Again, I would suggest that having workers that one has to monitor so closely is hardly efficient but on the way to scaling to the point where one can have more self-sufficient (and expensive) employees, oDesk is probably a very good stop.

It’s interesting that Rebecca doesn’t feel that she is being imposed on as she works. It works for her. I could see how it might not work for some workers. I don’t agree with you Rick that they are necessarily dishonest or trying to cheat. Some people just don’t work well when being watched or they have all kinds of weird stuff on their monitors that they don’t want to share.

For those who are like that, there’s always jobs at Rentacoder for which they can bid. The eslavery argument would be stronger if oDesk was the only model for freelances on the market. It’s just one of a bunch.

I’d like to hear some more comments from people in the system as suppliers. I wonder if there is anyone both buying and selling services at the same time on oDesk.

1) I am guessing you have no experience with programming as actually programming is something that should be tracked and monitored and it doesn’t require nearly as much “creativity” as you think, its technical work and I am sure most companies do track their workers in a variety of ways

2) What is the alternative to monitoring the workers? To just not monitor them at all and hope for the best? You do realize that these are workers from places like India, Russia, China, etc and they often have poor to fair English skills.. the only way to have any chance of having them work effectively is to monitor them as much as possible, if they have a problem with this then they are being dishonest and trying to cheat the buyer.

What’s the difference? It’s a cheap and effective way to share the work I’m doing. I can see what my teammates are doing when we’re blogging for the same client and make sure we don’t duplicate topics. I’m also supervising another oDesk worker for a client, and I can see what she’s up to also and give suggestions, just as I would if we were in an office together.
If I need to take a phone call, I can suspend the screenshot. When I need to move to another machine (to use special software, for example), I leave a note saying what I’m doing.
Whatever concerns there may be with oDesk, the screenshots are a straw man.

I would never recommend hiring a cubicle type personality. In fact, we won’t hire them at Foliovision. But I don’t think you have to be a freelancer to have the right creative mentality. I will grant you that a successful freelancer is more likely to have the right mentality - it’s a job hasard.

I totally agree with you that I don’t have time or inclination to sit on top of a bunch of programmers. In a way it’s like a galley - it requires a foreman on the deck cracking a whip.

But you are discounting the oDesk model too far. The entire Mediterranean was under the control of galleys for hundreds of years.

I really think some coders and some buyers would find the oDesk system a great way to get to know one another.

What is worrisome for oDesk is that they are serving as an introduction service. Under their current system, they won’t get a cut of the ongoing relationship.

What shall we call it - chaperoned dating?

But Rover, I don’t think you’d go on a chaperoned date either. You’d do best to go back to reading Kropotkin and planning the burning of the Senate.

Just forget you ever heard about oDesk and you’ll be happier for it. And there are far greater evils in the world than oDesk crying out for attention and resolution.

At oDEsk, they are creating a virtual cubicle. They track the worker in every possible ways they can think of and thats just “pathetic”. Even strict companies don’t track and restrict activities of their employees the way oDesk does. oDesk is snatching the “free”-ness from a freelancer and pushing the worker inside an “electronic cage”. This is called eSlavery. There is no scope of creativity or productivity.

If you want best result, use your “brain” and identify a freelancer who is among best in the profession. Offer good money for the work. Remember, “you get monkey if you pay peanut”. Let the guy do his job at his convenience.

I assure you that oDEsk sucks big time. Sooner or later they are going to shut the shop if they don’t change their way of caging the workers.

My request to freelancers: Don’t let oDesk (or any other company) destroy freelance community by converting the freelancers into slaves.

BOYCOTT oDesk NOW.

It sounds like you are doing a good job with oDesk, only taking work which suits you and at a price point which makes sense for you.

I would imagine hiring you is still less expensive than hiring a company or going out and hiring the local top gun, so it’s quite a deal for the people who have a viable business plan for the internet.

I hope your contribution will help other buyers and workers on oDesk. Thanks for sharing!

I do get responses to my applications telling me that I’m too expensive, but I also refuse to apply to plenty of jobs because the pay scale doesn’t suit me. Users of the system have the freedom to set both what we’ll pay and what we’ll work for.

I should also mention that it’s very easy to provide samples of your work, both in your oDesk portfolio and as I do by linking to my website. Buyers should have no difficulty in determining the quality of the workers. I don’t have a huge amount of sympathy for people who offer very little and expect a lot.

I do of course have sympathy for those who’ve had bad experiences at oDesk, but I like the system. I expect to keep it as part of my freelance experience.

I’m glad you’ve found some good people finally.

But I think you could have managed your projects on oDesk more carefully and had a better experience.

My tip above works. Try it sometimes.

The interview as a method of weeding out canidates? Are you serious? I interviewed a lot of “coders” who promised me the world only to find out they could not deliver, niether on time or accurately. Then you have to start all over again, minus the money you already paid for crappy code. So you lose both time and money.

Anyway I found 3 very competent guys after a lot of searching and $$$$$ down the drain. I have built trust with them and have treated them well (eg big bonuses). We are now loyal to each other and don’t need oDesk.

Bottomline, hiring offshore is a clusterfuck. Hope you have better luck than I did.