Warning: "Interface Global"

Discussion Open Forum
1

I noticed an ad on this web site for an English editor to work for “Interface Global”. Consider this:

  1. There is no such company as Interface Global. It has applied for registration but it is not registered yet.
  2. The former names of this company are Trade Winds and AsiaTradeMart.
  3. I worked for Trade Winds/Asiatrademart for 5 years and everything was fine until bandits from ING Barings took over.
  4. At the beginning of August the company applied successfully to the Government Information Office (Xinwenju) to continue employing me for another year. :smiley:
  5. In September I was suddenly told to leave. :frowning:
  6. The law here says you must be given one month’s notice of dismissal - I was given ONE AND A HALF HOURS. :frowning:
  7. By law I am entitled to one month’s pay for the month of notice, plus 5 months’ severance payment (one for each year of service.) I was offered NOTHING. :x
  8. I and about six other sacked employees of this outfit took our cases to the Taipei Bureau of Labor Affairs. Following this, “Interface Global” (actually AsiaTradeMart) offered me just HALF of the severance pay they owe me. In the cases of some other ex-employees, the firm has simply ignored the decision of the Bureau.
  9. All the ex-employees are now taking the company to court.
    THINK…DO YOU REALLY WANT TO WORK FOR THESE PEOPLE?
2

Update: Interface Global is now registered, while its two previous incarnations still exist on paper but have “temporarily ceased operation”…if that is the right English term for “zhanting yingye”. Now I see that both IG and Kompass are advertising in Oriented’s job section. Be warned…Kompass is owned by IG…it’s the same people in the same building.

3

Thank you for the warnings mate. What does ING Barings have to do with all this?
Good luck to you.

4

Hi Juba,

I don’t think I am alone in sitting here wondering why, for god’s sake, did you put up with that for 5 years? Given inflation and at minimum, annual pay raises, you must have begun working at Trade Winds as a volunteer and slowly worked your up to the princely sum of 37K, pulling poor Daniel’s teeth out every time you asked for that 5K annual raise. Or did you even bother to ask?

It is simply mind boggling.

It is especially confusing given the fact that I am now the managing editor at Interface Global, which is, may I add, no longer Trade Winds. I do not really care what happened to you when Trade Winds got bought out by a much, much bigger company - as I’ve heard, many of the staff simply walked out because they didn’t like the changes, and others, like you, were fired.

And I’m glad they did clean house before I joined the company. Looking back at the old publications you apparently edited is embarrassing, to say the least. If I had been you, I would not have allowed my name to be put inside the covers of any of them.

But there it is - Editor: Juba, the man who knows more about Interface Global (a company he never worked for) than any other foreigner on this planet if I read his numerous posts and personal website correctly.

It is true: get paid shit, work like shit. I guess that’s what happened to you Juba and I’m sorry for that. Sorry, but baffled by your apparent acquiescence, timidity in asking for more money, and last but not least:

the way you have been lambasting the company I work for on the oriented.org forums.

I need not remind you that you have kindly left details of your current place of employment for all to see on the net. You are employed legally, aren’t you?

For everyone’s information, Interface Global is a well-backed trade publishing company run by a dynamic group of people, all under 40, with broad experience in media and Internet. In 2002 we are launching five glossy magazines - the latest of which you are welcome to pick up for free on June 3 at Computex - the title is Tech Asia. Please read it and tell me what you think at the email below.

We also publish industry buyers’ guides under the bought-out co-branded Trade Winds name, but I can safely assure you that given the synergy with our magazines, the quality of their content is on the way up. I wouldn’t hesitate to call it journalism, although of the business kind, which many writers may find a bit dull. But please, go pick up a copy of Tech Asia. For something that we slammed together in a month it’s pretty damned good, I think. It will only get better.

It is extremely frustating for me to post an ad on oriented.org for an editor and then read Juba’s scorching comments regarding his (bewildering) experiences with a company that he assumes is the same as the one I am now working for.

Please stop this Juba. Your own ad is ridiculous, as most posters here would agree.

For anyone who is interested, Juba’s comments about increased quality of journalism at Interface Global are correct, and yes, I am looking for yet another Chinese-speaking editor to join the team. We offer frequent travel around the island, possible overseas travel, and a very open, relaxed atmosphere at the office (Yahoo’s ex-office space, quite nice), on the Blue line.

