Pondering

You all know about the place that hired me and then laid me off, right? Well, you would if you read this thing. Anyway, so, after they laid me off, I started doing my thing with Crescent Moon Design Studio again, and I posted a link to the work I had done for this other company. I mean, the guy said that he wanted to consider everything I had done for company as "contract work," even though that was never intimated to me at any point during the working relationship. Well, I took that to mean that, if I did the work as a contract worker, then that means that it is part of my portfolio as a designer and writer, so I posted a link to the work from my web site. That is acceptable. Anyway, so then the guy wants me to write something for his blog: a bunch of short news snippets for the tech industry, et cetera, and I do it and send it to him. Don't hear from him for a couple of days. I go to his web site a few days later, and, lo and behold! There is a new "News" link on his main page. Only, it's not what I sent him... well, it is... PART of it. Out of the context I wrote it in, it makes no sense. To top that off, it was not attributed to me (although, seeing how he mangled it, I am almost glad that it wasn't). Anyway, so then, a few days after that (I was trying to figure out a way to tell him to either remove the article or put it up as a whole with my name on it [and PAY me for it]) I get an e-mail from this guy. He informs me that, although the work I did was appreciated, the work was done by his company, not mine, so I needed to take the link down.

Now, this is WRONG on multiple levels. One, as a freelancer, you make your bread and butter by word of mouth, references, and your portfolio. If I was a contract employee for them this entire time, then that means that all the work I did can be referenced in my portfolio. I did the work. Yes, subcontracted through his company, but *I* did the work. Two, even though I was paid for the work, it was a pittance of what it was worth. I mean, search engine optimization is big business these days. I know what people will pay for this kind of thing, and it sure as heck is more than $500 or so. Thirdly, all the content writing I did for the company is uncredited unless I have that link. Now, that wouldn't bother me if we had all signed an agreement stating such, but we didn't. And, according to the terms of service I posted on my web site, I can use any work I do as promotional material unless asked not to in writing and both parties sign the agreement. Since I was never an "employee," I can use my work any way I want to so that I can generate more work.

In other news... I am getting better. I can speak normally now, and my nose isn't running like a spring branch, nor is it stuffed up like January in the middle of the Klondyke. I am hoping to be well enough to sing Saturday for band practice, but we'll see.

Tomorrow, I have to take these disks up to a client in Sandpoint and get paid. I should go to the bar and talk to them, but I don't feel like it. I know I won't later. At any rate, my friend, Dave, is helping me make some band posters for the New Year's gig, which is going to help me out ALOT. (Thanks, Dave!)

La la lalala

I came down with a cold just in time for a gig we had on Friday. I am still not feeling up to par. I actually lost my voice for three days following the gig. I am now resting, but I am distraught, because we may have another set of gigs on December 17th and 18th in Libby, Montana, and we have already been booked for New Years' Eve. I am just afraid to sing or talk at all for fear that I will mess my voice up, but I have to practice, too. Yipes! It's a catch-22 if I ever saw one.