RentACoder.com

[ThemsAllTook]

I just found this site recently: [ http://www.rentacoder.com/ ]. I skimmed over the site description, and the services they offer/facilitate. I think you have to register with them to find out detailed information, and I haven't bothered yet... At a glance, it looks like it could be a great way for a coder to make some extra cash. Has anyone ever used it? I'd be curious to know if it's good, reputable, works well, etc.

Alex Diener

[funkboy]

Very interesting, and maybe, depending on the price, a way to get help for udg even. Seems more like a way for our community to make some real money, though.

So, yeah, anyone ever signed up for it?

[Josh]

From my limited experience in using it to do freelance PHP/MySQL development, it is very difficult to win the contracts. Needless to say, though, my experience may be the exception and not the rule.

[Wired]

Yes. It's basically 90% outsourced, and the bids are too cheap to be worthwhile over here in the States. At least, that's what my experience has been.

[lionel]

Use Rent A Pro (http://www.rent-a-pro.com/) we are 100% free.

[Carlos Camacho]

I set up two bids. All the programmers were non-USA based. Especially Eastern Europe. The work was writing PHP stuff. I set a really low price but still got people interested. In a way, this is a good thing for all countries.. ie the ability to learn a tech skill, remain in your country and be able to continue working -- rather then being inticed to leave behind your home and move to the first world. But that I suppose is a different topic.

Anyhow, my dealings with the people that ran Rent A Coders was good. No scams from their end of things. I think that an Ebay for human services will have profound impact on many countries.. (sort has already ;) )

Cheers

[Josh]

Use Rent A Pro (http://www.rent-a-pro.com/) we are 100% free....and 100% non-existent...

[Danlab]

im not a number im a free man ! :mad:

[Zwilnik]

I'm not a number I'm an expensive man! :)

[BeyondCloister]

I had signed up to a similar kind of thing about 4 years ago in order to get some extra money. It turned out to be a waste of time as the money people were offering was too low to make it worth while booting up my computer or people willing to do the work for so little money :(

[aarku]

Well, so it's obviously not a good thing to try and make money from. How is it for the reverse? If it's such a horrible deal one way, it sounds like a great deal the other way.

Say if I were to offer some measly amount of money to produce me a cross platform 2d OpenGL sprite engine in C to my specifications. . . . :-)

-Jon

[Jake]

Next year some time after I get my current game(s) finished I am going to look into outsourcing some work to Rent A Coder, it sounds like a good deal for the people hiring programmers to me.

[Josh]

Next year some time after I get my current game(s) finished I am going to look into outsourcing some work to Rent A Coder, it sounds like a good deal for the people hiring programmers to me.
Except that you get what you pay for. Most of the contracts will outsource it, and most of the code will be crap.

[BeyondCloister]

Well, so it's obviously not a good thing to try and make money from. How is it for the reverse? If it's such a horrible deal one way, it sounds like a great deal the other way.

If you can sleep at night knowing you are using the equivalant of a coding sweat shop then go for it.

[Jake]

Except that you get what you pay for. Most of the contracts will outsource it, and most of the code will be crap.

Well if the code isn't satisfactory then you don't pay for it.


If you can sleep at night knowing you are using the equivalant of a coding sweat shop then go for it.

I will sleep good knowing someone in india is making a good living. Your comparison of a sweat shop is not even close.

[phydeaux]

I took a look at this site for fun, and wow, you can make some decent money helping people cheat on their homework on this site. Though just like the big projects, the overseas folk will probably underbid you.

[Josh]

Well if the code isn't satisfactory then you don't pay for it....and you breach the contract, unless you somehow got the programmer to agree to blindly trust you to pay him.

But I digress.

[Jake]

...and you breach the contract, unless you somehow got the programmer to agree to blindly trust you to pay him.

But I digress.

I didn't read the contract but I can't imagine them allowing people to give code that doesn't work or is unsatisfactory in speed. But then again I am to busy to read the contract right now

[TakeReal]

...and you breach the contract, unless you somehow got the programmer to agree to blindly trust you to pay him.

Seems you don't understand how RentACoder.com works.
If the code isn't satisfactory - no needs to accept it. You act according your contract: "Custom Software Buyer Agreement".
"Safe escrow deposit" works well and your money will be refunded to you. Example:
If coder doesn't submit completed work by the deadline - you can ask about arbitration (RentACoder designated as sole mediator and arbitrator). Result will be:

The coder did not complete the work by the deadline. The funds were returned to the buyer

Coder can ask about arbitration too. For example:

The buyer stopped responding to arbitration. Testing showed that 69% of the work was complete.
The coder was paid that amount of the bid. The buyer's remaining funds were refunded.

Overall - RentACoder works fine. I have 400+ completed projects:
http://www.takereal.com/freelance/rating.asp

[sealfin]

The site seems a decent concept, badly executed, and let down by the people who post there - I only checked the C/C++ categories[1], but every other listing is for coding somebody else's homework (which kind of misses the point of the exercise...) or "we want an app like [competitor's product] but with a different logo."

I'm sure there are a few decent projects hiring, but they're submerged by everything else; the site either needs a better policy for projects which can be posted, better categorisation so that people can ignore the kinds of projects I highlighted, or better policing... but if the site is making money for those who run it, those points are moot - there will always be VB coders looking for love and money...

All opinion anyway, as I don't feel I'm at the level of competancy where I'd sign up for something like this...



[1] a week ago when I first saw this thread; it may have undergone an amazing transformation in the intervening time...

[TakeReal]

The site seems a decent concept, badly executed, and let down by the people who post there - I only checked the C/C++ categories[1], but every other listing is for coding somebody else's homework (which kind of misses the point of the exercise...) or "we want an app like [competitor's product] but with a different logo."
Did you try Advanced search (http://www.rentacoder.com/RentACoder/SoftwareCoders/SearchWork.asptxtFromURL=%41%49%64%5F%36%31%32%33% 30) feature? It's not hard to uncover $5000+ or $500+ projects. Some bad, some good.
Overall - 6704 successful projects last month. Please, check official statistics.

If you know place to encourage "the people who post there" - please, don't hide.

[Carlos Camacho]

BTW, I wanted to state that "No outsourcing of uDevGames 2005 work allowed." ;)

[Carlos Camacho]

I just finished reading a very interesting article by Brian Hook (yeah, the Quake 2 and Quake 3 guy) on Rent-A-Coder. Check it out yourself:

http://bookofhook.com/Article/GameDevelopment/MyOff-ShoreProgrammingExp.html

Comments?

[shucks]

Hi people, just saw this post and must have missed it earlier when i was making the classified announcements.

Anyways I've love to hear some feedback from you guys regarding a Mac specific "rent-a-coder" type marketplace.

We have been trying to see where other marketplaces are missing and dedicating one with Mac specific categories including game development, cocoa stuffs etc. Its currently under beta so there is some room to "shape" it to what we want it to be.

Anyways if you guys have some spare time head on to http://www.takethisdeveloper.com
and give me some feedbacks.

Some of the things that I have read in this thread claimed that due to too many competition it has driven down the pricing for services. How then do you guys think we can improve on this. What we tried to do is via grants which you can read about at the site. I think this will entice people to post higher valued projects.

Currently we are improving the interface to make it easier for people to use. I've already got feedbacks about the lines so spare me on that one :p

Shucks,
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1.67 GHz AlBook 17" - Sudden Motion Sensors rocks!