Are you respected?

Originally Posted by benklocek It would seem Nightmare, that you might be able to gain a little more respect for yourself if you behaved in a respect-worthy way.

some kid trying to tell me how to do my job because "i've coded my friend's myspace dude" is not respectable. disrespect warrents disrespect.

personally, i don't think people disrespect the job, but the people who do it. i don't really blame them either; coding a myspace/blog or owning a web site doesn't make you a web designer. i've done lots of landscape work on my parent house, i'm in no way a landscaper, i'm just doing the labour. the problem with the web design crowd, using that analogy, is everyone pretends they are anyways, so when the majority of stuff throw at you is done by a hack, you assume the average skill level is just that poor.

I am going to have to side with Julian. In fact, I have been doing a lot of web design work and about 1/5 of jobs, after completion, they perform a PayPal chargeback and call ME a thief. My prices are not too extraordinary.

Also, I had to tell someone that they had to pay GST on a $50 job and they were ticked, despite the fact that they lived in Canada. I told them that if they called me and I got an area code outside of Canada, then I would waive the GST (it's about $3, but it's government mandated). She called me from a number in Montreal, Quebec. How do you like that? At least I didn't have to charge them QST as well.

Originally Posted by The Coldwood I am going to have to side with Julian. In fact, I have been doing a lot of web design work and about 1/5 of jobs, after completion, they perform a PayPal chargeback and call ME a thief. My prices are not too extraordinary. Also, I had to tell someone that they had to pay GST on a $50 job and they were ticked, despite the fact that they lived in Canada. I told them that if they called me and I got an area code outside of Canada, then I would waive the GST (it's about $3, but it's government mandated). She called me from a number in Montreal, Quebec. How do you like that? At least I didn't have to charge them QST as well.

The client always thinks they are smarter than the person they are going to to do something they can't.

Originally Posted by The Coldwood I am going to have to side with Julian. In fact, I have been doing a lot of web design work and about 1/5 of jobs, after completion, they perform a PayPal chargeback and call ME a thief. My prices are not too extraordinary.

this is another thing that pollutes the public opinion of design. what real business do you know takes paypal? i can't buy furniture with paypal, or cars, or even food.

odds are pretty high you people using paypal are doing so because you have no other way to transfer money. if you aren't issuing actual invoices/receipts, charging cards directly or cashing cheques/direct deposits, performing like the majority of standard business, you really can't complain when people don't treat you like one. and before i get a birrage of "i'm only 16 i can't do that", etc, that's also why you don't get treated like a serious business.

Originally Posted by derek lapp this is another thing that pollutes the public opinion of design. what real business do you know takes paypal? i can't buy furniture with paypal, or cars, or even food. odds are pretty high you people using paypal are doing so because you have no other way to transfer money. if you aren't issuing actual invoices/receipts, charging cards directly or cashing cheques/direct deposits, performing like the majority of standard business, you really can't complain when people don't treat you like one. and before i get a birrage of "i'm only 16 i can't do that", etc, that's also why you don't get treated like a serious business.

He is 19. But yes, if you are serious about design and you feel like you are ready to become a professional, then you better use invoices, contracts, and another way to transfer money than PayPal such as wire transfers.

yeah, i'm not knocking him because of his age or anything, but i think it's a strong example of why the general public doesn't take this profession as seriously: because he is young and as a teenager you can't be experienced in the real business world. not like that.

why people think it's easy and isn't a real skill is beyond me though.

I only deal with clients via face to face contact or phone calls initially, emails after that for general business. I ALWAYS get a contract before I even start work, I ALWAYS do a client needs analysis review before I quote prices, I ALWAYS invoice and deal with cheques/cash.

Using paypal, for your main method of funds transfer, and such like, is an instant way to possibly look (and possibly be treated) amateur i'm afraid.

Originally Posted by Julian Using paypal, for your main method of funds transfer, and such like, is an instant way to possibly look (and possibly be treated) amateur i'm afraid.

Online + Paypal is a fast way to make a buck. I don't really care if some guy in England or China thinks I'm an amateur really.

Originally Posted by Bennett Online + Paypal is a fast way to make a buck.

that's why no one respects the job.

Originally Posted by derek lapp this is another thing that pollutes the public opinion of design. what real business do you know takes paypal? i can't buy furniture with paypal, or cars, or even food.

Hmmm....lets see....Dell...GoDaddy...those seem pretty real to me.

I highly doubt a web designer is going to be assessed based on the payment method accepted.