Will write for food: it's a joke, people

I think there are some people out there who don't realize the "will work for food" sign is just a joke. While scanning writing opportunities across the country, I see DAILY many job posts wanting writers to work for free *we almost do that now* or they want you to write a 500-word story for $8.

My favorite tonight:
"I'm not looking for professionals, just someone who wants to write a small ORIGINAL article about any of these subjects. Articles should be between 200-600 words. Payment per article: 200-300 words $5.00ea 300-400 words $8.00ea 400-600 words $10ea."

I almost laughed out loud. I don't think you need to worry about getting too many professionals biting on that one, bud. I hate to break it to you. Setting that bar low is a good idea.