Is it worth it?

This site rates and discusses content farm sites only in terms of the degree to which authors retain copyright. However, copyright ownership is only one of several factors you should weigh when deciding to write for a content farm site. Also important is the payment model and rate for the site.

Some sites pay up-front for content (at varying rates depending on the site) and some sites offer performance payments, which depend on user response to the content, and do not result in payouts until a future time. (Some sites offer a combination of or a choice between either one). Many sites rate authors by ability, and pay depending on the rating, which requires an initial investment of writing for the site to obtain a rating.

It goes without saying that making a living wage writing for content sites that pay according to any of these models is rare, although the sites themselves sometimes claim this is possible. (See the article The Answer Factory: Demand Media and the Fast, Disposable, and Profitable as Hell Media Model from Wired magazine for one perspective on the viability of earning a living as a content farm writer.) 

That said, your potential for making money from content farms depends on:

• The web site's payment model
• Your rating if applicable
• The speed at which you can write acceptable content (note that some sites, usually the work-for-hire pay-up-front type, include an editorial process that can result in content delays and rejections)
• Your ability to write search-friendly content that appeals to a lot of people (if ad revenue is part of the payment model) 

Some content farms pay more than others, and sometimes this is in proportion to the degree of copyright you forfeit (for example, Demand Studios asks for all rights to content, and pays one of the higher up-front rates for content). If you are interested in creating content only for one-time use on a content farm site, money may be a more relevant concern for you than retaining rights.

However, if you are serious about making money as a freelance writer, copyright ownership becomes important. Does your content you create for content farms have the ability to earn money for you in better-paying content markets? If so, do you have the rights to license or sell it elsewhere, or did you sign those rights over to the content farm?

Be sure you know the answer before you submit your next article.

I recommend the freelance writing web site No Job for Mom as an aid in helping to make a decision. It contains many posts about writing for various content farms. The posts include informative comments sections with observations and advice from people who have written for the sites, which can help you weigh the pros and cons of each.