At the risk of completely alienating myself (as if I haven't already), I really am trying to understand why there are some people who seem to expect that experienced instructional designers should provide their hard work for free or practically free.

I also don't understand people who don't see their work as intellectual capital that is worth something.

I believe both actions (expecting it for free and giving it all away for free) completely devalue the creative work that we do.

I have no problem or qualms or confusion over providing feedback, discussing an idea someone provides, recommending resources, talking about best practices, etc. I'm specifically talking about requests (not just on the internet, but in business) for instructional design work.

First line of action when in a design quandary should be a walk to the library or book store. Meanwhile, take classes.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Fanatic Facilitator,

I have experienced a bit of this which mostly comes from less experienced training organizations.

Much like when one buys a car, they see the purchase of a tangible product, but not how the intangibles of design/etc... have been rolled into the price. If one is selling the less tangible design service, some folks don't view this as "the product" to be sold- they are looking for the tangibles (courseware).

Again- seems to be an education issue for the client. Some quickly understand that good products only result from good designs, and are fine with paying for such a service- others... well... you just can't say the right thing to the wrong folks sometimes

I agree with Glowman, and your lament is especially true, again, within organizations that sort of put training on the back burner. Many people (and this is my huge pet peeve) truly believe that training "just happens" and that it goes far beyond standing in front of a powerpoint slide. There are workbooks and exercises that need to be written and tested, visuals created, assessments to take into account, and myriad other things. Just as your favourite band would never think of playing a large arena at the last minute, companies should see the value of well written and documented materials, training programs and job aids... **** poor Preparation leads to **** poor performance, after all!

Thanks for trying to get this conversation going, glow and train.

Anyone else?

FF - I agree with you.

I feel very fortunate to have access to this forum where professional trainers are willing to exchange ideas and suggestions with each other. I work in a training department of ONE and truly value the ability to bounce ideas off of peers who understand what I do.

Unfortunately many of us work for companies that do not understand what training professionals actually do when we're not in front of a class training. Because of that, we find ourselves defending our roles and I think we often feel like a "gang" who need to help each other prove our worth - whether it be by sharing templates, information, ideas, etc.

I think it's great that we are all willing to share ideas and suggestions with each other; if I understand your posting, I think you're saying that perhaps we should stop there rather than offering to share our actual work.

You're right - we shouldn't just give our hard work away for free, nor should we ask anyone else to give it to us for free. But let's continue to take advantage of the brain power and expertise we have to tap into [here] for ideas and suggestions!