job pay Motza, VSN, and Uncapped TPE: The Saga of Job Pay Continues...

[Motzaburger 1,590]

In recent light of the job pay changes, I wanted the community to have a glimpse into my job with VSN (and a little more garbage included). 

 

I have made over 120 graphics since I joined VSN on the week ending Nov. 24, 2019. I started at 2 TPE, which I continued to claim (and not complain) until after 4 weeks, when Frosty alerted me I could claim 8 TPE for the job. 

 

Time for some fun math.

 

2 TPE x 4 weeks = 8 TPE

8 TPE x 22 weeks (until present day claims) = 176 TPE

 

Total job pay over 26 weeks (until present day) = 184 TPE

 

Now, I have made a ton of graphics. Some fast, some not even remotely fast. Some using a template so I don't take several more hours than I'd like. My point being, each one still takes time. And when you look at all of the graphics I have done (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pab5qdsUUEKjQAMjKI3mUdSu43V2Dwbp?usp=sharing) this is a lot of time spent. I don't keep track of hours but maybe hours is the best way to associate TPE to a job (?). There's no doubt in my mind, I've spent hundreds and hundreds of hours. 

 

I have also added about 10-20 files in that folder for which I was never given pay from the league (ain't that cute  ) and graphics that I made that were never used for VSN. I did my best to keep the images out that I got paid for. I was going to post all the imgur links in here for dramatic effect, but after writing all this, I'm far too lazy to do so. 

 

A little more math, based on the 6 TPE point task - if you're curious, ask me why I did this and I can unleash the gauntlet on you. 

 

132 graphics x 6 TPE = 792 TPE

 

And some more math to show you the difference between my pay, and what it is worth. 

 

792 TPE - 176 TPE = 616 TPE

 

This sheds a little light on how 'employees' can be abused in their job pay in the VHL without a proper analyses. 

 

Now, let me clear this up, I don't demand 616 TPE. I understand the job is for a set amount each week and that's the benefit - the consistent flow of TPE. However, I don't get paid enough. This also speaks to an idea of maximum work thresholds for this job, or any given job in the VHL. 

 

Now for the extra things I have done for the league on the side, I have been told "claim it as a PT" or that I get nothing: it's "just to help me with something". Well c'mon. From day 1 I've asked for uncapped TPE from these extra things (almost always last minute as well) and I have been told "no" over and over again because they "can't just give away TPE". Only recently, have I been able to scrape a few extra uncapped TPE for some of my work. That being said, and sorry Beav, look at HHH's claims and tell me you can't just give away uncapped TPE???

 

At times I can handle the graphics, at times it's a struggle because like you all know, we have real lives to live and much more important priorities than a sim league. Sometimes life is in the way and it's not easy to make it on here. 

 

Once again, I'm not asking for 616 TPE, I'm asking for fairness in pay for my job for all the time I pour into it, and fairness in what is allowed for uncapped TPE for extra work. 

 

A few more rants and take homes:

• Demanding several changes to a graphic, over and over, is not fun nor easy for the designer - we can't read your minds
• Don't tell the designer how to make everything look unless you can make better graphics or something is really off
• We don't just click a button, and poof! changes made
• Logo work is extremely tedious and is easily 10x longer than 'regular' images (was a real slap in the face to make logos for 6 TPE or less when giving the VHL rights to an image)
• If I haven't been paid for my work yet and it's not the VHL's property yet, don't send it off to other people to make changes without permission - actually illegal  
• We need time before to get thinking, and need time to make things
• Even if we are more experienced using Photoshop, or whatever, doesn't mean it's easier and we deserve less
• Audit HHH
  • How many TPE should be attributed to his job (like all my extra work) instead of being claimed as uncapped?
  • Is all of this working actually taking that much time that deserves uncapped? If yes, give me my 616 TPE uncapped. 
  • Another example of a commissioner/blue member getting immense benefits as compared the everyone else?
  • Maybe this can force the higher ups to make a uncapped TPE scaled based on time spent and the task type, rather than subjectivity of the one person whose deciding the job's worth?

 

I'm not writing this to stay here and argue, I'm just laying down the facts as I've lived them to promote some positive change for the site (for other job pay as well). 

 

Have a nice Sunday everyone  

 

@BOG @VSN

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

My quick reaction is that another logo person needs to be hired, not that the pay should be changed.

[Baozi 1,638]

Huh that is an interesting comparison since PT wise you'd only have the opportunity to make 156 TPE over 26 weeks. Also didn't know you made that many vsn related graphics over that same time period. Also my initial thought it that someone else needs to be hired for logo making so you're not doing essentially 6x times the work.

Edited May 17, 2020 by tfong

[Doomsday 4,069]

Might also want to consider looking at this from the standpoint of writers as well. I routinely have written articles that, if they were media spots, I would be able to claim for a solid month. Instead, I need to have a new one ready the next week. That's a lot of lost TPE per article if I had simply just made them a media spot.

