I don't really see this as a huge ethical dilemma.  This is a free-market,
and if someone wants to do something for less than a "competitor", that's
the way the ball bounces.  What about museums that use volunteers to perform
various jobs that take away positions from people who are looking to earn a
living in the museum field?  Or American companies that send their
manufacturing plants to countries with cheap labor, taking jobs away from
Americans?  I guess this is an issue of "why pay more when you can get
something for less?"  One argument could be, of course, that what you get
for free is not of the same caliber as that for which you must pay.  On the
contrary, one could argue that if you can get something good for less, it is
perhaps those who charge more for it that are unethical.  If someone wants
to sell something (be it goods or services), and he/she must compete with
others who are hawking something "similar" for less, the person must try to
make his or her service more unique or more valuable so that customers are
willing to pay the extra price.  Of course, as Netscape learned, if you are
competing with Bill Gates this whole theory is pretty much shot....  :)

One final note, I can't imagine that the "very fine dolls" made by the
"crafty" ladies and then given away to children  were given to the same
children whose parents would be prospective clients for the other
doll-makers.  (I am assuming that the women who hoped to sell their dolls
were making dolls of a similar caliber, of course.)


> > Kathrine L Walker <[log in to unmask]> wrote regarding Web site design
> >
>         "Try your local college/university and even high school.  You
> would
> be
> > amazed at the talented kids out there (for evidence visit the Beach
> > Museum of Art's redesigned web site at www.ksu.edu/bma).  The price is
> > probably right too!"
> >
> This raises an interesting ethical dilemma. What price should people for
> work they do for fun if that competes with the rates people must charge
> when
> they are dependent on the work for their livelihood.
>
> This is the discussion that took place some time ago in the following
> context. There were several "crafty" ladies all comfortably retired. They
> made some very fine toy dolls for children and gave them away. This made
> it
> impossible for several other women to sell their work. The other women
> were
> trying to augment their small incomes with their toy dolls.
>