As other participants in this Rant Against the Company I Used to Work For forum may want to know: salary for editors, bilingual or not, will never be as high as what you can get for teaching. Unless you’re a full-fledged expat you are highly unlikely to make the 100K in a full-time office job that you can get teaching kids 35 hours a week.

But if you want to leave Taiwan or find a better job with something on your resume and with a portfolio that you’re not ashamed to show at home (or anywhere else for that matter), then you will have to settle for less. Less money - the quality is up to you.

I’m offering 50K to starting reporters/editors and I dare anyone to tell me they make more at the English papers in Taipei. There is a 3-month probation period and if your quality, attitude and output is good, I can see a bump up to 55K. After the first year is up, 60K. And on from there.

It is more than possible to make a decent living in Taiwan on this kind of salary (without living for free at the YMCA). The average salary in Taiwan is, after all, somewhere around 35K I believe.

There is also the occasional take-home C-E translation job which is paid at generous rates (ironlady please contact me) and if you are really going for the dough, there is freelance editing for other companies, and of course, teaching English evenings or weekends. Absolutely no reason why someone who is motivated couldn’t make their 100K.

For all of you who are dying to get out of teaching, it will be painful at the beginning. A pay cut is inevitable. You have to decide if you want a short high-paying quickie in Taiwan (unless you are really a professional in what you do), or a longer, two-year plus stint that puts some meat on your resume.

I’m now looking for resumes with writing samples from people who want to do a good job. The position is open on June 10.

Oh, and Juba, we need a freelancer in Taichung if you need to top up your, uh, income.

Please excuse the rant.

The Managing Editor
Interface Global
editorial@asiatrademart.com

Magazines:
Tech Asia, Consumer Asia, Hardware Asia, BAM Asia, Medical Asia

Buyers’ Guides:
Gifts, Stationery, Toys, Bikes, Motorcycles, Auto Parts, Building Materials, Medical & Health and more

Website:
www.asiatrademart.com

Well, for your information, I got paid a basic NT$33,000 for 3/4 time for the five years I did at Trade Winds (now Interface Global.) If things were busy, I did extra time and was paid more accordingly. Had I been working full time every day, it would have been NT$44,000. That was certainly better than my pay as a volunteer at the Youth Hostels Association, which was two biandangs a day and a bed for the night. So my average pay at Trade Winds was about 37,000 a month. After five years of that, Trade Winds suddenly decided that I was a terrible burden on their budget and sacked me. “roc”, who appears on these forums occasionally, went to work there after me. Since his job involved more in the way of journalism, I suppose his pay was somewhat higher than mine. Ron has now left and none of the other editors they have hired since then has lasted six months.

I think these kinds of firms don’t want to pay their laowai editors much more than they would pay to local people doing the same job. The skill of translation does not seem to have much monetary value in their view. Besides, firms like Trade Winds/Interf*ck, Infotrade, “Wenbi” etc. are largely based on Taiwan’s traditional manufacturing industry, which is shrinking fast. Therefore, these publishers are all sailing close to the rocks, so you can’t expect stellar salaries from them. Who knows where you can get better pay as an editor in Taiwan? Any offers as to the going rates for various types of publication?

5

It’s not good netiquette to put the same posting in two forums, especially when it’s as long-winded as yours, Torrid. I’ve replied to you under the “Calling All Editors” topic, since you posted there first, but we can go on discussing it here, if you like.

(11 September 2002 edit: URL updated from Oriented to Segue)

6

I made no such comment.

7

Gotta hand it to you Juba, you know how to duke it out online. I’ll be sure to pick up the new magazines at Computex and write a (hopefully) independent post-mortem and publish it here.
Please keep us informed of the outcome of the legal proceedings too …

8

Monkey?? What’s going on. Why the wink? Where’s the support? Keep it up Juba!! I’m with you. Screwd out of dough is one thing, but the legal wise cracks should be directed at the wankers.

9

I gotta say, 50K is not a lot. And 55k for good behavior? That’s not very generous. I can’t imagine what qaulity of editors you would get with that kind of salary.

10
quote:
Magazines: Tech Asia, Consumer Asia, Hardware Asia, BAM Asia, Medical Asia

Buyers’ Guides:
Gifts, Stationery, Toys, Bikes, Motorcycles, Auto Parts, Building Materials, Medical & Health and more

Aren’t these just big compilations of ads? Sort of like the ads in This Month in Taiwan, except without the text?
The editing must be sort of like correcting sales-pitch sentences.

