Freelancer? Maybe. From Wikipedia

This is my post under hiring a freelancer. I’m writing it because I wanted to have someone help me with a project for my website. Now, theoretically, I should be able to handle my own projects. I mean, after all, I wrote code for decades and I’m certified by Oracle as a DBA and as a Programmer. But, I’ve been retired from the programming profession for over 10 years. While I’d say that I’ve kept up fairly well with the basic core of SQL as a language, that’s because it is still the same as it was when Chris Date and E. F. Codd wrote about the relational model. There’s a lot that’s changed in the world of Information Technology and I wanted to see if I could find a freelancer to give me some tips on some of the things I wasn’t very good at as far as blogging on the Internet. I think I’ve kept up fairly well with technology in general but I know I can learn some new tricks when it comes to blogging.

I initially started looking at Freelancer, the #1 site on the Internet for freelancers as far as Alexa is concerned. But, they are located in Australia and there was no phone number available for them. I then went looking for a phone number for Guru. They had a U.S. phone number. However, I figured I might as well start with Freelancer. I summized I’d bungle through the steepest part of the learning curve with someone I was less likely to actually work with. I’d get my feet wet with Freelancer and then move to Guru where there would be less of a chance to get a lot of egg on my face.

Freelancer’s signup was easy but the website needed work in terms of being able to select the appropriate category for what I needed. The categories tended to be too traditional. I put in my information and submitted it and right away realized I made a mistake in the description. Not a big mistake but one that definitely should get noticed. I referenced the Freelancer website as Guru, not Freelancer. Right away I tried to correct the mistake. But, no sooner had I submitted the request for consideration by freelancers, I started getting bids. Amazing. There was no way in the world that anyone who sent me an email within the first two minutes of my posting had read my commentary.

After I received about half a dozen bids and read their proposals I realized that the people doing the bidding had no clue what I wanted. They were just throwing themselves out there based on the keywords and categories I included in my request for bids. It was blatantly obvious that only one person had bothered to read my request for bids.

Freelancers? Not likely – too professional. From Wikipedia

My next step was to go to the request and try to edit my mistake. I did that quickly but to no avail. Even though Freelancer clearly states that “Your project will be reviewed by staff before it goes live.” It was very clear that the amount of time that elapsed from when I submitted the request for bids until the first bid arrived was so short  that there was absolutely no way that any human looked over my request for bids. It just couldn’t have possibly happened. Maybe Freelancer considers their software a staff member, I don’t know. I just know that I was shocked how fast a few bids arrived. I couldn’t believe that the responses submitted contained words like “professional” or “excellent communication skills” and phrases like “Get it done by WordPress Pro’s (sic)” or “I would be a perfect fit for this position as my experience and abilities precisely match your requirements”. I also now know that Freelancer does not allow editing of the description in the request for bids. Get it right the first time or else.

I would have thought that a professional would have read my request and had an inkling of my requirements. Needless to say, I was disappointed. I even went so far as to place a call to Guru. I had used them once before to help me find an editor for my first book. That worked out well, but I found that English can be so fluid and grammar rules so readily available online that I really didn’t see the need of paying an editor after that. My work wasn’t designed to be on the New Times Best Seller list. This time I called Guru them to see if my old account was still active after several years. What I got was a recording saying “Leave your name and number and we’ll get back with you as soon as possible.” That should be interesting.

All-in-all, my experience with Freelancer and Guru was less than good. On a scale of one to ten, I think I’d give them both a four. We’ll see how this plays out tomorrow. Or during the next week. Blogging is work. I enjoy it but I ‘m going to see how easy it is to find someone who might possibly mentor me in producing a more polished blog. My request is going to be active for seven days.