Since designers are just pretend professionals in a pretend profession, Slashdot has decided to throw us a bone and let us do some important work for them for free. And if they really, really like our work, they might pay one of us a pittance in exchange for our pretend professional services.</sarcasm>
Instead of purchasing a quality product from a quality professional, Slashdot is trying to get something they desperately need for next to nothing. And in doing so, they insult an entire profession and involve likely a host of individuals in an exercise of juvenile and unprofessional behavior. I guess they are to be congratulated on "professional services" so cheaply bought.
So long as designers let individuals and organizations take advantage of us with "redesign contests," and other euphemisms for spec/free work designers will perpetuate the idea that design is a pretend profession. Every irresponsible designer who allows this to happen and participates in these demeaning contests does considerable harm to themselves and to their fellow designers. The design profession is harmed and wronged by this junk and those who participate deserve our scorn and contempt.
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