Comments on: Through The Looking Glass

By: Amit Patekar

Amit Patekar — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 11:13:02 +0000

I Love Elance,
I have been on elance from last 3 years and i have seen many good service providers/companies getting all their projects from elance.

But there are some improvements which can be done in Elance.

The rating system is too strict, and default filters encourage the buyer to see the providers with 5 star rating, which is difficult to maintain as the number of projects in your basket increases.

Also elance fee is also higher, when you do calculation you will find out that 10 to 12 % of the project cost goes to elance

Any ways elance is awesome and the only place where providers can see good quality and big projects.

I will also check guru soon.

By: KrisBelucci

KrisBelucci — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:49:02 +0000

Hi, good post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting.

By: spikethelobster

spikethelobster — Fri, 29 May 2009 13:52:42 +0000

Anne: Job descriptions are soooo hard to get right. I often see people asking for writers to do them for businesses, because it’s just so easy to miss something that will turn out to be vital. Someone once told me I should be a business analyst (horrible idea, almost as bad as being a manager!) because I can look at things from the other person’s standpoint.

It’s not entirely true – though there are people who can do that, and they’re amazing – as I always miss something. But putting yourself in the other person’s shows and trying to look at things as if with no prior knowledge really makes a difference. It’s sort of like playing Battleships on your own and pretending to not know where the pieces have been placed.

By: Stephen G

Stephen G — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:33:10 +0000

Hehe! :- )

Thanks mate…I think? :- P

I’ve gotta go out now…Thanks for putting your project text up…it makes the conversation more chewy….

I’ll pop my 4 Wheel-Drive Dentures in and I’ll be back later on…

Cheers

Stephen G

By: annew

annew — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:28:04 +0000

Spike… great post. My writers wish job posters would be as clear as you are. Years ago I was trained as a high tech headhunter. Our job was to get around HR to the hiring authority because job descriptions never ever tell you what the hiring authority needs, can live with, wants, etc.

I recently hired a virtual assistant… actually hired the first one I interviewed on a gut feeling and so far it’s worked well, but as I was training her I realized I hadn’t deconstructed what I wanted enough to get it right the first couple of times. Fortunately she was patient and it’s working like a charm now… not exactly the way I’d do it, but close enough.

Like you, job history doesn’t mean much to me… a little bit maybe to assure me you’ve got a chance of doing it right, but mostly it’s the actual doing that counts.

I know d**n well resumes and credit lists are mostly to give the interviewer something to hold onto during the interview.

Great post.

Thanks

Anne Wayman

By: spikethelobster

spikethelobster — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:00:56 +0000

Ah, Stephen. You have a talent for backing people into a corner so they can’t escape. You should’ve been a politician (or a TV politics chat-show host – one or the other!).

Here y’go: project text (with a couple of minor edits to preserve surprises for later blog entries):

I need 15 illustrations for a [certain style of document]. They do not need to be incredibly complex: more a stylised cartoon approach. [Short description of main character]. The images are to go around the text on an A5 layout, so they don’t need to be large, either.

I am flexible on deadline and most aspects of the project, including style and use or absence of colour, etc. I don’t mind if you have no feedback or are brand new on site. A sample of existing work (published is fine) or a sketch idea should be provided with your bid, please. Bear in mind my budget is tiny/small, so don’t suggest a style that’s going to take up hours and hours of your time.

Accepted bidder will have full recognition in [final product] (“Illustrations by…” on the cover, short bio and webpage link (if desired) inside) but the work is for outright ownership purchase – no royalties and you can’t re-use it elsewhere (well, not without permission, which basically would mean it’s fine for self-promotion/portfolio!)

Payment would be by PayPal direct (preferably) or I could try to figure out the whole escrow thing if you’re worried about getting burned.

Please feel free to ask questions if I’ve missed anything.

By: Stephen G

Stephen G — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:49:27 +0000

Hi Spike…and thanks :- )

Geez, that Paul fella is a bluddy chatter-box isn’t he? ;- P

I reckon it would be really interesting to see your ‘project text’ & then get Paul’s take on it….’Wodyareckon’? :- )

Cheers

Stephen G