Do you think that it is okay to ask someone how much income they make online?

1. 62

   WebsiteConfettiposted 12 years ago

   Do you think that it is okay to ask someone how much income they make online?
   
   It amuses me when I see people ask questions on  Hub Pages (any other sites) how much money they make online, when in the off-line world, asking someone how much money they make is considered rude.
   
   Do you think it's valid to ask as generally people want to know if certain websites are capable of bringing them income?
   
   Or do you think that the same etiquette rules as the offline world should apply to the online one?

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2. 62

   Lisa HWposted 12 years ago

   I think offline etiquette applies.   It's "legitimate" that someone might want to know if site members actually earn anything on the site.  Asking for numbers is out of line, as far as I'm concerned.  A lot of people feel very free to share what they earn, so nobody even has to ask them.  Besides preferring to keep this particular piece of information to themselves, a lot of people have concerns about others' sorting out/figuring out who makes what - and then proceeding to steal their content, ideas, and whatever else.  So, to me, there's that extra element to online writing that makes asking someone what he earns even more out of line than offline.
   
   Sometimes, too, a person can make x amount on a site like this one, but then make additional "x amounts" from other places online;  so who makes what on here can be meaningless at times.  Several people who do quite well on this site make no secret of their good earnings.  THEN, though, there'll be other people who think they're lying about good earnings anyway.  So, either way, exact figures shouldn't be needed by the person who wants a rough idea about whether anyone makes any money on a site; and if someone wants/need exact figures he ought to hold off until someone offers them - not ask.

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3. 60

   MickSposted 12 years ago

   No, it is very rude to interrogate anyone about their income, on or offline.  It is only the business of that person, the spouse and the Inland Revenue, and other benefits agencies as and when they require the information.

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4. 81

   jujanesterposted 12 years ago

   yes, for me it makes me do more perseverance writing hubs whenever I see their success stories and monthly earnings here. I was active on hubpges 14 mos ago. and left hubpages without opening for 1 year, I came to check again my hubpage earning status last night and was a little surprised when I saw 26$ for my 19 hubs without doing anything. Then I decided to write hubs again. Imagine if I've written 100 + hubs, I should have earn a little more. Now Im pursuing it again, hoping to reach hundreds of hubs and promote to gain profit!!... so excited

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5. 72

   TheKatsMeowposted 12 years ago

   I agree it is very rude. I feel that the only time it's justified to ask is when the person being asked is offering online tips to help you with your e-business. I would want to know if a online business guru is making any money: anyone can write tips and tricks for online businesses so they would need to back it up with numbers, it seems only fair. But other than that... ya it's rude, and people should not be asking.

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6. 67

   SkySlaveposted 12 years ago

   I think its just like anything else, if you ask somebody questions in a rude way, like you interrogating them, you should expect to get an upset response. But if a question in regards to salary/earnings is asked in a respectful way it can be answered maturely and informatively without any problems. I don't think any question should be out of boundaries, it just depends on the approach you take in answering the question.

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7. 79

   Alexander Markposted 12 years ago

   If it is within the context of the conversation then yes, it is okay. Part of the reason we have so many scammers on the internet is that information is withheld, so many times I am searching the internet for some concrete information that should be very easy to obtain and all I get is spam. Why? Because for whatever reason, the people involved in the subject matter feel the need to keep everything secret. I love the idea of open source, because you get things like Firefox or Blender. The same principle applies to everything else. My personal choice is not to reveal exactly what I make, but you can ask me nicely and I won't be offended - I may tell you if it seems it might be helpful to you. I usually don't say because I will feel bad if I make more than you!

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8. 79

   Express10posted 12 years ago

   I think the etiquette rules still apply online. I would never ask someone what their income is online or off because it's rude to do so. However, just as in the offline world, if someone initiates conversations about their income that can open them up to questions. I'd imagine if one doesn't want to be asked that they would steer clear of these types of conversations and say "that's personal" if someone asks.

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