Comments on: Pay-per-Content Versus Free: Char James-Tanny and Bill Swallow at the STC Summit in Dallas, #stc10 http://idratherbewriting.com/2010/05/07/pay-per-content-versus-free-char-james-tanny-and-billow-swallow-at-stc-summit-in-dallas/ The Latest Trends in Technical Communication Sun, 27 May 2012 09:07:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Tom Johnson http://idratherbewriting.com/2010/05/07/pay-per-content-versus-free-char-james-tanny-and-billow-swallow-at-stc-summit-in-dallas/comment-page-1/#comment-151212 Tom Johnson Thu, 13 May 2010 13:23:16 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=6237#comment-151212 Both forms of compensation you mention would probably work for most people, especially the first. I think a lot of people would love to play a content curator role similar to the guide role on About.com. It's not just raw content creation here. It's the compilation of portal like views into an aggregation of content on a specific theme. Both forms of compensation you mention would probably work for most people, especially the first. I think a lot of people would love to play a content curator role similar to the guide role on About.com. It’s not just raw content creation here. It’s the compilation of portal like views into an aggregation of content on a specific theme.

]]> By: Tom Johnson http://idratherbewriting.com/2010/05/07/pay-per-content-versus-free-char-james-tanny-and-billow-swallow-at-stc-summit-in-dallas/comment-page-1/#comment-151207 Tom Johnson Thu, 13 May 2010 13:09:49 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=6237#comment-151207 I'm sure of that as well. I’m sure of that as well.

]]> By: Andrea Wenger http://idratherbewriting.com/2010/05/07/pay-per-content-versus-free-char-james-tanny-and-billow-swallow-at-stc-summit-in-dallas/comment-page-1/#comment-151201 Andrea Wenger Thu, 13 May 2010 03:05:05 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=6237#comment-151201 I should add that I'd expect all BoK content to be free to members, since it's generated by members. I should add that I’d expect all BoK content to be free to members, since it’s generated by members.

]]> By: Andrea Wenger http://idratherbewriting.com/2010/05/07/pay-per-content-versus-free-char-james-tanny-and-billow-swallow-at-stc-summit-in-dallas/comment-page-1/#comment-151164 Andrea Wenger Wed, 12 May 2010 04:20:56 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=6237#comment-151164 Tom, good point about writers being reluctant to contribute if they won't profit but the Society will. What if your name were associated with the content you provided, along with a link to your blog? Would the publicity and recognition be fair compensation? Another option would be to treat the work as a charitable contribution that you could deduct from your taxes (in the U.S., at least -- not sure what the laws are in other countries). Tom, good point about writers being reluctant to contribute if they won’t profit but the Society will. What if your name were associated with the content you provided, along with a link to your blog? Would the publicity and recognition be fair compensation? Another option would be to treat the work as a charitable contribution that you could deduct from your taxes (in the U.S., at least — not sure what the laws are in other countries).

]]> By: Tom Johnson http://idratherbewriting.com/2010/05/07/pay-per-content-versus-free-char-james-tanny-and-billow-swallow-at-stc-summit-in-dallas/comment-page-1/#comment-151129 Tom Johnson Tue, 11 May 2010 15:30:42 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=6237#comment-151129 It made me realize that TechSmith's main audience isn't technical communicators. There was a general lack of Summit sessions on video, and TechSmith's absence in the expo reinforced the idea to me that the number of technical communicators who produce video tutorials is pretty small. So who is TechSmith's main audience? What conference did TechSmith attend instead? It made me realize that TechSmith’s main audience isn’t technical communicators. There was a general lack of Summit sessions on video, and TechSmith’s absence in the expo reinforced the idea to me that the number of technical communicators who produce video tutorials is pretty small. So who is TechSmith’s main audience? What conference did TechSmith attend instead?

]]> By: Chris McQueen http://idratherbewriting.com/2010/05/07/pay-per-content-versus-free-char-james-tanny-and-billow-swallow-at-stc-summit-in-dallas/comment-page-1/#comment-151121 Chris McQueen Tue, 11 May 2010 14:02:03 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=6237#comment-151121 Indeed, next time I'm out to see my folks in Utah we'll have to grab a hot chocolate. I know skipping the show was a tough choice for TechSmith; hopefully we can see some growth in the STC conference attendance and make a case to be there again. Thanks for the coverage of the show, it was really nice to hear some of the conversations. Indeed, next time I’m out to see my folks in Utah we’ll have to grab a hot chocolate.