 

The most frustrating part is that our passion for the VHL is being taken advantage of. We would be better off just posting our work as regular members, but we enjoy what we do and it is being abused. Our concerns are routinely met with indifference and a lack of concern, and, frankly, this bothers me. 

Edited May 17, 2020 by Doomsday

[Gustav 6,195]

55 minutes ago, Doomsday said:

Might also want to consider looking at this from the standpoint of writers as well. I routinely have written articles that, if they were media spots, I would be able to claim for a solid month. Instead, I need to have a new one ready the next week. That's a lot of lost TPE per article if I had simply just made them a media spot.

 

The most frustrating part is that our passion for the VHL is being taken advantage of. We would be better off just posting our work as regular members, but we enjoy what we do and it is being abused. Our concerns are routinely met with indifference and a lack of concern, and, frankly, this bothers me. 

 

This is why I have, for a very long time, pushed for a multi-claim system for VSN writers. The standard should not be 3,000 words a week. That's ridiculous. I do that for fun on occasion, but can't imagine being required to do it every single week and always multi-claim when I don't really feel like writing or when I don't have the time.

 

What I'd like to know is this: who made it the standard? Who ever said that you need to pump out four weeks' worth of content every single week? As far as I know nobody did; it's work that many VSN writers choose to bring upon themselves. And that's great--we can't say that VSN articles are just glorified 500-word media spots anymore. But if nobody is saying "you need to put out a novel every week," nobody is taking advantage of you if that's what you are indeed doing. 

 

If you, as a writer, are putting out huge articles, you should be allowed to multi-claim them, and that's something that I have always hated about VSN. I have no idea what's happening with VSN these days; I was only briefly (and only very remotely) affiliated with it. I don't know who's deciding the standards, whether it's someone official, or if it's Frosty, or if it's just an unspoken agreement among the workers. 3000 words per week should, in no realistic situation, be the standard. You want 3000 words to be the standard? Do it every 3-4 weeks. You should be allowed to and I don't know why that's never been a thing.

 

TL;DR:

1. If nobody but the people of VSN is saying that the workload needs to be ridiculous, then VSN is not being oppressed because they have a ridiculous workload.

2. VSN should adopt a multi-claiming system to make things realistic if huge articles are the standard.

Edited May 17, 2020 by GustavMattias

[gorlab 4,321]

#auditHHH

[Doomsday 4,069]

45 minutes ago, GustavMattias said:

 

This is why I have, for a very long time, pushed for a multi-claim system for VSN writers. The standard should not be 3,000 words a week. That's ridiculous. I do that for fun on occasion, but can't imagine being required to do it every single week and always multi-claim when I don't really feel like writing or when I don't have the time.

 

What I'd like to know is this: who made it the standard? Who ever said that you need to pump out four weeks' worth of content every single week? As far as I know nobody did; it's work that many VSN writers choose to bring upon themselves. And that's great--we can't say that VSN articles are just glorified 500-word media spots anymore. But if nobody is saying "you need to put out a novel every week," nobody is taking advantage of you if that's what you are indeed doing. 

 

If you, as a writer, are putting out huge articles, you should be allowed to multi-claim them, and that's something that I have always hated about VSN. I have no idea what's happening with VSN these days; I was only briefly (and only very remotely) affiliated with it. I don't know who's deciding the standards, whether it's someone official, or if it's Frosty, or if it's just an unspoken agreement among the workers. 3000 words per week should, in no realistic situation, be the standard. You want 3000 words to be the standard? Do it every 3-4 weeks. You should be allowed to and I don't know why that's never been a thing.

 

TL;DR:

1. If nobody but the people of VSN is saying that the workload needs to be ridiculous, then VSN is not being oppressed because they have a ridiculous workload.

2. VSN should adopt a multi-claiming system to make things realistic if huge articles are the standard.

 

There is no standard, required length. Obviously it needs to fulfill the requirements of a media spot, but as you mentioned, this is the VSN. There is a higher standard here. I imagine that if there's an average word length, it's going to be at least 1,000 words.

 

Writing about VHL history is something that is always going to be a novel. You need to be able to properly tell the story, and that for me means that I'm going to rack up a high word count because I'm committed to telling those stories and sharing those memories with the league. With as much history as we have here, it should be remembered, preserved, and I do that to the best of my ability. That is the VSN standard. 

 

But on top of that, there are also Trade Reports. Along with my history articles, when trades start to happen, I start getting tagged by league members to cover them, on top of what I'm already doing. Depending on how many players are involved, that's another 1,000 words. Again, the VSN standard. The league looks forward to those as well.

[mediocrepony 1,216]

just gave @Doomsday his 1000th reaction