Comments on: Freebies, Part 2 – Pricing Creative Labor https://windypundit.com/2013/12/freebies-part-2-pricing-creative-labor/ Classical liberalism, criminal laws, the war on drugs, economics, free speech, technology, photography, sex work, cats, and whatever else comes to mind. Fri, 07 Feb 2014 05:27:35 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 By: shg https://windypundit.com/2013/12/freebies-part-2-pricing-creative-labor/#comment-10459 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 00:54:00 +0000 http://windypundit.com/?p=6056#comment-10459 Doing pro bono as a lawyer carries a lot more with it than writing for free. We help people who need help, and regardless of anything else I feel, I could never suggest that lawyers not help others.

On the other hand, I do argue against lawyers doing those free Q&A’s like Avvo Answers, because it creates an expectation that lawyers work for free. I think that’s Kreider’s issue, that as long as writers keep giving it away for free, there will never be a viable market willing to pay for their services, and no one can afford to survive as a writer. So, there are parallels.

]]> By: Mark Draughn https://windypundit.com/2013/12/freebies-part-2-pricing-creative-labor/#comment-10449 Sat, 21 Dec 2013 19:34:41 +0000 http://windypundit.com/?p=6056#comment-10449 I agree with your distinctions, and I agree with your (and Kreider’s) distaste for people who demand free work, or try to con people into giving up free work for wholly illusory exposure, but Kreider’s complaint isn’t just about people who ask for free work. He also berates people who do free work, implying that they are unprincipled and part of the problem.

I read your blog a lot, and for all your complaints about being asked by strangers to do pro bono work, I can’t recall your ever blaming that on other lawyers’ willingness to work for free, and I can’t recall you ever pleading with other lawyers to stop doing pro bono work.

]]> By: shg https://windypundit.com/2013/12/freebies-part-2-pricing-creative-labor/#comment-10444 Sat, 21 Dec 2013 17:08:55 +0000 http://windypundit.com/?p=6056#comment-10444 There are three aspects that need to be considered. First, there is a distinction between people offering to help for free and people asking for free help. Second, there is a distinction between friends helping friends and strangers asking strangers for help.

And finally, there is a difference between someone who does something without expectation of gain seeking free help as opposed to someone who does something for profit asking for free help. These are the considerations that informed Kreider.

As I’ve given a bit to others for free over the years, I feel relatively justified in saying that I agree with Kreider. And if someone wants to give it away for free, that’s their right, but it’s not the recipient’s entitlement.

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