Ask Slashdot: Is There a 'Gig Economy' Site For Tech Skills?

"Where I can meet up with people who just need solutions implemented?" asks Slashdot reader datavirtue: Somewhere people can go when they have a solution designed in-house with documented requirements and are in need of a competent engineer(s) to assist with implementation. Where timelines and price estimates and rates are well defined and enforced. If they like me, and agree to the terms, we can proceed with the project -- expecting solid deliveries at each milestone....

I have been on some gig projects where the relationship was well structured by a third party and it was a lot of fun. I know a lot of engineers who would use a system like this if it streamlines entering the freelance tech market for them. People who would rarely take gigs otherwise. I have looked around but the services feel dead. I have been approached by startups in the past wanting to sign me up their service...but they didn't really go anywhere.
The original submission complains that many projects end up going to consulting firms that just scrounge up candidates from job boards. But what's the alternative? "Am I missing some great online community or website that has already solved this?"

Leave your own thoughts in the comments. Is there a 'gig economy' site for tech skills?

Comments

Signal-to-noise ratio, transaction costs

[Kjella]

Lots of unrealistic projects with terrible specifications meets barely literate lowest-bid outsourcing, what could possibly go right? I just looked through a few projects, it's not worth my time even trying to find a reasonable project proposal. And if there was one, would they find me in the pile of junk responses they get? No. And if you get ripped off one way or the other, you'll be stuck in a dispute resolution process on your own dime. Basically if you find someone qualified it's a huge advantage to just use them again. That's not a gig economy, that's a market for temp workers. The initial work should basically just be risk money to test them out before you offer a real contract. And in most cases I'd switch from a fixed price to hourly rate for any decent developer, unless the scope is very specific.

Re:There have been many

[Anonymous Coward]

When they come back with a failed 3rd world job, I will tell them that my rate has gone up.

At which point, they will go whining to the government that there are no workers willing to work for $1/hour, and demand that they be allowed to import labor from elsewhere.

Guess what? The government actually listens to the corporations and they get their cheap labor. Then the corporations go around pointing at all of the imported labor and say see there's people here willing to work for $1/hour and if you want a job you had best adjust your expectations.

End result: Lower pay for everyone because the corporations got the government to change the rules.

So as much as you hate regulations. Just remember, the corporations are not free market enthusiasts. Corporations will just as much beg for regulations that screw over workers as workers will beg for regulations to screw over corporations. Only when a corporation does it, the result tends to have much further reaching consequences.

Oh you sweet summer child...

[AmazingRuss]

... what you ask for doesn't even exist in established companies.

People are dumb, don't know what they want, don't appreciate it when you build it for them, and don't want to pay. This is almost universal.