Writers' Guild of America strike

[tielan]

Doubtless everyone who's interested in this knows about this already.

Joss Whedon has something to say about the Writers Guild of America strike.

I have an interest in this because I have cherished (largely fantastic) dreams of someday being published. Or having a screenplay accepted. And I would like to be paid for when a network makes money off any part of my work no matter how the money is made.

If money is made off regular television-screen advertising that is sold during the screening of something I wrote, I would like to be paid appropriately for that.

If money is made off regular printed-page sales of something I wrote, I would like to be paid appropriately for that.

If money is made off internet advertising that is sold for display during the internet screening of something I wrote, I would like to be appropriately paid for that.

If money is made off the psychic waves that the cadence and tone of something I wrote which causes people to randomly give large sums of money to the networks - guess what? I would like to be appropriately paid for that too!

As long as someone is making money off my work (and, yes, internet advertising is "making money off the work being displayed", no matter how "new and uncharted" the internet is being touted by the networks fighting the WGA), I would like to be paid.

In terms that someone who works a 40-hour week might comprehend, the networks want to take away a writer's overtime pay, but they still want the writers to work overtime. Do writers work? Well, how about we get the 40-hour-a-week worker to put together an effective and original story that appeals to the masses, creating their own universe - all using their own phrasing, give them a deadline, and ask them just how "easy" writing is?

Doubtless this is blogging to the choir - there isn't anyone reading this who hasn't already seen this before or thought this themselves. But I think it bears saying.

wiliqueen has a post. So does sgcbearcub. unanon posted a link to wonderfungus's LJ with some thoughts. And the awesome dduane has several posts on the matter.

Comments

[viciouswishes.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I see the WGA strike as a symptom of the entire state of the work force in the US. Only those with PH.D.s and M.D.s are still gaining in pay and only at like 1% at that. Employers don't want to pay for the skills their employees have and they especially don't want to pay overtime. And don't even get me started on the internet... I'm a web designer and 90% of the people I work with, including high ups, have no idea what I do or what a fair compensation should be. I wish everyone would stop thinking that the internet is some newfangled device. I've been using it for over 10 years already and I didn't start using it until the internet was being mass marketed with companies like AOL. That's not new. New technologies and improvements, yes, but the internet has been around for a while.

In short, I fully support the WGA.

[viciouswishes.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I see the WGA strike as a symptom of the entire state of the work force in the US. Only those with PH.D.s and M.D.s are still gaining in pay and only at like 1% at that. Employers don't want to pay for the skills their employees have and they especially don't want to pay overtime. And don't even get me started on the internet... I'm a web designer and 90% of the people I work with, including high ups, have no idea what I do or what a fair compensation should be. I wish everyone would stop thinking that the internet is some newfangled device. I've been using it for over 10 years already and I didn't start using it until the internet was being mass marketed with companies like AOL. That's not new. New technologies and improvements, yes, but the internet has been around for a while.

In short, I fully support the WGA.