Hi everyone!
It's getting easier and easier to spot the benefits of Web3.0 over Web2 these days, especially since there is story after story of constant exploitation by Web2 platforms.
For those that aren't sure, Web3.0 describes a site, usually attached to a blockchain, where the members of the network all benefit from the network expanding... whereas Web2 is all about the advertiser model where a company benefits off the backs of its contributors.
IGN.com made waves recently when they broadcast these absolutely appalling pay rates:
Followed up by:
Source
IGN.com is a gaming magazine owned by Ziff Davis whose Digital Media brought in over a billion dollars in revenue last year.
Of course, IGN can get away with these rates because their contributors are classified as Freelancers instead of Employees, which means they can pay well under minimum wage. The $20 payment is likely for a 1500-2500 word article... whereas the multi-source articles would likely take days and a lot of drafts to get right.
It's honestly outrageous, and another great example of an industry that will not pay fairly when people love that industry. There are thousands of stories of the gaming industry absolutely taking advantage of their staff simply because they can. Another reason why unionization can help the workers in particular industries.
The World Freelance Journalist Union have put together a document of different publications that take submissions from Freelancers and their rate of pay. There is a huge variation here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Y4E2TBUsQlvSVzHq6SoXwarS4yFnWIkML15C-mv6YA4/edit#gid=0
Vox.com apparently offers $1000, which is, ah, more than $20.
I mean, I get it, getting posted on a big site is exciting. Knowing that thousands of people might enjoy your work is a wonderful feeling... but feelings just will not pay your bills.
The worst part... IGN.com has had more engagement due to this controversy:
Source
Compare IGN to a Web3 competitor in the HIVE gaming community:
The Hive Gaming community has given out nearly half a million dollars to authors and curators, while according to @geekgirl's post the Hive blockchain in it's entirely has paid out nearly $18 million in the 2 years since it broke away from Steem.
Obviously IGN gets way more views than Hive Gaming does... but everyone who contributes to Hive Gaming wins. The authors, the voters, the consumers, the investors, the witnesses, everyone. On IGN.com, you might be getting good articles, but also a ton of ads.
This IGN post about a beloved comedian dying had at least 9 advertisements flashing at you. That's not super pleasant for the consumers who were saddened by the news. How much was each reader's data tracked and sold on to advertisers? We'll never know...
Most of the articles currently trending in Hive Gaming are paying out way more than what IGN is offering:
Source
The authors on Hive Gaming get to make a name and reputation for themselves, and obviously there are hundreds of other communities if gaming isn't quite your thing. Writing for a publication you do all the work, get paid virtually nothing, and the only proof that you had anything to do with it is your name at the top and a sentence at the end. On the Hive blockchain people can follow you if they like your work so you'll appear in their feed. It's a great system.
There will always be a place for professional publications like IGN, but I have no doubt that eventually journalists will stop contributing to predatory payers and build their own brand where they can be much more fairly rewarded for their efforts.
Thanks for reading!
