GetAFreelancer — For Real?
Having klicked through from a Techcrunch posting, I have just discovered GetAFreelancer. I’m amazed. And amused. Is this for real? Are people really doing business over this service?
Just for the heck of it, plonk some names of Web companies / brands into the search box. The results are astounding! Someone has a budget of $300 to $1500 for developing an EBay clone. Great! I’ll take you up on that offer just after I return from the Caribbean vacation I’m financing with the $1000 I make from building this guy a Digg clone from scratch. Oh and someone is offering to build a Twitter clone for $1365.
Just on the off-chance that there are people out there who can actually deliver on something like this, here’s my list of job offers:
- EUR 750 for a Google clone.
- EUR 1500 for a Google AdSense clone (must be fully internationalized)
- EUR 850 for a JavaScript reimplementation of Microsoft Project (must be able to read MS Project files uploaded over the Web GUI).
Any takers? I’ll even throw in the Donuts you need over the course of the three days you’re scheduling to build the system.
Technorati Tags: freelancer, auction, business, nonsense
CYA-Style Disclaimer: I am of course in no way questioning the validity of the GetAFreelancer service or the quality and sincerity of their product. Just a couple of the offers posted on their site.
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November 11th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
[…] Update: See DRM for cloning projects on the site. eBay for $1,500. $1,000 for Digg. Twitter for $1,365. Tangler Loading information about Tangler… […]
November 11th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
[…] Update: See DRM for cloning projects on the site. eBay for $1,500. $1,000 for Digg. Twitter for $1,365. Tangler Loading information about Tangler… […]
November 12th, 2007 at 12:10 am
I’ve watched GetaFreelancer, and several sites like it (such as guru.com and elance.com), for several years. There’s a good business model in running one, and I’ve no complaint with the companies who do so.
However, these sites all have a long tradition of listing gigs that are both laughable financially ($150 for a MySpace clone?) and sad creatively (you could probably depress yourself by searching for the word “clone”). The cynical viewpoint is that the work is being done by people in other countries for whom $500 is pretty decent pay; alternatively, it could be done by someone who lacks years of experience in a technology (say PHP) but wants to be paid while she gains those skills (which isn’t a bad thing). Neither of which assure the buyer that they’re getting the best quality necessary, but then there’s always someone who imagines that “cheap” is better than “good.”
As a writer, however, I was always amazed at the number of people who wanted a freelancer to write their biography. They assured me that they had a fascinating life, and as soon as I found them a publisher they’d be happy to split the millions they would surely make from the book. Yeah. Great idea. Sure.
I never got a single gig on those sites, back when I was a full time freelancer.
Fortunately, I’m told, there are exceptions. You can find real work on such sites. But then, you can also find great antiques at flea markets. I lack the patience to weed through the junk to find them, however.
November 12th, 2007 at 6:37 am
Why dont you post these hypothetical projects and report back to us on what happens.
Most of these guys are working on US $10 an hour so $1000 is going to get you a lot more than 3 days work - it’s going to be more like 3 weeks work. Still it’s hard to see how anyone could clone Google in 3 weeks.
November 12th, 2007 at 11:03 am
[…] Update: See DRM for other cloning projects he found. eBay for $1,500. $1,000 for Digg. Twitter for $1,365. Tangler Loading information about Tangler… […]
November 12th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Murray — I’m really tempted to do that. Just for the heck of it. I agree with your assessment, though — even three developer months worth of work in Bangalore isn’t going to get me anywhere near the desired functionality. So, this experiment would just be in order to prove a point. PLUS - I’d be losing three months supply of donuts, instead of just three days.
March 27th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
I’m a writer. I stumbled on getafreelancer and signed up from curiosity - and I’d like to find more work. Like you I was mind-boggled. Someone wants dozens of ‘articles’ of 500 to 1000 words for $1 each! Yes that’s one dollar. I managed to trace one post source and the ‘article’ I found was a description of a handbag. So ad copy rather than article. But what really hit me was the number of responses, people willing work for pennies and responding with sometimes poor English, but sometimes with claims to be retired professors, experienced copy writers, teachers. Most of the calls as well as the responses seem to be from India and perhaps a dollar can feed you for a day there. The site says it provides people from Romania and the Ukraine. Some of the calls included whines about having been let down, but even a second language speaker would dump one of those for almost any other job.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Yes,I often get project on GAF(getafreelancer.com),even though many freelancer dont like the way GAF works,it also supply many projects for me.GAF has gold member there , you just pay 12$ and get total payment from your custom,it works for me. And for get projects quickly ,I often use GafReminder ,it is a good tools for get new project.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
As an experienced copywriter I have to agree. The problem with getafreelancer, for instance, is that many of the ‘copywriters’ registered on the site live in countries where rates of pay are very low. So a project might require someone to write 500 300 word articles for $1 each. That’s 50p in real money. Which is absolutely lamentable.
At the same time I see many UK and US businesses who use the site moaning about the poor quality of copy provided by freelancers via the site. Hm. What on earth do they expect if they’re only prepared to pay peanuts? As the saying goes, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys.
Getafreelancer would work a lot better if it split sites by region: europe / India / US etc. The concept only makes sense if employees offer the going rate in any particular country.
In the UK a good copywriter will charge between £35 and £45 an hour. About the same as a decent plumber or plasterer. $1 per 300 words is simply unacceptable. And greedy employers who try to save cash by taking advantage of poorer countries’ rates and foreign freelancers’ imperfect english get what they desreve. Poor work.
