Anyone contracted a php free lancer?

[PatsyD]

I have a php script that is just giving me a hard time getting it to function as it should. Thinking of scraping the whole thing and have something written from scratch. Have looked at quite a few sites offering php freelancing work with a bid for your job system. Am interested in knowing if anyone here has any experience in any particular website and would care to comment.

Seems the trend to be most php project prices are divided between India and the rest of the world with India coming in VERY reasonable. Am thinking ahead wondering, after the project is completed and paid, I find a problem with the script........ if it would be easily fixed or it the projected would be bug free via many tests before it came to me.

So many questions.........

Patsy

[mybrokengnome]

As a real life developer who has worked in companies that have outsourced in the past, I would HIGHLY ADVISE AGAINST "outsourcing" your project to someone in India, or most other countries for that matter. The reason they are so cheap is because usually what you expect as a deliverable (end product) and what they provide to you aren't one the same, and you still have to pay for it. Not to mention the problems with language barrier (yes they usually speak English, but not the English you and I speak), time zone limitations, etc.

A main goal of a developer, especially a freelancer, is not to just program something for someone but to actually figure out what the user really wants. Lets face it, most customers don't know what they want. For example, you tell your developer in India you want a shopping cart. 3 weeks later you get source code for a shopping cart. You start playing with it and you suddenly realize your shopping cart has no support for tax on products, shipping costs, coupons, etc. because you never mentioned it and they aren't going to bother asking at the price they are charging.
You get someone in India to do it for a fraction of the cost, you're going to get exactly what you tell them, not what you really meant. They won't take the time to ask questions and clarify what you want. Even a quick google search on software outsourcing problems brought up this link The Outsourcing Weblog: Common Problems in Software Development Outsourcing which talks about exactly what I'm trying to convey to you.


Now that I've hopefully talked you out of outsourcing your job, let me assure you that there are plenty of GOOD software developers in the States that are willing to do what you want at the same cost, maybe even cheaper, than the ones programmers in India, it just might take a little bit to find. I would look at rentacoder.com as it's the original free lancing website, and has a pretty good rating system. Also if you want to send me an email at mybrokengnome@gmail.com I'd be more than happy to give you a quote on developer your script for you. Another good option is to post in the jobs sections of Craigslist for a local developer. Also, if you're close to a University with a computer science program they probably have a job board you can post for free on and find a college student who will definitely do it for cheap.

[PatsyD]

What a wonderful response... so detailed and answered so many questions I had floating around in my head. I will check out the website you directed me to and I appreciate the offer to PM you as well (which I will do as soon as I get "most" of my wishes together that needs to be included in the script).

Again, thank you for help.

Patsy

[mybrokengnome]

Glad I could help. Just saw you were from NC too. What part? I live near Raleigh.

[PatsyD]

Well hey neighbor -- I'm 10 miles north in Wake Forest. Just got the popup you answered my PM so let's continue this in private messages and see what goes.

Patsy