Freelance Market Place and Modern slavery!

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I started my journey from a Freelance Marketplace. I still remember I earned only $50 after working for about 2 months for only one client.

I was new and she knew I needed a good feedback so she forced me to work a lot. I read a lot of blog post whee writers ( freelancers ) telling newbie to get good feedback from a client in anyway so that he can get more work.

After 4/5 years I still see the things did not change. Now it has become more complex as the composition is really high that ever. Sometimes I think it is some kind of modern slavery where people from developing country were thrown into a bad composition so that they can lower their rates to manage their food on their table.

Alas to say there is no minimum wage here. Can no we change this situation is any way? We can not ask the hungry people not to involve that bad composition to lower their rate, other than can not we show some humanity to to give them at least $100 for a website creations?

I saw a people asking a custom site for only $20. Creating a custom site with eCommerce can take at least 1 to 4 weeks. So is there something where peple of developing countries are being exploited?

It is high time to do something great, believe me, people in the developing country ( who are hungry, who are greater in population though they use very little resource ) are being exploited in different way and now I see another modern way.

Now I feel so bad. I am really frustrate. What about you?
Is there any organization that is working on this issue? If so I will be glad to join with them

P.S. I just described what I feel, I did not want to hurt anyone, I just wanted your kind attention about this issue.
#main internet marketing discussion forum #freelance #market #modern #place #slavery
  • Banned
    1. It's not slavery. You set your prices. You choose which markets you can compete in. If you don't have the talent to compete at prices that would be acceptable? Then Freelance Writing isn't for you. It's nothing to feel bad about, but you need to be realistic with yourself.

    2. There probably isn't much we can do to change the market composition at the moment. People are going to buy $.01 per word and less content, and the sellers are going to sell at that rate because they think that's where the money is. You either get smart and get talented and move up, or you burn out and quit. Natural selection.

    3. Writers from developing countries seem to only be at a disadvantage if they allow themselves to be. It's all about marketing yourself. Of course, this is the one point of the three that I will admit to possibly being wrong on. I have the advantage of being born and raised in a first world country, so I don't have proper perspective on the situation.
    • [ 4 ] Thanks
    • [3] replies
    • Trust me, we writers from first world countries did not set those price points. It was writers from third world countries that did. Trust me when I say that we aren't happy with them either.

      However, they don't effect us if we don't compete in that price range. We don't target those customers who only want to pay that much and you don't have to either.

      Terra
      • [ 6 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply

    • I am a web developer and I am not a writer. I do have my own business plan to compete the market situation for my own...

      Here is some point where you will be able to find some fuel for thinking

      1. It is slavery, where you are forcing people to compete with each other. where you are always gainer!

      2. What do you mean by natural selection... You enjoy minimum wage where freelancers from developing country with compete with each other? I have some suggestions about minimum wage, according to salary.com a developer can earn $67.32 per hour, but for a developing country it can be minimum 6.732 per hour. I am not asking for equal rice but a minimum wage can save people. So called natural selection should be applied for all other than only for developing country.

      3. I am fully agree with you that writers from developed country will get higher value. And I think the quality of the work will be much higher.
      • [4] replies
    • AMEN.

      I have seen tons of writers on elance and odesk from India and the Phillippines charging 40 dollars an hour and more. And these guys are getting TONS of hours at their going rates. Check these guys out:

      https://www.odesk.com/users/Technica...d5e0?sid=12001

      https://www.elance.com/s/committed/1...RyYW5zbGF0aW9u

      https://www.odesk.com/o/profiles/use...e5723bc88c373/

      If those are slave wages, send me to the plantation.
      • [1] reply
  • The number one reason why many new comer in internet marketing that from developing country seem to be exploited if we call that exploited is that they are not aware of how much should they charge for their service.

    Most of them believes that if they will earn much more than what they can earn if they get a day job that is good for them.

    Educating the newbie will be the solution
    • [2] replies
    • Go to Elance or Odesk, you will see the jobs with asking something like this....