11

Oh no? What’s all this, then?


(Too bad they don’t know how to spell Shenzhen.)

And this from the current IG web site (only click if you have Flash.) Trade Winds Flash thing

12

…nailed…

13
quote:
Originally posted by Torrid: In 2002 we are launching five glossy magazines - the latest of which you are welcome to pick up for free on June 3 at Computex - the title is Tech Asia. Please read it and tell me what you think at the email below.?

Tech Asia reads like one of the English papers’ ‘Business Highlights’ sections on steroids.

quote:
Originally posted by Torrid: We offer frequent travel around the island, possible overseas travel, and a very open, relaxed atmosphere at the office (Yahoo's ex-office space, quite nice), on the Blue line.

Frequent travel around THE ISLAND? A relaxed atmosphere at Yahoo’s OLD office? I’ve heard ridiculous employment draws, but these take the cake.

quote:
Originally posted by Torrid: As other participants in this Rant Against the Company I Used to Work For forum may want to know: salary for editors, bilingual or not, will never be as high as what you can get for teaching. Unless you're a full-fledged expat you are highly unlikely to make the 100K in a full-time office job that you can get teaching kids 35 hours a week.

This is garbage. Editors for the GIO, plus the US and European business association rags make around this much.

quote:
Originally posted by Torrid: I dare anyone to tell me they make more at the English papers in Taipei. There is a 3-month probation period and if your quality, attitude and output is good, I can see a bump up to 55K. After the first year is up, 60K. And on from there.?

A bump up to 55K? Certainly you’re talking to the under-25 crowd, right? Oh, and yes, people have made more at the English papers.

quote:
Originally posted by Torrid: It is more than possible to make a decent living in Taiwan on this kind of salary (without living for free at the YMCA). The average salary in Taiwan is, after all, somewhere around 35K I believe.

Being poorer than other foreignors here (with the exception of the Filipino maids) is not what I call a decent living in Taiwan. Besides, who cares what the average salary for the Taiwanese is. Foreignors are a commodity here and that’s why English teachers are paid so well compared to local counterparts. Why bother unless you can live the lavish expat life?

quote:
Originally posted by Torrid: For all of you who are dying to get out of teaching, it will be painful at the beginning. A pay cut is inevitable. You have to decide if you want a short high-paying quickie in Taiwan (unless you are really a professional in what you do), or a longer, two-year plus stint that puts some meat on your resume.

This is a false choice. There are editing jobs out there that pay more. And who is to say teaching doesn’t make a meaty resume–what if you want to teach for the rest of your life?

14

Tech Asia reads like one of the English papers’ ‘Business Highlights’ sections on steroids.

For a magazine that was slammed together in three weeks, the above is a compliment. Thank you. I’m not one for steroids, but the assumption is that the content is in your face, like it or love it, or, like a lot of people, simply don’t understand or give a damn about it. The content is certainly not for everyone.

A ton of problems with the magazine, and I’m the first to admit it. The layout is haphazard, the print quality is far from optimal, and well, it just looks like something that someone like me put together in 3 weeks.

Until the August issue of Tech Asia, which we are beginning well in advance, I have another three magazines to put out. It’s a busy schedule.

As one ‘respected’ foreign journalist asked me today, “Why is your company putting up the money for this?” Media all around Taiwan are downsizing, going broke and having a hard time attracting advertising.

I’m not concerned with the revenue Tech Asia generates - I’m concerned with being its editor - choosing topics that are timely and attractive to buyers and their Asian suppliers. I think we succeeded with the wireless and gigabit ethernet cover, with the Z-Com interview (Computex company of the day June 5), with the Ulead story, and with the motherboard overview. AGP was probably the best written story, but the subject is a bit arcane.

Who else in Taiwan has the opportunity to work at a company that is launching and supporting five new magazines? Do I ask why? No. I am just happy to have the opportunity to gain the experience doing it.

I don’t mind the remarks about salaries because I know what the market will support and I have to run my part of the business within a budget. If you can make more elsewhere, that is great! Go work there.

I would appreciate anyone to write me regarding the actual content of June Tech Asia (please, apart from the advertorials, gag, and well, it was done in three weeks okay?). But I’d also love to hear ideas for the next issue in August.

Why put down something like this? Isn’t it a good thing to see us succeed? If I can do it, certainly many of you can do much better. But show me some results before you go raking me over the coals please.

