Comments on: Slavery by any other name

By: computer salary

computer salary — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:24:14 +0000

@ Tom Volkar. Yes, I totally agree with you. The employee is the true slave. Everybody has a choice: to be a slave or to be his own boss.

By: Mike | Business Consultant

Mike | Business Consultant — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:06:49 +0000

Anja – I agree with much of that you’ve said – but there is clearly another side to this coin.

If someone in a developing country can earn $5 for 2 hours of work all the best to them. Clearly many people won’t except these staggering lows but let’s put it all in perspective.

You get what you pay for is often the case. Someone may pay for $50 for a 5 page sales letter – and they’ll get a mish mash of ineffective slop that generates no response.

But the buyers know what they are getting into. Anyone that can pay a provider $5 or less for 2 hours of work and expect stellar results should be in the loony bin.

In my mind these services are great. Sure, most of the time companies are looking for the lowest bidder, but sooner or later they learn that they need to pay more to get better quality. If they can get great quality for a low price both buyer and seller win.

Put simply, oDesk, rentacoder, Elance, etc aren’t the kind of places you should hang your shingle and expect to get rich. But it works for some and gives huge opportunity to others.

One last thing. Having used services that show what the provider is doing as they work – I know it sounds creepy but it actually is great. Since I can’t physically ‘work’ with the person, I have no idea how they are spending their time, and when you are paying them hourly, there needs to be an easy way to track progress. It’s really just a tool to develop trust so that both parties will feel comfortable and use the service.

My two cents.

-Mike

By: Anja Merret

Anja Merret — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:54:17 +0000

@velvet verbosity thanks for your comment. Agree with your sentiment. And like your blog too.

By: Velvet Verbosity

Velvet Verbosity — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:03:47 +0000

Yeah, I found the same two websites and had the same exact experience. I haven’t yet closed my accounts but I have no intention of working for anyone for so little money. Not unless my landlord, the grocery stores, the electric company, the oil company, and a whole host of other people who like to take my money would like to also get paid a whole lot less.

By: Tom Volkar/ Delightful Work

Tom Volkar/ Delightful Work — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:38:37 +0000

Ah but you and I are still at choice. We get to decide what work we will do. An employee is the true slave. Self-employment is the only true freedom and we seize it by creating original products, programs and services not by hiring out.

By: Anja Merret

Anja Merret — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 09:39:07 +0000

@Dawd. That is an excellent point you make. It’s back to the consumer again then isn’t it.

By: Dawid

Dawid — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:13:35 +0000

On the one hand, consumers want all for free – on the other hand, the consumers are in general, also earners who want good incomes!

Paying lower salaries forces some to consider other sources of income and others to rduce the quaity of their work as they have less time, motivation. etc.

Is this not going to explode at some time?

By: Acen8s

Acen8s — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:37:55 +0000

You can call it what ever you like but you can’t do anything about the smell.

By: Anja Merret

Anja Merret — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:03:53 +0000

Totally agree with you.

Very sad. And we buy into it, don’t we.

By: joe

joe — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:54:46 +0000

yeah it’s bad. Unfortunately technology enables greedy humans to oppress others in wonderful new ways. Eventually robots will be doing most of the work, but until then it will get worse for the bottom end of the work force.