      Bidder with more tha 2USD/Hour will be removed
      or
      Asking more than 50 will not get the job.
      or,
      After working on this project you will get a lot of works ( not really they do have a lot of works )
      or
      I am in a tight budget

      So my point is, this is leading people to a bad composition, is not it?
    • To the OP, "slavery" in this context is such a powerful word that could most likely be interpreted out of context nine ways to Sunday. Let's not get too excited with this now, shall we?

      It's about your time and how you value it, and how buyers value their time and the time of others who work with them...

      If a buyer is from the US or anywhere for that matter and wants a custom Wordpress theme designed and integrated with proprietary PHP functionalities for $20, and if you value your Wordpress dev't, graphics design and PHP programming time at $10/hour, then analyze if you can complete the buyer's project in 2 hours or so (less than 2 hours would be good for you). If you can't accommodate this, then move on, since you'll just be wasting away your $10/hour relentlessly thinking and being absurdly frustrated about this situation. It's a free market economy, and as a free market fundamentalist, to each his or her own, so, lining this up in context and perspective:

      =>> It's up to you, especially as a freelancer where you get to review project requirements before accepting offerss. Seems like the OP doesn't have a clearly defined value of his or her time doing projects for others by using his or her specialized skills, knowledge and expertise. Here's an example:

      • My brother in law is a freelance factory machine electronic board technician, and he's the only one with this profession out of more than 500 or so people I know. He contacts factories and offers his services to fix their malfunctioning or inoperable factory equipment with electronic circuit boards, which they wouldn't be able to send to the manufacturer to get it fixed and get it back again, properly installed, in say 30 days or so, and there aren't any other technicians here who can do this that they (almost all factories here) know of. In one provincial city alone here in the Philippines, the average number of medium to large-scale factories with these electronic board-integrated machines is around 50 or so...

      He now wants to establish a business that provides this service. Why? I suggested him to calculate the revenues that the company loses due to their malfunctioning or inoperable factory machines. Say a cement production company produces 2000 sacks of cement per day. Because of factory machine issues, they now produce 1000 sacks per day, but still pay the same overheads for manpower resources. Say they earn net profits worth $20 per sack, so they're losing $20K per day, or $400K per 20-month, in which a 30-day manufacturer repair guarantee is the only thing they're holding on. In comes my brother in law, with these prices:

      =>> 3-Day Turnaround = $20000
      =>> 10-Day Turnaround = $15000
      = 20-Day Turnaround = $10000

      Now, he's a freelancer, since he's running a business, and he isn't slaving away his time, because he set those prices, based on what a company can potentially lose when they don't get their equipment fixed right away, on average, among other factors like market competition and how he values his time and specialized skills, knowledge and expertise...

      Slavery doesn't have options. It doesn't require market analysis. There just needs to be someone or some group that can impose a sense of authority, power and fear over others, which can overwhelm someone to do something he or she doesn't want to do, or someone who doesn't have the required experience and knowledge to decide what's best for his or her welfare (child labor or tricking people with mental disabilities to do things they surely wouldn't want to do if they didn't have those mental disabilities) in doing things that they don't want to do, for only the sole benefit of the slave drivers and for the detrimental welfare of the people ("slaves") doing those things...
  • Banned
    I made a good living on Elance until the offshore designers started doing logos for $20 and websites for peanuts. Sorry, but offshore providers wanted to compete on price and they are solely responsible for driving the prices down to nothing.
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    • [1] reply
    • If yo do google, you will find a lot of tutorials how to hire a developer or designers for oDesk or Elance, those writes are telling that you can get a logo for $20, those articles are telling people that you can force a designer or developer of developing country to do something for a lower price.

      It is not fair. Someone find some people who are hungry, then he ask them, I will feed one of you who will be most obedient. Then you will get all of them trying to get some favor from you. I think it is the reality and we are forcing them to a bad competition.

      Today one of my friend told me that someone invited 37 people to submit a PSD mockup and he will select one people among the submitted art work. I do not know how to express m emotion, but I feel there is something not fair.
      • [3] replies
  • Because there is nothing we can do. The "fools" must help themselves. They need to raise their prices, learn new and better skills, and continue to attract higher paying clients by doing more effective marketing.

