Very interesting article and list discussion... I completely agree with the
squashing of discussion rates and prices on the list, because of the
potential problems, even when the questions are benign.  When I first set my
prices, I went out on the web and searched to find what others charged for
similar services, and then said to my self, "Self, that's a little higher
than I thought, I think I'll go a little lower."  Taken to its logical
extreme, could it be that publicly publishing prices could be a form or
price fixing?  Is it price fixing if I ask what someone's price is and I set
mine to be the same?  Depending on the answers to these questions, it may
dictate how I or anyone disseminates information about their prices.

What I thoroughly disagree with, though, is the complete ban on discussing
anything having to do with money.  To say "I just bought X software for $10"
or "My new X computer only cost $1200!" and get blasted for that is
ridiculous.  The discussions about cheapest domain name registrars, web
presence providers, or ISPs, that cannot include prices, are the ones that
most notably come to mind.  I can hear the argument, "ban it all, and no one
has to worry."   But I don't buy it.  What is sad is that we feel the need
to have such a restriction to fend off any hypothetical law suit.  That's
what's really sad.

-------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Mount, Software Engineer            steve(at)saltyrain.com
Home Site                            http://www.saltyrain.com
US Constitution Online          http://www.usconstitution.net
Clear your Soul            http://www.anonymousconfession.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Isenberg" <disenberg(at)GigaLaw.com>
To: <hwg-business(at)hwg.org>
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2002 10:37 AM
Subject: On Many Web Sites, Comparing Salaries Raises Legal Fears


> The HTML Writers Guild's policy on discussions about salaries on this list
> is included in an interesting column in today's Washington Post, headlined
> "On Many Web Sites, Comparing Salaries Raises Legal Fears."  The column is
> linked from today's issue of GigaLaw.com Daily News,
> http://www.gigalaw.com/news
>
> This topic also was recently discussed on the GigaLaw.com Discussion List;
> see the thread that starts at
> http://www.gigalaw.com/archives/0112/gigalaw-discuss-0112-00004.html
>
> Doug Isenberg, Esq.
> Editor & Publisher, GigaLaw.com (http://www.GigaLaw.com)

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