Interesting response to a request for "work for free"

[40hz]

Have you been asked to work for free in exchange for "exposure" or promises of paid future work?

This article is a good read for anybody who is freelancing or running their own business. Although it involves a designer, this same sort of solicitation often crops up with coders and other technical professionals.

... it's not just designers. I received a ton of responses from writers, cartoonists, architects and people in other professions who get asked to work for free. I don't know what it is. Maybe people think that if you went to art school you don't understand money?

[Renegade]

Nice! That was really good to hear.

I tripped across this from following links:

NSFW - http://vimeo.com/22053820

But, yeah. Exactly. That.

[tomos]

This article is a good read for anybody who is freelancing or running their own business. Although it involves a designer, this same sort of solicitation often crops up with coders and other technical professionals.

his work is lovely too

another quote from BuzzFeed:

In response, a spokesperson for Showtime told BuzzFeed:

   Showtime is a strong supporter of artists around the world. This contest, like many others, is entirely optional. Under the contest guidelines, those who choose to submit their art are eligible for a grand prize of a Las Vegas trip, in addition to invaluable national exposure across multiple platforms.

However, Cassaro is unimpressed.

He told BuzzFeed: “The whole thing is just unethical. You would never cold call a bunch of licensed electricians and ask them to do the lighting for an event like this for free. You certainly wouldn’t ask them to hashtag their ‘submission’ on Twitter to drive traffic to your website.”

He added: “To call it a contest is a bit insulting. A contest is guessing how many jellybeans are in the jar so you can win all the jellybeans. … To participate in a contest like this as a working professional devalues the work of everyone.”

(my emphasis)