    No international organization exists that can set a minimum wage standard for freelancers. And even if it were possible there would be someone, somewhere that would try to moonshine lower prices. That's just the way it works.

    Rose
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  • I find it interesting that in all this talk of slavery, no mention was made of the difference in cost of living between developing countries and first world countries.

    Carry on...
  • I think it is good that freelancing has no minimum! Why? Because a minimum implies a range...which implies a maximum I prefer setting my own rates, and when people stop buying, I'll consider lowering them. Til then, not a chance.
    Also, if you take only one thing from this thread -- Buyers who pay rational, reasonable rates will treat you much, much better than the people you've been dealing with. They are parting with a decent amount of cash because they respect what you do -- and in most cases they are a much better class of client.
  • This is simply the reality of the global marketplace. There's no point in trying to assign blame, such as between "first worlders" and "third worlders." I can't blame people from developing countries who underprice the competition -that's the only way they can compete. Nor can I blame people (from any country) for hiring those with the lowest prices if they have limited budgets and care more about price than quality. The latter isn't meant as a putdown -some people are in situations where they must calculate things this way.

    Of course, there's more to it than that. As others have said, quality comes into the picture as well. No matter what type of service you're offering, you can (hopefully) eventually reach a level where you don't have to charge bottom dollar. Then these issues become moot as you develop your own customer base and don't have to rely on those seeking the cheapest labor.
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  • Everyone on here is running their own business.

    When running your own business you get to decide what price to put on your products.

    Those people who can't afford to feed their families have set their own price, no-one held a gun to their head to work for peanuts. They chose to work for cheap.

    If your countrymen decided to sell their products at a stupidly low price, whose fault is that?

    You are demanding a minimum wage - who is going to police that?

    If the reason for this thread is your dissatisfaction with your own income - do something about it.

    If it is about you helping others to increase their income - show them how (good luck with that...).

    You want to change the world - good luck with that too.
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  • It is the free market. If you dont like the offer dont take it.
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  • @Wordpressmania:

    1) The global world isn't based on plan economy, it's based on free market economy. So we can't adjust the prices.

    2) There are not only competition between the employees in freelance sites, but also competition between the employers. It's about demand and supply. Not all the employers are looking for the cheapest solution, because they know that "you get what you pay for".

    3) There are a lot of people who try to exploit people. You should not be fool, and you should bid on the jobs that offer good wages, and stay away from ones that offer to suck you. I hope in freelance sites there are a lot of people who are realistic and want to pay good wages, as there are **** people who try do exploit others.

    4) Guides online on "how to hire someone in Odesk" or "how to find jobs on Odesk" can be misleading, but experienced people find that out shortly.

    The only way to "work your value up" isn't just by being a slave for others to get some good feedback. You can take tests in Odesk, and you can build a porthofolio (in your case, building some nice Wordpress sites) to show the employer that you can your work. Experienced employers know that the feedback isn't the only thing to look for when hiring.

    5) People in Somalia, they have no internet, they can't get into Freelance sites. They can't get jobs, there's lack of food and water in there. And people DIE by hunger in Somalia.

    What you are talking about, is about an unfair world economics. 20 % of world population eat 80 % of the resources, and vice versa. You may ask "why USA is a rich country, but Somalia is poor?". The answer may be a looong history.

    I think we should all work to make the world a better and fair planet.
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  • What is the normal average pay of someone in your country per week with your skills.

    What I mean is this:

    If you were to get hired by a company in your country, what would you get paid?

    This is the rate that most people who outsource from other countries into your country are wanting to pay. They want labor for as cheap as possible.

    I believe that they could pay more than the local economy provides, but only after trust is built, reliability, faithfulness, etc....

    Thankfulness is also a great quality to have.

    Just my opinion.
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    • [3] replies
    • Well, I think things will get better for you. I am interested in your services so get in touch.

      John
    • Those who wants to earn quick money online and will get a freelance job even if they don't have expertise on the chosen category is what is killing this business.
      • [1] reply
    • I thought it funny when I went to school and took an economic course. I thought it was something I would never need. Was I wrong.

