Things Contractors should know, research for articles

[SueEllen]

I think an article about how to post on public forums without getting too savaged would be a good one.

[DimPrawn]

Currently trending on CUK......


1. £600 BBQ that looks like a giant green egg.
2. Being fluent in German after only 7 pints of strong ale.
3. God can heal the sick, but can't grow back limbs.
4. We believe in Global Warming because it's been cold for ten years.


I think there's plenty to be going on with.

[Dominic Connor]

I have been 'invited' by an agent to contribute a chapter to a book about testing. The agent starts by saying I've been selected as a recognised expert in the testing field (first he licks my arse so I know he's going to ask for something), then says this will help to raise my profile as a testing expert in the market. I suspect he actually wants me to help raise his profile in the market in return for the princely sum of 0.00 euros.

Writing about tech even for money is not a good route to getting rich.

It can be good marketing though. If you and some mates put together a competent book on a subject then it can give you credibility, especially if you want to move from one man band contracting to putting a team together to get a larger lump of work and a bit more money.

If you're resting between contracts or the work is slowing down then its a valid choice of doing something about it.

Also as someone who has written as well as done IT I will share that it helps you work through gaps and depths in topics even if it is one you have a lot of experience with.

You don't need an agent for that, though some sort of referee/editor is necessary. I know a decent commssioning editor at Wiley (big firm in this space do ...for Dummies, and lots of other stuff) if you want to do something about this ,or just self publish, cutting out the middleman is not alien to contractors is it ?

Round numbers a good book could make you 20-30K shared between the writers, (that's an average whose distribution includes zero) which is a piss poor rate, but it can buy you a bit of stability and a rate increase.

[Bunk]

Currently trending on CUK......


1. £600 BBQ that looks like a giant green egg.
2. Being fluent in German after only 7 pints of strong ale.
3. God can heal the sick, but can't grow back limbs.
4. We believe in Global Warming because it's been cold for ten years.


I think there's plenty to be going on with.

It's enough to make anyone go perm

What happened to this place?

[vetran]

I'm slightly disappointed by the quality of abuse I've received from SueEllen, perhaps I could give some examples of abuse I have received and treasured ?

Professor Baroness Susan Greenfield, then Director of the Royal Institution, world authority on neurophysiology referred to me publicly as an "autistic Daily Mail reader"

Yes I'm frequently confused by her comments, its a discussion board and when we discuss things she doesn't agree with she makes comments like that. Sometimes though she can be quite sweet.

The Baroness should fit right in here, the DM is seen as the work of the Devil by many posters. Strange they normally report the interesting stories.

Not Mr Cleese's best work then, I always preferred the other Pythons, Cleese always seemed a bit up himself.

[mudskipper]

So I'm interested in things of interest to contractors, wannabe contractors, pimps, managers of contractors and their wives.

Do you mean the wives of the managers, or the wives of the contractors? It probably would help if you expressed yourself less ambiguously, otherwise we can't tell if you're sexist towards contractors, or just their managers?

Hmmm, so how about an article on sexism in IT?

(I did enjoy your last article. I think ICT abuse would be a good topic.)

[SueEllen]

Writing about tech even for money is not a good route to getting rich.

It can be good marketing though. If you and some mates put together a competent book on a subject then it can give you credibility, especially if you want to move from one man band contracting to putting a team together to get a larger lump of work and a bit more money.

If you're resting between contracts or the work is slowing down then its a valid choice of doing something about it.

Also as someone who has written as well as done IT I will share that it helps you work through gaps and depths in topics even if it is one you have a lot of experience with.

You don't need an agent for that, though some sort of referee/editor is necessary. I know a decent commssioning editor at Wiley (big firm in this space do ...for Dummies, and lots of other stuff) if you want to do something about this ,or just self publish, cutting out the middleman is not alien to contractors is it ?

Round numbers a good book could make you 20-30K shared between the writers, (that's an average whose distribution includes zero) which is a piss poor rate, but it can buy you a bit of stability and a rate increase.

Being a sexist winker pisses female posters on here off.

Then again most sexist winkers are too thick to realise if you insult someone they aren't going to be friendly to you.

And the advice you are giving out on here isn't helpful its stuff we know already.

[TheFaQQer]

Professor Baroness Susan Greenfield, then Director of the Royal Institution, world authority on neurophysiology referred to me publicly as an "autistic Daily Mail reader"

Did you explain that you'd had the MMR jab?

[Spacecadet]

Writing about tech even for money is not a good route to getting rich.

I'll second that

Unless you can churn out articles very quickly then you'll find that writing a purely tech article will earn about £50 per days worth of effort

El Reg pays a bit more but still not as much as a junior first line support gig

[SueEllen]

Do you mean the wives of the managers, or the wives of the contractors? It probably would help if you expressed yourself less ambiguously, otherwise we can't tell if you're sexist towards contractors, or just their managers?

Hmmm, so how about an article on sexism in IT?

(I did enjoy your last article. I think ICT abuse would be a good topic.)

In his article he openly admits he doesn't know female contractors so he would have a problem writing such an article.