oDeskReviews 140

Odesk is a great site if you are looking forwards to earning $1 per 400 word article. However, the issue is not entirely on the whole website but the who's and the how's on how everything is run. I mean, the whole bidding process is HELL. So you could be out there knowing the lowest payment you should get as a professional writer is $8 per 400 word article but... I dare you to say it on this site, you are definitely the most fussy/fussiest and too expensive for some easy task type of bidder. So I say "so long brother!"

After putting in hours of information, tests, etc. to profile & apply for freelance work on ODesk, I have realized that they cater to companies with budgets of $200. Their clients pay only $1 to $6 an hour because they hire contractors on ODESK from the Philippines, and poor countries where $2 an hour is fine for them. Essentially it is looking as if ODESK is a front for cheap labor in America. Their clients go on the site & refuse to hire American workers, instead they pay $2 an hour for foreign labor.

Odesk.com is an online marketplace for buyers and providers for the services. Odesk provides an extensive online work environment where buyers and providers can build relationships based on trust and virtual office environment. Buyers can see providers actually working on their projects, receive reports and handle tasks more effeciently. While providers can be assured of payments, fraud prevention and dispute resolution in an efficient manner. Odesk also provides tests where providers can prove their skills in certain categories to maximize their potential to get hired for the jobs.

I think this is a good idea in concept with the "tracking" system of hours so you can pay people buy the hour instead of per project but the problem is that how can you really trust someone to really be working when he is logged in? He could be playing starcraft for all you know and just logged in. Paying per project makes much more sense and because of that I'm not really sold on the concept of logging in to work. Maybe I am missing something but it seems to be elance or guru with a log in button.