Free e-Book for Web Workers
WebWorkerDaily is a “must stop” site for me every day. Sure, I am a web worker, but I find they have so much good information for anybody who is online a lot. I was thrilled to see this morning that they have compiled some of their best articles concerning freelancing and working on the web, into an e-book for easy reading. The best part for me, apart from it being an e-book, is that Web Work 101: How to Escape the Cubicle is freely downloadable. It is in PDF format so anybody can use it. Go grab it and tell them that we sent you. Great work, WWD! I have been glued to the book since I grabbed it and not getting any work done. Don’t tell Kevin, he thinks I’ve been working all this time.
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Ahh so Kevin is the hard working one.
:)
Hi James,
This is an editorial “ethics” thought, although I don’t want to be melodramatic! When you write that you always read WebWorkerDaily, and you praise them, perhaps it would be appropriate to include something like…”WebWorkerDaily (a GigaOM site).”
I’m NOT — in any way — questioning your ethics.
But as a former full-time journalist and a long-time mobile tech blogger and columnist (who also looks at the FTC!), I’m just wondering whether it might be appropriate to note WebWorkerDaily is part of GigaOM.
Perhaps everyone who reads jkOnTheRun knows WebWorkerDaily is part of the GigaOM empire, so it’s not necessary. Or perhaps I’m just being a pedant.
But if I were writing an article for a mainstream media publication, and wrote that I always read a specific publication — that’s owned by the company for which I’m writing — I think a disclosure would make sense.
Again — absolutely no “slight” intended. I’m looking at this (perhaps extremely minor point) through my journalist’s eyes.
Alan, no offense taken, you’re a long-time visitor to jkOTR and I have followed your work for just as long. I understand what you are saying, these days it seems everyone is worried about perceptions about everything on the web.
I would definitely have pointed out that WebWorkerDaily was a GigaOM network site if that e-book had been a cost item. I discarded the idea to attribute the site to the network given the free download for the book.
That said, I do believe that I didn’t violate any ethics, or even create a perception of a violation, simply by stating that I like a given site no matter who owns it. In fact, if I search here on jkOTR for times I have linked to good articles WebWorkerDaily has published, I see a whole bunch of them dating from long before we joined the network (one, two years before).
It’s kind of sad that we have to be so concerned about such things, it strips some of the fun out of what we do. It is better to create no misconceptions as you mentioned, however, so I will certainly keep it in mind going forward. I appreciate your take on this from a professional standpoint.
Hi James,
Thanks very much for the thoughtful reply. I won’t belabor the point, but, well, just a few points!
I’m not sure if a free book is that relevant. You’re still recommending a product published by “a member of the family.” What if, say, CNET wrote an article noting how they love a specific site owned by CBS and recommended people download a free video on that site? I wouldn’t be surprised if CNET had a disclosure about CBS ownership.
Also, even though many people have read your posts about WebWorkerDaily before jkOnTheRun, that was then. Both sites are now part of the GigaOM Network, and newer readers might not have any idea you previously discussed WebWorkerDaily.
On the one hand it’s sad to think about potential conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts when none exist. On the other hand, it’s healthy for all writers to think about “the correct thing to do” — even though “correct” is often anything but black or white.
I’m not suggesting, hinting or wink-wink you violated any ethics. I was just pondering it as tech blogger-to-blogger or Reiter-to-writer!
Have a great evening and keep up the great work. Thanks again for your reply.
Good points and words to live by. I almost always indicate that a network site is a “sister” blog, or a “network” blog. I need to make sure I always do that.