RentACoder . . .

[Intrigued]

Do you think this web site is ready for us AMS 5 coders?

RentACoder (http://www.rentacoder.com/RentACoder/default.asp)

[Brett]

Perhaps. But in my experience with those types of sites (of which I have seen several) is that the jobs usually get way underbid by inexpensive programmers and is not worth the effort for many of us.

One related idea that I keep thinking about would be a skill exchange for AMS/SUF developers. That is an hour for hour exchange of graphic deign, AMS programming, installation creation, foreign language translation, Flash, PHP script development, etc.

I know that there are those who come to these boards that are incredibly talented at graphic design but shy away from programming and vise-versa. Perhaps we could start a friendly skill exchange area here or on a different Web site if the interest is there. It would have to be run by you IR product users for you IR product users. Basically, just a place for all of you talented folks to meet up and exchange skills.

[Intrigued]

After looking over their site I found that they ask for a Social Security Number... which ultimately put me off. (SS# over the Internet does not sound like a smart security move to me).

Also, the bidding process does not appeal to me. One could waste a lot of time just trying to win a bid.

So, it was interesting at first. But, I'll move on and see what other ideas I run into or come up with on my own. :o

Thanks for the input Brett.

[yosik]

Brett,
That is a good idea, I am all for it. Count me in.
Yossi

[Corey]

In my experience managing similar projects the resource issue becomes dispute resolution, which is probably inevitable in any environment of human transaction. It's probably not something I'd favor doing in-house for that reason but if a third party site was doing it that would be awesome... Two cents for the opinion jar. :o

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[DigitalFootprint]

I saw this site when it first came out and I thought "What a great Idea". It's sad but now what I see are "I want this whole big fully functional app" and I will pay up to ..hmmm $50.00.. yeah right. You would be better off selling origami cranes on ebay.

[Intrigued]

I hear that DigitalFootprint.

Plus, it's going take quite a bit longer than a week or two for a large application, that's for sure!

[Corey]

DigitalFootprint is right on the money. Here's something I discovered when I used to freelance for a living. And this is the only hard and fast rule in this business, "Forget about anyone who doesn't have a 100% grasp of what their needs require."

[Intrigued]

Sounds like the solid advice I learned from John Smiley (multiple book author and professor).

Nice guy, I once spoke with him on the telephone.

[Corey]

Yeah. It's one thing to sell someone design services, it's quite another to have to convince them of the merits of computers in modern society in general first. :)

[Intrigued]

That's a good point Corey and also why where I work, at the "shop", we are careful when we offer software to use (say, Ad-Aware)... in that we do not want to be the one to have to show the merits of using such, and more so... get involved in long-term support. I like to help, but the company is in business to make a profit and that would be (and we still do it some) not profitable (sadly, $$ comes into play yet again).

[Corey]

Exactly. You end up spending 3 hours explaining something that made you $9 off, and often the customer still isn't happy. Yeehah! :)

[Derek]

After looking over their site I found that they ask for a Social Security Number... which ultimately put me off. (SS# over the Internet does not sound like a smart security move to me).
Just the fact that they are asking prompts me to question it. Why would they need it?
When I was in NY, this was a new thing for me. Everything that I did in life, someone was asking for my SSN .. and to my surprise. Nobody should need it except for tax purposes. So, I refused to give it to them telling them why they didnt need it. This was met with a lot of "HUH? I've never been refused before..."
But they'll carry on without it and continue whatever it was you were doing anyway. The one that sticks in my mind was car insurance. I ask for insurance and they ask for my SSN! I'm like .. "whats that got to do with insurance?"

Its just such an accepted thing to ask for that nobody questions it, but its certainly not needed.

[Corey]

Yes, agreed.

[TJ_Tigger]

I am glad that in Iowa, we no longer are required to have our SSN on our Driver License. Makes it hard for me to remember the number but my SSN is now more private.

Tigg

[Corey]

Here's another good example. This guy is bidding $250 for an entire e-commerce web site from scratch. He has no logo, no photos, etc. El zippo. And yet he gets a bunch of bidders...

http://www.designcontest.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1709

It's a nice idea, but...