For those of you who wonder why (or complain that) many writing websites shut out writers from some countries, this conversation in my FB PMs is all the reason you need. Names removed to protect the less-than-innocent:
Him: hi why dont you start creating writing account for me? i will pay
Me: And why would I do that when it’s so obviously unethical?
Him: i have tried my best to try opening one but haven’t managed. you are a good writer, i believe you can pass the test easily. am just looking for something to earn a living
Me: And your conclusion from not being able to get into writing sites is that you need someone to do it for you, rather than needing to improve your skills or try something else?
Him: when i get the account, am good to start earning. am talking of academic writing accounts. how much would it cost for the service? I will appreciate if you referred me to someone else directly, if you wont manage. Kindly.
Me: So you want me to do something unethical and, when I say no, ask me to direct you to someone unethical who will. That’s not going to happen. If you’re being rejected by writing sites, you should seriously consider doing something else or improving your skills instead of trying to fake your way in and supplying your future clients with substandard content.
You may say there's no relationship between this conversation and being from a certain country. That it's just an excuse to be mean to people because of where they're from.
No business owner deliberately blocks entire countries out of spite. Well, psycho right- or left-wing lunatics might, but no one who wants their site to flourish cuts out an entire demographic without a very good reason.
The link is that account selling is rife in certain countries, which is why sites block them. It's not fair and it's not right, but this is precisely why it happens. It's the easy solution for site owners whose businesses are being demolished by cheats. It's ammunition for all those snobby people pushing the "native writer" thing instead of measuring on merit.
It's also - and more importantly - the biggest sign that most sites are broken. If it's so easy to bypass the entry requirements, there's something wrong with the system. Why bother with the test in the first place? Why not assess each individual piece? Because that would raise costs and most of these sites operate on the "cheapest possible price" USP, which is unsustainable in the long run.
As I say, it's not fair and it's not right, but this is precisely why some sites shut out certain countries.
And the worst part? You can't do anything about it.