Rent-A-Coder 8

[gbaughma]

Ok, not really an ethical question... not really belonging to any of the OTHER forums I read, but since someone had a statement regarding RAC before... I thought I'd post it here.

I thought, just for grins, that I'd check out the "Rent a coder" web site, and see what's there. Never been there. Heard of it.

OK, are people NUTS? Let me give some examples of what people are asking for, and what they're willing to pay:

"Java Stock Market Trader System" that calculates Relative Strength Index for share closing prices... Code must be FULLY annotated, with a COMMENT after EACH line of code. Max Bid: $17.00

OpenGL Turntable Interface $80

A java 3D Viewer which renders wireframe and solid objects created in 3ds max... allows for ratation and zoom in/out. $50

ASP.net - get auction data using regex from ebay $30

OK... someone give me a reality check. Are people REALLY writing that kind of code for that kind of money? And what's that "Fully Annotated" crap? I'm all about comments, but I'll be dipped if I'm going to teach someone else how to program by putting a comment for EVERY SINGLE line of code, explaining what it does, all for $17?

Or, has the market gotten so flooded with programmers and script-kiddies that you can get custom software written for $17 nowadays?

<frown>

Love to hear some other thoughts....


Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[mrdenny]

I just saw that guys posting. He has it posted as homework. He actually want's someone to do his somework for $17.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000) / MCTS (SQL 2005)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

 

[gbaughma]

Hmmm... and how ethical is THAT? <lol>



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[zeitghost]

Better they post homework questions on there than ask us to do it for them for nothing... )

 

[AnotherHiggins]

Hey! Little Purple Stars^{[small]TM[/small]} ain't nuthin'!

[tt]_____
[blue]-John[/blue][/tt]
[tab][red]The plural of anecdote is not data[/red]

Help us help you. Please read FAQ181-2886 before posting.

 

[mrdenny]

Little Purple Stars are just about the best payment there is (just don't tell my boss that).

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000) / MCTS (SQL 2005)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

 

[gbaughma]

You know, I used to LIVE for little purple stars.

What *really* gets annoying, is when I post an answer, then someone 8 posts later posts the SAME answer, and they get the star.

It's like (tap tap) HELLO???????



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[Dollie]

You mean I can get free homework help here??

//running to get my Algebra book....

 

[MDXer]

I'll answer any homework questions you have.

D - All the Above can cover 90% of the questions the rest are false.

Shoot Me! Shoot Me NOW!!!
- Daffy Duck

 

[Dollie]

MDXer, man oh man I coulda used you yesterday for my mid-term!

OK, are people NUTS?

Yes. Some don't have full time jobs and desperately need the dough. For some, it seems, the site has been a real benefit to them.

 

[chiph]

The people on RAC are often from Eastern Europe, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, etc, to whom $100 for writing a eBay clone is mostly good money. But even then, the output of these people is umm, lacking in the quality department.

Other people on the site are lowballing because they want to challenge themselves to learn a new technology, not because they need the money. They'll usually accept the jobs that don't have rigid time constraints.

Chip H.


____________________________________________________________________
If you want to get the best response to a question, please read FAQ222-2244 first

 

[mrdenny]

It's like (tap tap) HELLO???????

I remember one specific thread where I answered the question mabye 10 minutes after the guy asked the question. Then a few hours later someone else posts the wrong solution to the problem. These two guys talk for like two days, then the guy finely posts the same answer I did (almost word for work, with my less than perfect spelling).

After he gave him a star, I actually posted in the thread that if he had bothered to actaully read my post up at the top of the thread he would have had the answer two days earlier. As I remember there were no additional posts on that thread. And I don't think I ever got my little purple star either.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000) / MCTS (SQL 2005)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

 

[gbaughma]

You know what's cool? It's the "movers and shakers" that are responding to this post. mrdenny, chiph, I see your name all over the place. I belong to probably 25 forums, and answer where I can....

I know, sometimes we're underappreciated, especially in the IT business.

Two days ago, my Exchange server decided to lose it's mind, at the same time that I lost a drive in one of my servers. I was pulling my hair out, and people were complaining and yelling at me.

You know, I finally said to my boss "I'm never the hero for keeping these servers running 24/7 for years, but I'm the goat when something breaks." He chuckled, and said "You know, that's true...."

And yes, my company is "open" 24 hours a day (corrections), giving me no time to shut down a server to do maintenance or whatnot. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but I don't think that *anybody* there knows what I do. <LOL>



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[edfair]

Not only do they not know, Greg, they don't care unless something you do creates a problem for them.