June 23rd, 2008 at 2:38 am
Most developers on GAF and the alike may say they will build from scratch but many use ready-made scripts that they found on sites like HotScripts or some backdoor site. These sites usually already have ready-made script clones for the most popular sites. The developer use these scripts and just customize it for their clients, shortening the length of the project considerably.
July 9th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
We’ve had a GAF account for nearly 2 years and yes many of the bids posted by freelancers are just ridiculous! Some of the jobs posted (expectations, budget, etc.) are equally as ridiculous.
Fortunately, we have obtained a few good jobs via this site, but we’ve also worked with some unscrupulous people (I wont say what nationality) who have tried to rip us off on so many levels. That aside, however, what really gets my goat with these people is their payment system… they have a prepaid mastercard to which you can access your funds once you have been paid by a client, yet every time you are to receive funds to this card they find some reason to deactivate your account and make you jump through hoops to get it back. Now security where money is concerned is one thing but this is just outright foolishness!!!
October 17th, 2008 at 7:36 am
I have used services from GAF on 2 occasions. I admit that some of the qutes that come through are ridiculously low. Just because I am looking for cheaper overseas development doesn’t mean I will pick the lowest quote. I choose those with the best portfolio of work and highest number of customer reviews - with a realistic quote and time frame.
November 11th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Hi there,
I’m both a service buyer and provider on GAF and I must say, it’s all about ‘you get what you pay for.’ Sadly, most buyers look for ridiculously low rates from providers and often end up with poor quality work. People offer low rates on their quotes just to land the job and then give up on it because the time and resources spent on the work are simply not compensated.
Most of the providers are from developing nations and others are merely earning an extra buck doing what they love to do. It’s not a place for full-time freelancers from the US and European countries, because the pay is horribly low. But for people from India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Bangladesh, Ukraine etc, it’s heaven-sent, as they earn more from a single project than they would from a regular job in a month!
November 14th, 2008 at 5:37 am
Laugh all you want clown boys. None of these services would be necessary if coders would do their jobs right in the first place.
It seems to be a badge of honor to make simple tasks difficult and the solutions inaccessible. And you get extra brownie points for finger-pointing and denigrating the users who can’t understand what the heck you’re telling them.
I understand coders like to code application script, not instructions for using those apps. But they do their apps and the community a terrible disservice when they confuse availability with accessability. If the only people who can implement your apps are those who can also write them, where’s your market?
I just posted a project on one of these services for an installation of TinyMCE or FCKeditor. I use Dreamweaver to design websites and know just enough HTML to fix the Dreamweaver screw-ups. I don’t want or need to become an expert at javascript and arcane server functions. I am interested in accomplishing other things with that time.
When I surfed the web for installation of TinyMCE and FCHeditor I was appalled by the short shrift given to understandable installation instructions by those two communities. And I encountered hordes of would-be users scouring the web forums begging for help to accomplish what should be a drop-dead simple installation process.
All they get is stupid advice like, “….download the zipfile and extract it into the root folder of your website.” (Ever try to get a zip/unzip utility to extract a file directly from your desktop to your shared website server?) Sometimes, if the responder is feeling charitable, a few jumbled code fragments are offered up to further confuse the user. Real information like a coherent step by step set of instructions are avoided like the plague.
No, you’ve missed the boat on this one. There’s real value here, a service made necessary by a bunch of snickering elitist snobs who can’t find their own rear-ends with both hands.
Sorry - that’s the way I see it.
December 10th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
I posted a project on GAF and received some bids, most of them spam that can be found in every project. A coder who seems skilled and professional turned in a complete thief because he asked for payment in advance, and as it was my first time in this kind of websites, I believed him and he stole my money. GAF support is useless, a bunch of nonprofessionals who never cared about my problem and didn’t give any advice on what to do. After some time I tried GetACoder.com and, besides the E-book they have available to all users who have doubts about their functioning they have very helpful support team. Moreover I awarded more than 10 projects there and never had problems. GAF it’s a waste of time and money.
January 20th, 2009 at 7:08 am
I am a member of GetaFreelancer, and I have won a few projects there. I think that some people (especially big-time professionals) have poor impressions of the site and its users. Indeed, there are many service providers who churn out poor service, but there are also many who give excellent, quality work despite the lesser pay.
The reason why buyers and providers continue to flock to GAF is because it’s less restricted than other freelancing sites. Guru, for example, works better for professionals but charges ridiculous rates for their service! GAF, on the other hand, allows you to bid for projects for free, allowing you to earn money and the same time build your reputation. Freelancing websites that demand money before you can even find work are just missing the point. There are countless poor but talented freelancers who can’t avail of such sites, and they are the ones flocking to GAF by the thousands.
GAF has done a great service to the freelancing world, especially to the poorer parts of the planet. Guru, eLance, and other expensive freelancing sites will do well in First World countries. GetAFreelancer does the same in Third World ones.
July 19th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
I’m not a coder, but a freelance writer and illustrator. I found GAF a few weeks ago, and believe it to be useless unless you are from a third-world country, or are trying to take advantage of same. Article writers, for instance, make $1 per 500-word article. Yes. $1! This is insane, and I thought it must me a misprint or something… until I checked a hundred of them - same thing. That’s the going rate on GAF. Most of the bidders are from 3rd-world countries, so the buyer often re-posts later for rewriters to make the mess they get readable.
Completely useless.