Does the tone of some "Wanted" posts turn you off?

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by Senobia, Jan 30, 2011.

  1. #1
    When I'm reading the ads for writers on DP (and other) Forums, one thing that never ceases to amaze me is the tone that some buyers take in their posts. They make long, detailed, numerated laundry lists of their demands, often times bolding the font and underlining things for added ephasis. Then they tack on the extras like, "Don't waste my time unless you're a two horned unicorn born to a mother that is a native German who speaks fluent Japanese-infused Braile." For the final requirement, they want you to be able to recite Moby Dick from memory - in Hindu - while talking to them on Skype at 2:19am on a Icelandic holiday to accomodate their time difference.

    If...and only if...you meet their standards....after doing all this while standing on your head and wearing a tutu, they will pay you enough to buy a small bag of peanuts in some remote hilltop pygmy village of SE Asia....but only after you've done the same for 163 other people and have pictures to prove it.


    Do these types of posts gall anyone else and how do you respond?
     
    Senobia, Jan 30, 2011 IP
    Tekime likes this.
  2. Dan-Welsh

    Dan-Welsh Member

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    #2
    Yeah they really turn me off
     
    Dan-Welsh, Jan 30, 2011 IP
  3. Senobia

    Senobia Notable Member

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    #3
    Get thee from my thread, Forum Stalker! *points to the X on the top right of the screen*
     
    Senobia, Jan 30, 2011 IP
  4. YMC

    YMC Well-Known Member

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    #4
    I've gotten to the point where I don't even visit the Content area of the BST area anymore. It seems no matter how ridiculous the "offer", there's always some fool who jumps in and raises their hand to take the "job." The $20 dollar for articles which make it to the homepage of Digg and $0.00 for those that don't is just the latest in a long line of such nonsense.

    Sadly these jerks know that there will always be some rube who will accept their terms. Though in the end, I suspect most get exactly what they deserve in the form of stolen or spun content.

    I say let the bottom feeders drown together.

    What I really don't understand is why the moderators are allowing this section of the forum to turn into BST2. Reporting posts seems to be a waste of time.
     
    YMC, Jan 30, 2011 IP
  5. DreamingBig

    DreamingBig Well-Known Member

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    #5
    Since you're buying the peanuts, maybe he'll give you a "bonus" and buy you some water.
     
    DreamingBig, Feb 2, 2011 IP
  6. vishals

    vishals Active Member

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    #6
    Did I miss some new trend, or has it always been ok to say that there are pygmy villages in SE Asia? Does this come from the idea that Asians are short of physical stature?

    /Just wanna stay updated on racial epithets
     
    vishals, Feb 5, 2011 IP
  7. Senobia

    Senobia Notable Member

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    #7
    You should stay updated on the correct definitions of words and their proper usage before you 1. use them or 2. accuse others of using them disparagingly.

    transitive verb disparaged -·aged, disparaging -·ag·ing
    1. to lower in esteem; discredit
    2. to speak slightingly of; show disrespect for; belittle

    Related Forms:
    •disparaging dis·par′·ag·ing adjective
    •disparagingly dis·par′·ag·ingly adverb


    •Pygmy is a term used for various ethnic groups worldwide whose average height is unusually low; anthropologists define pygmy as any group whose adult males grow to less than 150 cm (4 feet 11 inches) in average height.

    racial –adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of one race

    epithet Definition: 1. an insulting word or phrase; 2. a descriptive word or phrase used as a nickname or in conjunction with a person's name
    Synonyms: insult, nickname, label, appellation, description, designation
    Antonyms: compliment

    So while the term "pygmy" is valid and does not contain racial undertones as you would so like to believe, to answer your question - yes, Asian men generally ARE short in physical stature, with the average Asian male measuring between 5'2 and 5'5 depending on which source you use. (Google it)

    On a side note, the pygmy folks of SE Asia are known as "Negritos", which means "little black ones" in Spanish.
     
