You make a good point about the ones who don’t really want to make a long-term, full-time go of it. And content mills are probably fine and dandy for those folks. I don’t often see that disputed, even among the most heated mill-haters. They’re also not career freelancers. Yet some of the bloggers who supposedly target freelancers trying to build or start careers give advice for hobby writers masked as something more. That’s one of the big things I take issue with personally (nonetheless those who profit from giving the often-misleading advice).

@ Yo – The SAHM might not be thinking of taking vacations and saving for retirement with that sort of income. The content mills are (in a sense) a replacement for the Tupperware and Southern Living parties. After all, most SAHMs aren’t looking to start another career, they just want some pocket money or are looking to close the financial gap that often occurs when a parent stays home for a few years.

From the many, many conversations I’ve had with moms interested in working online, many are not looking forward thirty years, even if they should be, they are looking for something to do while baby’s napping until they go back to work in a few years or hubby gets the raise he’s been promised.

In that regard, 31K a year, even after taxes might be worthwhile if the other option is government assistance of some kind or scraping by constantly doing without. There’s always the debate of what’s full-time anyhow. But I agree with your point as a whole, it’s frustrating when people don’t present the full picture or bother to support their position.

In full disclosure, this full-time mom would never consider 31k a decent living working online no matter how easy the gigs are to get.

But then I actually know how to market myself effectively, run a business and plan to file taxes for the S-corp. If I didn’t I might not scoff at a job where I’m basically more like an employee rather than a true freelancer. After all, we can’t all be heavy-hitting entrepreneurs. But that’s a tangent, so who cares.

On another unrelated note, can I just say I really love the readers here. I go to so many blogs where comments are a line or two at best, and there’s very little actual discussion. But when most folks involved are writers, we just can’t keep our virtual mouths shut. I love comments with substance, and I wish other niches got to experience more of it. :)

@Carson, I can’t believe I’m missing your point rather than successfully counter punching it. Help me here. Also, I’m jealous of your BBQ meal :(

@Rebecca, the great thing is, you can be a bitch, an elitist, angry, negative–whatever the heck you want. But if someone simply dismisses your POV because they assume or infer that you are, they are doing nothing to prove their own point. As for the $31k content mill SAHM issue (you mentioned in your blog post) that’s the thing–it could be a good idea (although after SS tax, income tax, retirement savings, sick and vacation time and with 8 solid hours of typing 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year, I doubt it) but the person who Tweeted that did not provide all those points. There is some responsibility to let people know the other side of that coin–especially when they make money by promoting content mill work. So people spoke out and naturally were called elitists. Like that is a good argument or something.

@John, personally, I have no problem with WW. It might not be where I go if I need a pick-me-up, but that doesn’t mean they should change or that their work should be dismissed out of hand as negative and angry. Different tones and approaches appeal to different people, and that’s great. I just think constructing a moving argument from “your” side is way more constructive than just calling the person you disagree with an angry elitist hater who is negative–even if you really do think that’s the case :)

@John — You hit on another important point. Writers and sites have different styles and different audiences. There’s nothing wrong with that, and pissing off people not in the target audience is (or at least should be) expected. I think one of the more interesting points is that the people being called haters or negative all the time don’t seem to mind on a personal level (although as Yo pointed out, it’s kind of obnoxious when it comes down to people using generic insults instead of anything that backs up their case). They know their audience, write for their audience, and aren’t afraid to point out the silliness of it from time to time (although I’m sure there are some exceptions who do get in a bit of a huff — there are always exceptions).

I started to post a comment here with some real thoughts, but 700ish words later decided to just post in on one of my blogs rather than require anyone to dig out more toothpicks. My greatly esteemed thoughts (as spoken in a not-quite drawled Texas accent) are here: http://www.internetauthor.net/2010/03/06/angry-and-elitist-writer-nah-just-a-bitch/