Web careers, graphics and nasty rip off jobsters!

Gang,

thanks so much for replying and giving opinions on my post.
I will just cut and paste what I sent to our friend, mrs.Durham earlier 
regarding the working for free principle
----
I agree wholehearedtly, and it is NOT something I advocate, nor did I choose 
to work for free, without considerable thought and wrangling in my own head.
Really I was glad to do the Ezio thing for no money (though I got lots of 
benefits I would gladly pay for anyway) because I needed the references and 
URL examples.
I cannot prove to anyone my skills without a portfolio. If I had not helped 
out, Ezio would have had the poor merchandise site, I would have no 
references, no URL examples etc.
In this particular instance, I think I did the right thing.
The calls I get now are from people who have seen Ezios site and thought it 
wonderful (who have also fumlbed with frontpage and then seen what a real 
designer - not wishing to blow my own trumpet could do).
Personal reccomendation is the key in this business at present. So when Ezio, 
or one of the others I did "free" for reccomends me, I am in far better place 
to sell services. Don't get me wrong I don't advocate the free approach, but 
remember, at the time (last July) I was fresh out of University and needing 
experience. I think I made the right choice, though as you quite rightly 
point out, it is not an easy one, nor are there any perfect 
answers...............(please dont hate me!!)
-----------

I think that sums up my attitude rather well. 
As for having been ripped off a little, yes that happened too.
I went to a firm who sell programs to recruitment agencies (written in VB) 
who wanted to put an online version of the thing up.

Knowing little about the web they interviewed me (for a full time post there) 
asking how this would be done. keen to please I told them, no DHTML was not 
what they meant when they talked about having user inputs which then changed 
databases and page content, moreso it was CGI, in my opinion. I even answered 
how would they sell such a service to a business that was required by law to 
keep paper records of everything.
I thought I did rather well. Boom. Nope - BUT my suggestions had been taken 
on. Nice!!!

Also when I was attempting a masters degree I wanted to write the 
dissertation on Supermarkets business use of the Internet(my background is in 
marketing and business, NOT computing - which is why I guess I can see 
through alot of sillyness!!!). The supermarkets in question responded "No, we 
don't want to fund this research, but feel free to send us the results in 
three years". Thanks very much!! Vote of confidence eh?
 Two fingers to them I venture.

Anyway I am just sharing this stuff with you guys.

On the topic of BMP, RLE, GIF, JPEG, LOL,m ROFL and other such capital 
induced frenzies - I was a bit upset to hear that everything I had done on 
BMP was low end stuff. There was me thinking I was a whizz!!! Shhhhh - EPS 
from now on.

Also does anyone else despise Adobe products? I do. I find them the Microsoft 
equivalent of graphics. Endless features I dont want, complicated and over 
spec'd programs. Go away - I will use PSP thanks, and UUlead products seem 
the way for me.
Adobe the gigantic monolith of graphics, there is not enough abuse for them 
on this list!

Nah

I expect what is termed as "flames" to burn my Email in box with great flurry 
and spirit.
Nice one

Mr.Will

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