Over the years I've developed an attitude. If it is broken it may get fixed, or it may not get fixed, depending on my skills, or on the skills of whomever they want to replace me with. When it gets fixed, it will be fixed, and until it gets fixed, its not fixed. In the meantime talking to me is probably delaying the fix so talk to me however much you wish. And by the way customer, discussion is on the clock, too.

 

[gbaughma]

And another name I see all the time! Welcome to the thread, edfair!

I know that I spoil all of my customers. The place I work for now has not had any significant downtime (more than 4 hours) the entire time I've worked there. And I have 14 servers running, and we're running Thin Clients and MetaFrame. No, I don't have my college degree; I have WELL over 20 years of working with computers. Hardware, network administration, network design, LAN, WAN, *AND* programming in a half dozen languages. *I* know, and it's been proven, that it would take at *least* two people, if not three to replace me.

But that doesn't mean I'm irreplacable. I think it's just as important to have "soft skills". You can be the best programmer on the planet, but if you don't have the skills to actually *talk* to the customer and find out their needs, it doesn't do any good. And if your communication skills aren't to the point that you can train them, write a manual, etc. then that's no good either.

I'll put my skills against any "computer major" coming out of college. Hands down. But, I also know that I have been passed up on some *fantastic* opportunities, because I didn't have that "BS" after my name. Sad, really.

And, back on track, I'll be *DAMNED* if I'm doing some kid's homework, so he can come and try to take my job from me later. <LOL>

Ed, a compliment here. You're excellent at what you do. I've seen your name as tipmaster of the week. If I see that you've responded to a problem, I usually mentally checkmark that problem as "solved". ("Oh, Ed got to it first. No point in me even reading the rest of the thread.") Keep up the great work, but don't lose sight of customer focus. It's the most self-limiting thing you can do.



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[edfair]

You really know how to pump a guy's ego. Thanks, but I don't deserve it. I fix machines for a living. Have for 45 years. So I've seen a lot of problems, that's all I see, and I pass on the solutions or diagnostics that I know, or have gut feelings for.

Never have made tipmaster. Doesn't matter.

Left an employer some 40 years ago. My replacement was 5 guys each with a different piece of the pie and my new employer had a 6th. I would go into what had been my major account and find all 5 there working on different machines. Did wonders for the ego since I had done it by myself for 3 years.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[rmikesmith]

Over the years I've developed an attitude. If it is broken it may get fixed, or it may not get fixed, depending on my skills, or on the skills of whomever they want to replace me with. When it gets fixed, it will be fixed, and until it gets fixed, its not fixed. In the meantime talking to me is probably delaying the fix so talk to me however much you wish. And by the way customer, discussion is on the clock, too.

I love it!


Regards,
Mike

 

[gbaughma]

Yeah.... I know what you mean about being on the clock.

I *used* to work on people's PC's for them (now it's very rare... I try to concentrate on business machines instead)... but here's a perfect, real-life example.

I had someone call me. They were trying to install a hard drive themselves, and couldn't get it to work. I told them it was $70 an hour, 1 hour minimum, if I had to come to their house. I also informed them that it would be less expensive if they wanted to bring it to me. They wanted on-site. So I went.

After I changed the jumper on the new drive from Master to Slave and rebooted and started it formatting (total time, 5 minutes), I wrote up a bill for them for $70. They stated "But you only worked on it for 5 minutes!!!" I proceeded to tell them "Yes, but it took me over 20 YEARS to learn how to fix it in only 5 minutes!"

So, now, if someone wants their computer worked on (and I agree to it, I usually just tell them no), they bring it to me and leave it over night. I spend the 5 minutes fixing their problem (90% of the time), and bill them for an hour.

Unethical? No... because I tell them straight up front there's a 1 hour minimum charge. But at least if they leave it overnight, I don't get the "it only took you 5 minutes" complaint from them. Besides, my knowledge IS worth something. Just because it comes easy for ME to fix it, doesn't mean it's easy for everyone.

I mean, would someone go to a brain surgeon, and say "You were only in surgery for 28 minutes! I'm not paying this bill!"

Sad part of it is, my auto mechanic charges more per hour than I do. So does my lawyer. So does my doctor. So does my plumber. So does my electrician......



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[monkeylizard]

Repair Rate - $75/hr
If you watch - $100/hr
If you help - $150/hr
If you worked on it before you brought it to me - $200/hr

Monkeylizard
Sometimes just a few hours of trial and error debugging can save minutes of reading manuals.

 

[lionelhill]

gbaughma, you're not doing anything wrong, because it's an up-front agreed rate. What IS wrong, however, is the behaviour found amongst some crooked instant plumbing companies, where they deliberately fix the problem soooo sloooowly (with copious breaks to nip out to their van "to get a part" and read the newspaper) that they manage to take 61 minutes so they can bill for a second hour too.