Comments on: Do you hear the people sing?

By: margaret

margaret — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 02:43:59 +0000

This shit is so awesome i can’t even stand it.

By: Vic

Vic — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:15:40 +0000

… and then I read his Christophobia rant. A real class act indeed.

By: Gina

Gina — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:33:37 +0000

Now that’s just wrong! As a Landscape Designer I’ve heard of people doing something similar regarding landscape designs. We were taught never to leave the plan with the customer until it’s paid for in full. I saw this happen with a designer friend of my sisters. Her next door neighbor asked if the friend would draw up a design for him and then he claimed he didn’t like it but you could clearly see from my sisters third story deck that he had copied her design. What he didn’t know was there were details left off that initial design (engineering details) that are quite important. He didn’t get a planting detail either and that’s what you are really paying for when you hire a designer.

By: shepd

shepd — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 17:33:40 +0000

Don’t even have to be in the publishing industry. My small computer store made the mistake of selling some computers to a medium-sized machine shop employing a few dozen employees. When we asked them to pay they said they’d changed names and were “working things out” so it will be several months. In the computer industry, that means we lose tons of money.

Things got sorted out when I stuck a “PAST DUE!” sticker to an envelope, went to the place, and paraded it around all their employees asking where their accountant was because the company was having money issues and not paying for things.

Never got any more business from them after that, but I got paid, and this was the exact result I wanted.

By: sarah

sarah — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:12:08 +0000

Maybe the sentence was too long and broken up. My intention wasn’t to say that a respectable designer wouldn’t do this (and I hope more start doing so!) but rather that I don’t think a designer worth their salt would put their reputation on the line if they didn’t have a good damned reason to. I would do this to a client who totally screwed me over, but not to one where I was partially at fault for the breakdown in relations.

I absolutely, absolutely believe that freelancers should be able to do this sort of thing, and I really do hope it becomes more commonplace.

By: FeRD

FeRD — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:09:54 +0000

That’s one of MANY reasons the professional design community is against so-called “spec work”. (See also, “Design our Logo Contest!” type attempts to avoid paying actual professionals to do your design work for you.)

By: redheadwglasses

redheadwglasses — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:16:29 +0000

I’ve had friends have to create website, write a PR/marketing piece, etc., as part of a job application… and then they never hear anything, but later will discover that the company used the materials they received from the fake “hiring” process.

By: courtney

courtney — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:35:15 +0000

@Tim, It seems like that was to me? I was actually leaning towards Jonen in the first place for your exact reasons but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try and find out more since I was curious. There are news stories that don’t turn out like they first seem so I don’t see a problem with trying to learn more and decide for myself, no matter what the odds are.

By: Who passed out the Haterade?

Who passed out the Haterade? — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:03:40 +0000

I’m pretty sure Sarah’s first sentence is actually saying that she doesn’t think he would have done this if he didn’t have a strong case. Not that he shouldn’t have done it.

By: Holly J

Holly J — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:06:43 +0000

Dear Movie Goers,

You think that Frank is me, you knew him at a glance, this stranger we have found, this man could be my chance….at an Oscar.

Hope you like that I played him as bad ass action star. I was ready for those gym rats, they will wet themselves with blood.

XO
Rufus Sewell

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 18:08:40 +0000

Wait, you say no respectable designer should stand up to companies, since that would possibly “brand themselves as ‘difficult to work with’”, but in the next paragraph say that more designers should do this?

Which is it?
Frankly, if I was owed thousands of dollars I would absolutely go to the effort of putting up a 45 minute webpage and taking down theirs. Not only would it be in my contract that I reserve the right to do this on nonpayment (obviously I would keep the domain until all services are paid, so it’s all plain and legal), but this is thousands of dollars here. 6 months of work. You don’t think that’s worth an hour of followup time? That at least a quarter to a half of your yearly income is not worth this effort? I don’t believe it.

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:58:50 +0000

People need convincing that some people/companies try to screw over freelancers all the time?

The freelance/small design business has a really rough time with nonpaying clients for the exact reasons Jonen stated. Whether they’re big or small, there’s tons of people out there who think they shouldn’t have to pay someone for their work. It’s why some states in the usa are considering some new bills to protect/help freelance workers with unpaid invoices over a set amount ($600 in new york I hear).

Jonen had me at the first word of his argument, no questions asked. The problem is just that prevalent; every single designer in the business for more than 2 years can woo you with multiple stories, if not dozens, of scumbag clients like this. There’s always the tiny chance Jonen was lying, sure, but the odds are definitely not in favor of it.

By: H for Toy

H for Toy — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:32:07 +0000

Jami! You’re supposed to be singing songs from Les Mis.

Dear Hollywood,

At the end of the day, Rufus Sewell is hotter. Than any old actor in playing this role. Like the waves crash on the sand. Like his eyes that look into your soul. There’s a hunger in this land, to see Rufus star in this role. There’s gonna be hell to pay. If he doesn’t play.

Regards,
Movie Goers the World Over

By: JamiSings

JamiSings — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:38:49 +0000

Dear Hollywood,

When you make a movie about this epic struggle between the little guy and the big bad corporation, make sure you cast Rufus Sewell as me.

Love,
Frank

On a serious note, I’m team Frank. If someone does work for you and they’re not totally lazy/incompetent, you pay them. Simple as that.