And yes Wolf, IG bought Trade Winds and changed the management, as well as many of their staff when they did so. Since Trade Winds has a 25-year-old brand name in Taiwan, IG will obviously continue to use the brand for its buyers’ guides, which are just compendiums of ads. Its just good business sense.

Juba, thank you for not continuing to feed the flame. I appreciate it and do hope we can find an opportunity to work together in the future. Thanks.

15

We know what you are offering editors, but how much does a managing editor make there?

16

You can’t seriously expect me to tell you my salary Wolf.

Of course the money is not enough, is it ever? But given the opportunity to create new magazines from scratch and build them into something respectable, and more importantly, profitable, I’m not too worried about my current salary.

My point is that this kind of opportunity is a once in a lifetime kind of thing: “hey, I want you to start a magazine on high tech in Asia - just make it, don’t worry about anything else.”

Is it not a dream job? And wouldn’t other ideas come sparking into your head if you were given such free reign over something with as much potential as Tech Asia?

Like a free Taipei monthly publication? Shanghai has a really really good one… it just seems that the foreigners in Taipei can’t stop competing and lambasting each other long enough to get it together. I know there have been many attempts.

But if, say, six months or a year down the line, I convinced my employers to do just that, I could imagine the outcry: “oh not a bastard like him, not that company, anything but that!”

So it will probably never happen as long as the foreign ‘writing’ community that such a publication would depend on is so negative. If someone else wants to do it (and a few are already) then good luck to them. But I do think there is still a demand and a market for a high quality free Taipei glossy monthly. Just like every other major rich city… what’s wrong with us?

In the meantime I’m certainly not starving, if that’s your concern. But thanks for inquiring.

17
quote:
Originally posted by Torrid:

So it will probably never happen as long as the foreign ‘writing’ community that such a publication would depend on is so negative.

It’s mostly about the money, not negativity. You can’t expect to hire quality writers and editors for local wages, and not only because of the supply and demand issue. It costs foreigners more to live here, and most foreigners are here to make money, not just break even. You should be offering wages that are AT LEAST on a par with those in the coutries the writers come from. And if you work for less than you’re worth, you drive down the market rate. I hope you’re making at least NT150,000/month for that type of position.

Low rates are ultimately bad fo employers as well, because talented people will be driven away from the job market if they can’t make a living at it.

If you pay them they will come.

18

One problem, aside from salary considerations, is the fact that the talent pool here in Taipei is small. I am not saying that there are no talented people, just that really high-caliber specialists in editing, design and writing are few.
If Torrid is happy putting out a magazine advertising wigits, cool. I hope the enterprise isn’t either hijacked by the “superiors” or closed due to lack of interest.
By the way, it is unfair to judge one’s editing or writing acumen by looking at posts on Oriented for correctness. This is usually quick and dirty and not for publication or pay.
Also, I don’t know what sort of staff these new magazines have, but knowing design as I do and editing as I do, if you kept your focus, you can put out a lot of material in a short time.
Once, back in the dark ages, I was chief editor of an English-Chinese grammar/composition/pass tests magazine and at one time we were THREE months ahead.
NT$55,000 is not absurd for a salary, although I would expect to make more myself since I have more experience. That sum is adequate for a beginner or someone with limited experience who wants to learn on the job.

19
quote:
Originally posted by Torrid: You can't seriously expect me to tell you my salary Wolf.

Among other unreasonable conditions, IG/TW employees’ contracts state that they may not tell their fellow workers how much they earn, never mind anybody else.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Torrid:

In 2002 we are launching five glossy magazines…

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Torrid:

But if, say, six months or a year down the line, I convinced my employers to …(publish)… a high quality free Taipei glossy monthly…

Torrid, you seem to have a fixation on this word “glossy.” Is it some kind of fetish? Do you actually think a magazine’s quality is determined by its glossiness?

Besides, if you think IG is going to help you produce your fantasy Taibei free mag, you have another thing coming - It is too far removed from their line of business. What you really need to be thinking about now is whether Tech Asia will go beyond two or three issues. You are giving the mag away free, so all the revenue comes from ads. If you don’t get enough ads in, the magazine will be discontinued.


Cor…it ennarf glossy!

20

Well, Juba, you certainly shot yourself in the foot with that last post, didn’t you!

If you were trying to point out to Turgid that glossy doesn’t always mean high quality, why on EARTH did you choose to illustrate your point with what is arguably one the finest organs ever to roll off the presses?