On 3/24/07, Seth Finkelstein <sethf(a)sethf.com> wrote:
Look at it this way: Why *does* someone join a
cult? And more
importantly, why do they *stay*, doing free labor? Stark coercion, of
the sort if-you-leave-we'll-hunt-you-down-and-kill-you, is extraordinarily
rare. Much of the process is about manipulating a psychological need.
Transcendent purpose, internal status, external dangers - these are
all deep human triggers.
The thing about "manipulating psychological need" might simply boil
down to saying "come and write for us" (an honest invitation) and
"your work might help a lot of people" (a real reward). To call it
"manipulation," or to argue that there's a cult-like aspect, is to add
an additional factor, namely that there's something untoward about it.
So what is the untoward thing, in your view?
Sarah