    Senobia, Feb 6, 2011 IP
  8. vishals

    vishals Active Member

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    #8
    Minor point: Majority of the world lives in Asia, which means that the average height of Asian men would be definitely closer to world average that that of just about any continent. So it is not correct to say that Asian men are shorter - though you could rightly say that they are shorter than Northern Europeans or the Masai Tribesmen. [ edit: On second thought, this can still mean that Asian men are shorter than world average - but thats not a given without adequate studies on the matter]

    You gave the meaning of so many words, except for Pygmy ( from the free dictionery)

    1. Greek Mythology A member of a race of dwarfs.
    2. also pygmy A member of any of various peoples, especially of equatorial Africa and parts of southeast Asia, having an average height less than 5 feet (152 centimeters). Not in scientific use.
    3. pygmy
    a. An individual of unusually small size.
    b. An individual considered to be of little or no importance.


    It is not just that you are using the third meaning of the word - its that you are using the word to refer to actual pygmies ( by denoting their geographical location) in the context of haughty clients looking at providers as people of low importance. In other words you are actually imputing that pygmies of SE Asia are of little importance.

    It is the difference between using the phrase "Indian summer", and saying of someone "that guy lies like an (American) Indian". The latter is definitely unaceptable. ( I am not sure whether you are of native Am/Indian extraction; but even if you are not, this is a good comparison).

    At the end of the day, I just found your comment in bad taste.
     
    Last edited: Feb 6, 2011
    vishals, Feb 6, 2011 IP
  9. Senobia

    Senobia Notable Member

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    #9
    Well, if you're looking to find offense in things, you will rarely be disappointed.

    I assure you this is hardly the most or first distasteful post I have ever made and it's highly unlikely that it will be my last.

    Kindly step off your soapbox now. Your lesson in xenophobia was a fail. This post was about the inflated sense of self-importance that some buyers convey - and nothing more.
     
    Senobia, Feb 6, 2011 IP
  10. lightless

    lightless Notable Member

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    #10
    Umm ..... yes, I do get inflamed after reading some of those posts. Unreasonable demands, piss-poor pay, or both.
     
    lightless, Feb 17, 2011 IP
  11. Senobia

    Senobia Notable Member

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    #11
    ^^ This. /me nods.
     
    Senobia, Feb 17, 2011 IP
  12. guineapirate

    guineapirate Member

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    #12
    I've learned to just ignore jobs like that, most requests really aren't too bad, I actually appreciate it when people make their expectations clear, but some of them really do go overboard.

    I'm wondering Senobia, do you ever find worthwhile work on DP? I feel like I see you on a lot of WTB threads dissing the OP for their rates. I'm not trying to troll, I'm just curious as to why you stick around here when it seems like everybody's rates upset you.
     
    guineapirate, Feb 17, 2011 IP
  13. Senobia

    Senobia Notable Member

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    #13
    Absolutely. The majority of them contact me directly, without having posted a thread about their content needs. They are fantastic people and repeat clients.
     
    Senobia, Feb 17, 2011 IP
  14. awundrin

    awundrin Well-Known Member

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    #14
    You go girl! I by the way, think that the content creation section here at DP has turned into the new getafreelancer. Ha ha. Morons looking for slave laborers with their long lists of demands. Laughable and very sad at the same time.
     
    awundrin, Feb 19, 2011 IP
  15. Thales

    Thales Peon

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    #15
    Thales, Feb 19, 2011 IP
  16. Tekime

    Tekime Well-Known Member

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    #16
    Heh, yeah I hear you Senobia.

    Although it helps to be up-front and specific, sometimes sounding demanding, because of all the amateurish writers. A writer that takes the time to read your request, understands what you need, and doesn't get all huffy about it gets my attention. Many people will just send a one-liner message and you can tell they didn't even bother reading my request - they get ignored.

    But yeah some people are just jerks and expect the world delivered on a silver platter for $0.37. Penny-pinching grumpyfaces like that usually just screw themselves over in the end though, so I take some solace in that thought. :D
     
    Tekime, Feb 20, 2011 IP