A Questionable Gig

[adbullock]

You know, if you don't find it dishonest to offer one position that includes pay per post PLUS revenue sharing and then send out a "form" email offering everyone an editorial position that is a "sweat equity" position then I really don't know what you will find dishonest. What I found even more insulting was the claim that they worded things the way they did to protect their 'secret' formula. Whatever. They lied and I don't see how that isn't being dishonest. I don't let my children get away with it. I am certainly not going to work my butt off to build a business for people that can't be honest or address my concerns when stated without accusing me of going over their post with a "fine tooth comb."

Quite frankly I'm surprised that the people on this board that are quick to rip out throats if someone offers less than they feel they deserve are okay with this sudden change some time into the project. I also find it surprising that you will call out a long standing and contributing member of this board as unprofessional in favor of someone that was a fly by on this board and that we know nothing about.

I wish those that continue the very best of luck but when someone is dishonest in the beginning I don't expect changes in the future. For me the first impression was sullied by the deliberately misleading nature of the original post compared to what was offered in the end. If that doesn't bother you fine. But I think it's rude to start insulting people for offering a heads up on something that doesn't smell right when we do that on this board all the time.

Edited by: adbullock

[marleymauve]

Thank you, Andrea.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw things that way and I did not name names although I don't think it would have been unprofessional if I had. They were not a former employer though, they were someone who made me a job offer and then changed the terms part way through training.

The whole point of this forum is to share and it has come to be a place where we try to protect each other and to me, if I had said nothing it would have been selfish.

A company that bans forum members for politely asking questions about their practices instead of addressing those questions is obviously someone not on the up and up.

[Wendy2kids]

Thanks Dana - I don't think you've acted unprofessionally at all. I appreciate the heads up, as I'm sure many others on this board do as well.

[gottaluv4]

_popupControl();

<TABLE =tableBorder style="TABLE-LAYOUT: fixed" cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 align=center>
<T>
<TR>
<TD =msgableSide vAlign=top rowSpan=4><A name=2375583></A>SueWalsh623
WAHM.com regular



Joined: 22/February/2008
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 79
</TD>
<TD =msgableRow vAlign=top> Posted: Yesterday at 11:29pm</TD></TR>
<TR =msgableRow>
<TD =msgLineDevider vAlign=top height=150>
<DIV =msg style=": left; OVERFLOW: auto">I am in training and don't feel it is a scam. I'm investing nothing but a few hours of my time a week, which is no big deal, so if it doesn't work out I have nothing to lose. Frankly I find it very unprofessional for writers to badmouth employers/clients, past or present. To those taking her word as gospel, try to remember there are two sides to every story. </TD></TR></T></TABLE>

Sue... I know where I know you from now. You used to write for 451press!

But I recall you doing the very thing - before you left 451press you didn't have many nice things to say about Steve and even after you left things were said that I would consider unprofessional.

I was just curious though.. why don't you have them listed as a client?I would think even a former client should be listed in one's portfolio.

Dana, I think you are well within your right to question anything that you see is a red flag... nonpaid training wasn't just one of them and if that's the only thing you saw, then I might have forged on but since there were numerous other things, you were absolutely right to follow your instincts.

[gottaluv4]

_popupControl();
by the way, I've been having login issues, if someone can sort out my serious cookie issues with firefox and vista... I would be all ears LOL so I apologize for the odd post. Thetech team here is trying to help me out!

[SueWalsh623]

Originally Posted by adbullock

You know, if you don't find it dishonest to offer one position that includes pay per post PLUS revenue sharing and then send out a "form" email offering everyone an editorial position that is a "sweat equity" position then I really don't know what you will find dishonest. .

You know, I wish you'd stop twisting things around. They were never misleading. They've repeatedly said you get at least $5 per post PLUS you share in the revenue from all the blogs you oversee. You also have the choice of paying someone else that $5 if you don't want to write a post yourself. Why do you refuse to understand that? You are one of those people that twists things around to fit what you prefer to believe rather than the truth.

You weren't happy with the training. You quit. Fine. Now let it go and move on...the continued lies and badmouthing will only make you look bad. Move on and look for opportunities you feel are better for you. Best of luck!