I know skipping the show was a tough choice for TechSmith; hopefully we can see some growth in the STC conference attendance and make a case to be there again. Thanks for the coverage of the show, it was really nice to hear some of the conversations.

]]> By: Tom Johnson http://idratherbewriting.com/2010/05/07/pay-per-content-versus-free-char-james-tanny-and-billow-swallow-at-stc-summit-in-dallas/comment-page-1/#comment-151113 Tom Johnson Tue, 11 May 2010 13:50:22 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=6237#comment-151113 Hi Amy, thanks for the feedback on the videocasts. The STC Summit is a great conference to attend. Next year it will be in Sacramento. If you attend it, let me know. Maybe I could interview you for a videocast. :) Hi Amy, thanks for the feedback on the videocasts. The STC Summit is a great conference to attend. Next year it will be in Sacramento. If you attend it, let me know. Maybe I could interview you for a videocast. :)

]]> By: Tom Johnson http://idratherbewriting.com/2010/05/07/pay-per-content-versus-free-char-james-tanny-and-billow-swallow-at-stc-summit-in-dallas/comment-page-1/#comment-151112 Tom Johnson Tue, 11 May 2010 13:49:08 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=6237#comment-151112 Chris, one of these days we'll have to meet. Thanks for giving your thoughts on this topic. I wasn't aware of the eLearning Guild model, so I'll have to check it out. I also liked your Tim O'Reilly quote about providing more value than one is capturing. I do think that it's a viable model. By the way, I missed TechSmith's booth among the vendors in the Expo. I wish they could have been there, but as I understand it there was another competing conference that they attended instead. Oh well. Chris, one of these days we’ll have to meet. Thanks for giving your thoughts on this topic. I wasn’t aware of the eLearning Guild model, so I’ll have to check it out. I also liked your Tim O’Reilly quote about providing more value than one is capturing. I do think that it’s a viable model.

By the way, I missed TechSmith’s booth among the vendors in the Expo. I wish they could have been there, but as I understand it there was another competing conference that they attended instead. Oh well.

]]> By: Tom Johnson http://idratherbewriting.com/2010/05/07/pay-per-content-versus-free-char-james-tanny-and-billow-swallow-at-stc-summit-in-dallas/comment-page-1/#comment-151110 Tom Johnson Tue, 11 May 2010 13:43:44 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=6237#comment-151110 Thanks for commenting, Andrea. Another question is how the STC will find writers willing to create substantive content for free behind an STC paywall. In other words, my motivation to write an article -- that another group receives compensation for -- drastically diminishes if I know the other group is profiting off of my work, while I get nothing in return. I think Wikipedia works in part because it's a completely free model. I'm interested to see how the Body of Knowledge plays out. I do want to see it succeed. Apart from models with the STC, I've thought about pay versus free models for podcasts. Every once in a while I think I'll start up a pro and lite model for my podcast, but that idea never seems to take off, and very few podcasts are successful with it. Thanks for commenting, Andrea. Another question is how the STC will find writers willing to create substantive content for free behind an STC paywall. In other words, my motivation to write an article — that another group receives compensation for — drastically diminishes if I know the other group is profiting off of my work, while I get nothing in return. I think Wikipedia works in part because it’s a completely free model. I’m interested to see how the Body of Knowledge plays out. I do want to see it succeed.

Apart from models with the STC, I’ve thought about pay versus free models for podcasts. Every once in a while I think I’ll start up a pro and lite model for my podcast, but that idea never seems to take off, and very few podcasts are successful with it.

]]> By: Tom Johnson http://idratherbewriting.com/2010/05/07/pay-per-content-versus-free-char-james-tanny-and-billow-swallow-at-stc-summit-in-dallas/comment-page-1/#comment-151098 Tom Johnson Tue, 11 May 2010 12:41:54 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=6237#comment-151098 Thanks for being such a good camera man, Paul. You were really helpful. Thanks for being such a good camera man, Paul. You were really helpful.

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