Fiverr Graphics are not Always Good

Fiver is quite a popular place to get graphics done nowadays.  Getting Fiverr Graphics I have found recently though isn't always a good idea.

 fiverr graphics

Awhile ago I had some graphic design work which I needed.  Like most smart and savy web people nowadays I decided to get graphics through Fiverr.  Hey, why not?  You can't beat getting graphic work done for $5 bucks right?

I initially got this design for $5 and was happy with it I decided to have another Fiverr artist do additional work on it.  In total I spent a nominal amount on the designs and was happy with how everything came out in the end.  I thought, “Where else could I get original graphic work like this for such a reasonable cost?”  Well I learned the hard you can't.

Just the other day someone sent me an email with a company they wanted me to checkout.  Looking at the website I was a bit surprised.  I realized that the original artist had blatantly copied the graphics from this company's website.  The only thing the “artist” changed was some of the coloring but everything else was the same.  Original Fiverr grahpics work wasn't so original after all.

I thought I could salvage this design but realized it was just a better plan to junk these Fiverr graphics.  I don't want anyone to think I copied this company's graphics on purpose.

While the money is not an issue the time I spent explaining what I wanted done was.  If I had known the artist was not going to provide original work I would have probably just looked elsewhere.

I can sort of understand the predicament of artists who sell work through Fiverr though.  The seller only gets $4 and Fiverr gets $1 for each gig.  I mean can you really provide original work for $4?  Still I feel a bit violated about the whole situation with copying the work and not saying anything.

In the past I have gotten a great custom designed vertical business cards for $10 bucks from Fiverr.  I thought the cards came out pretty well and I could not have done a better job myself.

Next time for a critical project I will probably just pay a real graphic designer though.  I found a reasonable designer that does logos and a banners for $150 and really like the work she does.  In mind that is totally worth if I don't need to spend time thinking about the headaches and issues that come Fiverr graphics.  Also I know I am getting something that is original.

What are your opinions about this?  Do you think getting graphics through Fiverr is a good or bad thing?  When should you and shouldn't you get work done through Fiverr?

.ME Registry accepting applications for Premium Domains

me registry

The .ME Registy has announced that they are accepting applications for their premium domain program.  This is part of the .ME registry trying to promote a wider use of .ME domains which has had some success.  Examples would include About.me, a site where you can post a page about yourself, and Pulse.Me, an news app.  In addition Facebook uses the URL shortener FB.me and Wordpres uses WP.me for their URL shortener.

While there has been some success the .ME domain extension it really only works for catchy words.  I think About.me is probably the best example of this since it is easy to remember and makes sense.  A lot of .ME domains just don't make sense in my opinion.

Like a lot of domain registries the .ME registry reserved premium domains.  This is in an effort to try to ensure that companies and startups can build out the domains into viable products or services rather than just having them sit there and be parked.

The .ME domains part of the premium domain program this year are;

  • Around.ME
  • Fund.ME
  • Find.ME
  • For.ME
  • Hire.ME

While the .ME registry could auction these premium domains names to the highest bidder this is a good explanation of why they are not doing that. 

Why Doesn’t The .Me Registry Sell These Domains?
Our goal is to assign the very best premium domains to the best content. If we sold them outright, large domain portfolio holders who don’t intend to build websites or offer services would likely purchase these domains. We reserved these five domains so that they would be available to be used by companies, businesses and startups that provide a quality product or service. Ultimately, this has far greater value for our domain (.Me).

Let's be honest, money with strong financial and venture capital backing is going to be a factor.  They are looking for great ideas for developing these premium .ME domains which standout though.

Out of those 5 domains I personally like Hire.ME the best since it would be ideal for a microgig competitor to Fiverr.  The domain could also be used to create an Elance and oDesk type of freelancing platform.  Alternatively it could be used for a jobs listing service.  I think in this economy any of those 3 ideas would be great for Hire.ME.

Another one I like is Fund.ME since that could be used for a crowdfunding site such as IndieGoGo and Kickstarter.  Fund.ME is catchy and easy to remember.

I would submit one of these ideas myself but I seriously doubt my application would be taken seriously.  If you want to give it a shot and your name is “Jack Dorsey” than by all means apply to the .ME premium domain program.  The deadline to apply for premium domain program is June 15 th, 2013.

Maybe you can kickstart the .ME domain extension with your awesome idea!

Catch me on Twitter @AdamYamada … if you can!

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