
If they really are an industry then clearly they must comply with industry standards embedded in law. But not by any stretch of the imagination can they be put alongside General Motors, Rolls Royce, or even Google.
Jeremy’s post, though, covered all the exits. There just isn’t enough money in online, original content creation to comply with every jurisdiction where you may have bloggers. At peak, Syntagma had writers in nine different countries. I have difficulty in keeping up with our own laws, let alone the world’s legislative extravagances.
There are some half-bakes around who consider the Web as a substitute for the old Soviet Union. At Performancing someone’s even writing about “collectives”.
I’m all for open source and charity. But these should never be forced down the throat, or the better part of people will be strangled.
August 7th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
John - as you say, even though it’s an “industry” the cusp of what Jeremy is saying (and that’s only my take away of it) is that it’s just not a viable option - in all senses: monetary, legally and in a workforce where there will always be a much higher ratio of bloggers who’ll take on these jobs then those who go on a virtual strike and demand better conditions.
That’s new media for you - and as I said, we all come into this with our eyes wide open.
Also, I believe the blog network industry/model is still in its infancy and really, is yet to be 100% proven.
I still believe that all bloggers are essentially their own publishers - even if they contract out to a blog network.
Going “collective” and forcing all these benefits would simply wipe them (b/networks) all out.
I also wonder how long it will be before someone will sue a blog network over something. The days of harping about blogging being just for fun and for some pocket money when there’s millions involved are quickly coming to an end - hence this talk of unions.
I’d love to get my hands on a standard blog network contract … anybody!!! drop me a line, confidentiality guaranteed ;-)
Funny you should mention the old Soviet Union - when I was looking around for an image to this post my first thought was something to do with the Soviets and commies … -)
August 7th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Martin, I’d send you a copy of ours, but afer a thoroughgoing consultation exercise, we’re now having ours rewritten. When it’s done, I’ll zip you a first peep.
Mind you, if you sign it and send it back, you’ll be a peanut slave for the rest of your life. :-)
August 7th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
We’ve never hidden ours. Martin, feel free to email.
As far as this being an industry, as soon as a group of companies passes the million dollar mark (ie: more than 3-4 of them) in yearly sales, and as soon as the group passes 50M$/year in combined sales it’s considered an industry.
And, as far as I’m aware, with only a handful of exceptions, all the companies at that level are abiding by every labour law for the companies in which they operate, John.
August 7th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Aaah - my “employer” was fallin’ off chairs from too much Wild Turkey two weeks ago at the b5 “Office Warming” party. One of the door prizes was a lifetime supply of peanuts…
So, tell me, please, how do I “unionize” a blogger in Poland with a blogger in, oh, say the Soviet Union with a blogger in Nigeria with a blogger in the Phillipines with a blogger in… and my network is in Canada?
Hmmmmmm?
August 7th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
@John - thanks. Zip it to me anytime. I’d be interested to read it.
@Jeremy - I’d love to read yours more so as you’re a mainstream network and the one that really is being singled out, imho. Email it to me - soho@tpg.com.au or point me to it if it’s online.
BTW, I think we can finally settle on this: blog network IS an industry.
@Mark - Hmmm … peanuts and Wild Turkey, Any videos of said event. :-)
And your last point: from Poland to Russia to Nigeria to the Phillipines to Canada. Good luck trying to “unionize” that!!!
August 8th, 2007 at 12:32 am
Okay, it’s an industry. In the same way as sex is now an industry. Heck, let’s all be industries. I’m industrious enough.
August 8th, 2007 at 12:57 am
Awww, John, sex isn’t an industry. It’s an activity. Blogging isn’t an industry either. Blog networks are. Blog hosting is. Blog aggregation is.
August 8th, 2007 at 12:58 am
Martin: Sent :)
August 8th, 2007 at 2:46 am
Jeremy - thanks for that. I’ll have a read of it over my morning coffee tomorrow and see if you slave drivers need to be unionized or not. :-)
But seriously, I’ll write a post about it without divulging the finer points.
LOL - sex isn’t an industry. It’s an activity.
August 8th, 2007 at 4:45 am
But what if you have it in industrial quantities?
August 8th, 2007 at 5:21 am
John, sex should be unionized in that case. All while protecting you from falling of the chair!
August 8th, 2007 at 5:53 am
iBlogNews, Who Does?…
Anyone else missing blognews?…
August 8th, 2007 at 9:18 am
Guys, Guys, you’re turning this serious debate on unionizing blogging into a total farce of falling off chairs drunk on Wild Turkey engaging in industrial sex…
oh hang on, it is a farce - carry on then. ;-)