Quote:
Originally Posted by Hitch
I'm still waiting to find out what EW does for a living, because I'd like to structure an analogous hypothetical situation and see if he'd go for it, when it's his paying work. Again, I'm not looking for a flamewar, but it's easy-peasy to say, "well, you should help that guy because to do otherwise is SELFISH."
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OK, but you won't like it!
My job that has paid the rent for the last 40 years or so has been as a performing musician. The trade, above all others, where amateurs constantly clamour to do your job for free. and are convinced they are "just as good".
Let's not get all arty-farty about "Karma". But I've found that if I'm free with advice and help, it brings me MORE work. Show someone how to do it properly, he often realises he CAN'T do it himself (or doesn't want to put in the time and effort to develop the skill). So I get the job.
(I'm also fortunate that, although I'm too old to have had any computer training at school, when they came onto the music-production scene I took like a duck to water. After a little time I realised that what I saw as an unremarkable skill was actually an unusual one, and a very marketable commodity.)
There's one particular parallel between music and ebook design/web design/programming in general. Less is more. Leave out the fiddly bits. State what needs stating clearly - then stop.