37 signals gave the soapbox to crowdSPRING to justify the crowdsourcing and spec work platform and the debate ensued. I got through about half of the long rant, then half of the comments, and called it a day.
I've already chimed in about my opinion for crowdSPRING. I believe there is a place for this market, and if small businesses will support it with dollars, then it will continue to exist. As a lot of designers commented, market places like this don't threaten them. Someone going to crowdSPRING doesn't really expect depth of experience for what they pay. Like it or not, this marketplace appears to be thriving and a good number of designers of varying levels of experience are participating, much to the disappointment of AIGA. Nevertheless, the debate rages on.
Michael,
Thanks for your note about crowdSPRING. I hope the "long rant" wasn't too tiring a read. You are right that the market will decide and ultimately, crowdSPRING isn't looking to replaced established designers. The debate will rage on for a long time, but we're glad we've presented businesses and creatives another alternative for buying and selling creative services.
BTW - really nice site here - although I didn't anticipate this, I'm getting more and more interest in UX, and it's great to find another resource.
Best,
Ross Kimbarovsky
co-Founder
http://www.crowdspring.com

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