A response to spec

Someone on LinkedIn posted a design contest and got a lot of heat about it from people including me. They had written me back

Actually, people do it all the time at http://99designs.com/ and http://www.designcontest.net/

My reply was this

People sell marijuana and crack on the street, that doesn't make it right. The only difference is that these contest sites can get away with it because it's not illegal in itself although there is illegal activity going on. It's still damaging to those around including the clients (if you would check out SpecWatch, many logo winners designs make use of copyrighted imagery they have no claim to, clients then have to have the design redone because they can't use what was included in the design).

People who don't value themselves or the industry are the ones entertaining the contests. Any successful person can't work that way./blockquote>