Alas, Harold, what this is saying is "old style pays." At least in the short term.

I'm with you. I got well paid for work with very little personal satisfaction over a period of several months. Good people to work with, good treatment from my supervisors, but basically a grind. Grinding was what was wanted.

Though to be fair, it sounds like your three bloggers not only know one another but have some overlap in their approach to problems and opportunities. That can be true for a repeat client as well, even if they're not using social software. it's the relationship and the shared experience that smooth the path.

And maybe success with the bill-payers will make them more open to new ways of working.