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[orange]

Not everyone is doing the job they want.  Some people are in a job because it pays the bills and they are decent enough at it.   Some people are in their current job because they thought it was what they wanted to do, but turned out it wasn't.

So, what job would you do for free?  Maybe it is a current hobby that could grow.  Maybe it is part of your current job, but you don't want to deal with the other stuff.*

*As an example, my buddies who are flying aircraft say they fly for free, they get paid to put up with all the other BS.

For me, currently it would be design and build manned space system architectures.  Figuring out how humanity can go to the Moon, Mars, & beyond in a sustainable fashion.  It occupies my mind's idle time and leads me to building spreadsheets to do comparisions between existing capabilities, drawing sketches of my thoughts, and even the occasional bit of mission analysis.  I already do it for free; I just haven't found a good way to get my ideas to those who can critic/use them.

What would you do for free? (or maybe just enough to make ends meet)

[Mizhara]

Write. Columns, fiction, whatever. Fictional columns? Not good enough for publication though, so not really an option. If we're to talk realism here... hmm...

I guess something akin to what I'm already doing, only full-time. First-aid instructor. I'm of the persuasion that loudly and proudly proclaims that everyone should have good first-aid skills and that it shouldn't cost people to get those skills. I have already organized first-aid classes for the nearby schools and I do the instructor work for free in my spare time. I also organize refresher courses on emergency medicine for the staff at the medical center and the... err... what's the English word? Old-people's home? Something like that. Even visited the kindergardens while on-duty to let the kids oooo and aaaa at the shiny ambulance while giving them the simplest of educations. "What do you do if mommy or any other adults hurt themselves or fall down? You call (emergency three digit number here), right?" If I think they got that stuck in their heads, I'll even try to teach them how even they can maneuver an unconscious adult into a stable sideways pose that ensures free airways and so on.

It doesn't really matter that 99% of these kids will never have a use for this. Hell, if 100% of them never have a use for it, I'll be happy. However, if just -one- of them finds a use for what I've taught them, every single minute I put into that stuff was worth it because it just might have saved a life.

This applies to you bastards too. Go get yourself a good first-aid class. Don't end up as one of those spectators that doesn't know anything and just stands there as a loved one (or even a stranger) dies when a few simple steps can keep them alive until ambulances appear.

[Katrina Oniseki]

PORNSTAR! Just kidding.

If I got to work at the forefront of major scientific discoveries, I'd do that for free. As long as my work gets all the funding it could ever need, and I can live a relatively comfortable home life... yeah.

[Seriphyn]

I've volunteered a lot, so anything in childcare and primary education. There's a saying that men never grow up, thus it's a lot more socially acceptable to behave immaturely with kids that are under your charge

Alternatively, music.

[Misan]

A bit of what I'm doing now, teaching Parkour and other movement skills. Would still much rather be paid for it so I don't have to do something else though.

Writing too maybe, I know I've been spending a fair amount of time giving out advice on training and nutrition on my alliance forums.

[Victoria Stecker]

I would do engineering design for poor communities in developing nations. There's a lot of really easy stuff that can be done to improve quality of life, health, access to clean water, etc, all you need is an engineer to design the thing and make sure it won't kill anyone. Unfortunately, most engineers in the world don't work for free.

I had actually planned to do that prior to developing a chronic (Crohnic?) illness that is going to keep me in the US for the rest of my life.

[Mizhara]

I would do engineering design for poor communities in developing nations. There's a lot of really easy stuff that can be done to improve quality of life, health, access to clean water, etc, all you need is an engineer to design the thing and make sure it won't kill anyone. Unfortunately, most engineers in the world don't work for free.

I had actually planned to do that prior to developing a chronic (Crohnic?) illness that is going to keep me in the US for the rest of my life.

You can still do design work. Check out the... err... what was it called again? "Village Construction Kit" I think it was. Stuff like that. Projects where great stuff is designed from very base items which in turn becomes 'open source' kits which can be relatively cheaply and easily created where it's needed. You can engineer all kinds of things from home, create 'blueprints' and share it with the world.

Even if -you- can't go to the country in question, someone can. Someone who can bring a laptop and a satphone, creating these things with your help.

[Victoria Stecker]

You can still do design work. Check out the... err... what was it called again? "Village Construction Kit" I think it was. Stuff like that. Projects where great stuff is designed from very base items which in turn becomes 'open source' kits which can be relatively cheaply and easily created where it's needed. You can engineer all kinds of things from home, create 'blueprints' and share it with the world.

Even if -you- can't go to the country in question, someone can. Someone who can bring a laptop and a satphone, creating these things with your help.

That is, in a sense, what I'm hoping to do. Just have to go back and finish that education thing, becoming deathly ill rather derailed that, and there's still a question of whether I can maintain the low-stress lifestyle necessary for my health while completing an engineering program.

So yeah. If I can do that, I'll be happy. Even if it doesn't pay jack shit.

[Chell Charon]

No job. Quite simply if I qualify something as work, it is producing revenue to someone. If I help you make pie, I expect a cut of the pie aswell.

Part reason I don't go out of my way to participate in mass testings. Unless I am on the server goofing about anyhow, I am not being paid to aid in developing a commercial product.

Volunteer work is a slighly hairier concept. For instance on local influence I have to ask if I would be doing work that should be paid work [a real job] for someone. Am I helping to alleviate a situation and supporting politics that make the current paid staff seem sufficient for the duties requiered?

Volunteer work should never substitute for paid work. Especially on the longterm. /end rant.

Sadly nobody pays for random ideas on strangely changing subjects. So I guess I'll ST/GM and ask no pay, at least in coinage. 

[Alain Colcer]

I would work for free in reforestation projects in south america.

Specially in mountain ranges and locations that need such green areas to preserve the little water that is left.

[Lyn Farel]

Probably an humanitarian job, or better, a job for the planet. A meaningful one.

[lallara zhuul]

None.

Seriously, none.

I will however put in hours to feed myself properly by raising my own veg.

Personally I think life is too short to be worrying about things that I cannot affect, therefore most of the volunteer work is out of the picture. A lot of the volunteer stuff is better handled by trained professionals and me paying for them from my taxes is enough for me.

Of course helping friends and family to do stuff is different.

Mainly because those people mean something to me and when they are happier, I am happier.

[Kaleigh Doyle]

Life is too short and nothing is free in this world.

[orange]

Perhaps I should rephrase the question - if money was not a problem (for whatever reason), if you could do anything, what would you do?

[Louella Dougans]

Planetary Ecologist.