This is a discussion on 99designs-bullshit-20 within the Graphic Design Forum, graphicPUSH: 99designs: Bullshit 2.0...
Yeah, that's roughly my take on using contests for strip mining. Why develop a brief or spend twenty minutes talking with a (yuck) designer when you can play logo lottery. One entrant is bound to be what you want, so you take that and chuck the rest.
No discussion. No cumbersome strategic thinking. Zero collaboration or communication. ...a vending machine for logos -- the glory of social computing.
Power is domination, control, and therefore a very selective form of truth which is a lie
The bottom line is, if you want a logo for a business, you can pay for it. Or you can bring in two or three other paying clients for the designer, and ask for a logo to compensate the work you brought in ...first. Or you can get creative and innovative and find some other way to trade value for value.
There are any number of alternatives to trying to get something for nothing. If you can't figure out one, your business is not going to be in business long enough for a spec logo to be a worthy portfolio addition.