(edited to correct spelling mistake)
Edited by: SueWalsh623

[SueWalsh623]

Originally Posted by gottaluv4

_popupControl();
<TABLE style="TABLE-LAYOUT: fixed" cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 align=center ="tableBorder"><T>
<T>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top rowSpan=4 ="msgableSide"><A name=2375583></A>SueWalsh623
WAHM.com regular



Joined: 22/February/2008
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 79
</TD>
<TD vAlign=top ="msgableRow"> Posted: Yesterday at 11:29pm</TD></TR>
<TR ="msgableRow">
<TD vAlign=top height=150 ="msgLineDevider">
<DIV style="OVERFLOW: auto" ="msg">I am in training and don't feel it is a scam. I'm investing nothing but a few hours of my time a week, which is no big deal, so if it doesn't work out I have nothing to lose. Frankly I find it very unprofessional for writers to badmouth employers/clients, past or present. To those taking her word as gospel, try to remember there are two sides to every story. </TD></TR></T></T></TABLE>

Sue... I know where I know you from now. You used to write for 451press!

But I recall you doing the very thing - before you left 451press you didn't have many nice things to say about Steve and even after you left things were said that I would consider unprofessional.

I was just curious though.. why don't you have them listed as a client?I would think even a former client should be listed in one's portfolio.

Dana, I think you are well within your right to question anything that you see is a red flag... nonpaid training wasn't just one of them and if that's the only thing you saw, then I might have forged on but since there were numerous other things, you were absolutely right to follow your instincts.

First of all, your quoting is really messed up! Second, I chose not to list them as a client because they have a bad reputation in the blogosphere and I didn't want it held against me. So far not listing them hasn't hurt me at all.

I was not the least bit unprofessional. When payment was late month after month I did speak up, and after Iwas no longer writing forthem Iwas honest about the reason why.I didn't post lies or twist things around. I simply explained what happened and then moved on-and what happened? It blew up in my face and I was subject to an avalanche of hate from my former co-workers. I learned a valuable lesson. If you leave a gig on bad terms or get fired from a gig, it's best to simply keep your mouth shut. Posting warnings only makes you look bad. The only exception might be if the gig actually ripped you off financially. I know warning people may seem like the right thing to do but it can come back to bite you big time.

As for the gig in question, again I don't see anything that screams scam. So the training is unpaid, so what? It only takes maybe an hour or so a day-and again, there were no lies or misleading emails...we do get both a fee per post and revenue share if we make editor. If we don't, we get the fee per post only. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

[SueWalsh623]

A quick apology...I think I may have confused posters when I was responding...I'm sorry for any offense I may have unintentionally created..I thought I was speaking to either the OP or Andrea..if I wasn't I apologize! I have the stomach flu so my brain is a bit scrambled..LOL!

[marleymauve]

My last bit of understanding is that I would not be getting $5 a post plus revenue sharing. It was that it was entirely commission based and the only time $5 per post came in to play is if myself as an editor chose to pay that to a writer to do blogging for me. If that's not correct, the company in question didn't clarify. When someone else in the training asked for clarification about that point they banned her from the forum.

I realize that you've only been a member of this forum for a month but many of us here have been looking out for one another for months and in some cases several years.

We share leads and advice and we share warnings and in my original post I didn't call this company scammers, I merely pointed out a few facts that made me wary of them and made me back out of the training. Whether they are paying $5 or not is something in question I guess because my last several e-mails led me to believe that the only time guaranteed pay came in was if it went to a preferred list of writers who would only be used by an editor who needed help.

[adbullock]

Originally Posted by SueWalsh623

You know, I wish you'd stop twisting things around. They were never misleading. They've repeatedly said you get at least $5 per post PLUS you share in the revenue from all the blogs you oversee. You also have the choice of paying someone else that $5 if you don't want to write a post yourself. Why do you refuse to understand that? You are one of those people that twists things around to fit what you prefer to believe rather than the truth.

You weren't happy with the training. You quit. Fine. Now let it go and move on...the continued lies and badmouthing will only make you look bad. Move on and look for opportunities you feel are better for you. Best of luck!

(edited to correct spelling mistake)

Make no mistake. I quite because I was lied to. It had nothing to do with the training and I never once said anything at all negative about the training.

I flat out asked if it would be $5 PLUS revenue sharing as promised or $5 OR revenue sharing as I currently believed and was blasted for going through her original post with a "fine tooth comb".

My impression when all was said and done is that editors would be receiving a share of the revenue not a pay per post.