Editor,
Regarding your recent column “Weather or not:”
I can honestly say that we at Demand Media are open to criticism and skepticism that accompanies people’s views of our model, especially folks outside the tech world. The reason why I’m writing you today is to point out that, in your criticism of us in your piece contains some inaccuracies. Was there any research done to be able to legitimize a statement like the one below:
“Outfits like Demand Studios and eHow pay untrained, unaccountable ‘content providers’ pennies to quickly generate sketchy articles tailor–made to appear at the top of the results for specific search terms. The value or accuracy of the article is irrelevant – its only purpose is to garner page views.”
If fact–checking or research was done, then it would reflect the fact that Demand Studios and eHow are owned by the same company, Demand Media. Demand Studios is the content creation side of our business and eHow.com is one of the media sites that we own.
Currently, eHow does allow anyone to sign up and write articles that are published to the site and that content is policed by the community. We also have professionally produced articles and videos that are vetted through our Studio process that reside on eHow.com as well.
While both types of articles reside together, side–by–side on the site, eHow articles created by everyday people have the byline “User–Submitted Article” while articles created by Demand Studios writers have the byline “eHow Contributing Writer.”
Secondly, our flat fee payments to our DS writers range from $15 an hour (on the lower end) and scale up from there depending on the assignment and we pay twice weekly in addition to offering health care to our freelance creators.
One would also uncover the fact that the freelancers that we have in the Demand Studios community have to apply, submit applications and also receive a writing/editing test (for those applying for the position of a copy editor).
Writing for Demand Studios is not a job for someone who has never written or someone who is lacking in writing expertise.
Wadooah Wali
Senior Director, Communications
Demand Media
This article appears in Dec 23-29, 2009.
Wadooah Wali, although I applaud your response, Demand Studios pays $15 per article, not per hour.
Demand Studios is rigorous in fact checking each and every article produced by a Demand Studios writer. Pity Connect Savannah doesn’t do the same.
So you’re saying Wali didn’t fact check his own letter, yes?
Oh, please, Demand Media. Take a look at the fighting–yes, fighting–on your own eHow forums right this minute. Here is just one example:
http://bit.ly/4Gvw65
Your writers are up in arms, your “health insurance” is a joke, and your “vetted” articles include instructions for how to pass a drug test if you smoked pot or crack last weekend.
I can’t even allow my 12-year-old to visit eHow because of all the porn there.
Don’t believe me? Google a few choice terms and add site:ehow.com. Like what you see, Wali? You DID want to learn to perform oral *ex properly…right?
Good to know you are helping crackheads keep their jobs driving liquid oxygen delivery trucks by passing their drug tests, and teaching little kids how to do the wild thing.
You people are out of control. This can be verified by visiting your own sites and reading the REAL content on your forums.
Cat’s out of the bag, and you’re just sticking your finger in the dam with these blog comments, Wali. Too little, too late. eHow won’t last through 2010.