I Would Do Anything For Love, But I Won’t Do That…
So, I get this call a couple of weeks ago from a gentleman who was interested in putting together a website. After a few minutes of my usual interview process, I realize that the subject matter is of a political nature.
“Can I ask what your political affiliation is, if you don’t mind my asking?” I inquire. “Well, I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Republican,” he continues, “so this site is going to be targeting a conservative market. Is that going to be an issue?”
Sadly, it was. The project itself would have paid quite a bit (provided he was able to afford my rates) but because of my own political leanings, I find it necessary to steer clear of some projects, simply because I cannot see myself being involved in something that I can’t put some kind of personal investment in. It’s really simple – in order for me to do what I do, it’s necessary for me to channel my clients a bit, and some things…. I just can’t channel.
Now don’t get me wrong – I believe in freedom of speech, of the press, the right to express yourself and your views – no matter how much I may disagree with them personally. People often times say that “freedom isn’t free”, which I interpret to mean that in order for us to have a voice, we have to allow the same for others, even though we may not agree with what they have to say. That’s one of the costs of living in a free society. But, that doesn’t mean that I have to take a job that has a subject matter that I don’t agree with.
One of the things I’ve had to contend with working in this industry is subject matter. I don’t build adult sites, political sites (regardless of the affiliation) or sites dealing with religious issues. I guess I just find these topics to be too “hot button” and as a professional, sometimes I have to simply draw the line so that I don’t end up crossing it. Too bad – I could have used the money. But… at what cost?
So, I turned down the job. Of course, I was polite about it. I explained the situation, and the gentlemen was very understanding, and told me that he respected the fact that I had certain standards that I wasn’t willing to compromise on. I think he would have been a very nice person to work for. But, I guess we all have our standards.
Right or wrong, those are mine.
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