      I learned about supply, demand and scarcity in the course. The more supply the less demand. Less demand leads to lower prices.

      If more freelancers refused to work for lower pay then supply would drop, demand would increase and fees would have to go up.

      Blame your fellow freelancers and not the people who buy.
  • You can refuse unfair monetary offers, no?
  • I come from the 'first world' and quickly realised that finding my own business online and doing freelance work offline would be long-term solution for me. I can still get decent freelance rates offline for web dev work - - I looked at sites like Elance and saw that people were willing to work for nothing. That's the key. They are willing to do it.

    As mentioned here, the freelancers set the prices. At the moment I don't have a need for online freelance work, but if I do I will set competitive rates. Hopefully the fact that English is basically my first language, my experience and quality of work will get me some clients. You have to set prices you are happy working for.
  • I'm completely in disaccord with your words, Wordpress Mania.
    Freelance websites are like any other things in the world, you offer yourself for the price you desire. How many times you can buy quality products for a price (expensive) or cheap products with low quality for another price (cheaper)?

    Many newbies are going to outsource articles to asian people to save money, but what they get in exchange? In 99 cases on 100 it's only rubbish.
    And when you get experienced you know the real price of a cool article.

    The same happens for any website building or SEO service, and if you find what I call a "slave-driver", you can always close the project and refund the buyer sending him a message.

    So freelance is not slavery as well as your tasks can get the price they really deserve.

    See you soon,
    Alessandro Zamboni
  • Wordpressmania, I'm not sure where you live but if you want an awesome tip on how to increase your income, one you can pass on to others in your country, here it is.

    There are brilliant, talented and highly successful people on this forum from just about every country. If not the same country as yours, then almost certainly a country with very similar socio-economic status, exchange rates, and typical work rates on freelance sites.

    Take a look in the Warriors For Hire room here, and in the Warrior Special Offer forum.

    I guarantee you will see in there someone not too different from yourself, and from others with a freelance marketplace background, who are tearing it up.

    Getting great pay freelancing, and/or great pay putting their skills to work creating products.

    The bottom line is that for any of us, no matter where we live, we have to realize and accept that no-one is coming to help us.

    We have to help ourselves because nobody else is going to do it.

    Have a look around this forum and I guarantee you'll find real live examples of people just like you who are doing just that.

    Take inspiration from them, starting following in their footsteps, and you'll start to see the increase in living standards you're looking form.
  • [DELETED]
  • Wow, I can see why this thread is heating up. The way I see it, there are advantages and disadvantages to getting a minimum wage. Personally, I like the flexibility of not being under it but that's just me.

    About lowballing, ditto to everyone who says don't work for peanuts. If you don't like the deal or job posting on a marketplace and feel that it's a very unfair rate then why go for it? There are a lot of freelance marketplaces (trust me, I know) that offer something better so go there and then market your skills there. Try Warriors for Hire or Outsource Factor. My site kind of has the minimum wage thing going but working freelancers to the bone is not happening here.
  • Well, each time I see a very low salary wages post in freelance site, I just simply get out from there. I know my price and I take pride on it. Being in desperate situation doesn't mean we have to do any job for any price. Slavery is common in this era, but I blame the worker, why they accept it? It is too naive to do other people's sh*t with very little appreciation. You are the boss, not some anonymous client from a developed country.
  • Well done OP for creating a buzz-worthy thread with a bit of troll bait.

    Seriously though, freelance marketplaces do not equate to modern slavery. Slaves didn't have a choice and weren't paid, whatever way you look at it, you have both.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • [DELETED]
  • Everyone of us has our choices. It's up to you to take projects and accept low payment. No one forces no one to do the job if someone don't want to do it.

    Slaves in real world doesn't have any option. As on online service provider, you have all the options. Complaining does not change the whole freelancing industry.
  • I cant speak for everyone but I have made quite a bit on sites like Elance / Vworker etc. I have found that if you have great feedback and do good work people will pay for the quality you provide. I have consistently made around $3000 per month without much effort and can make more if I really work hard.

    By the way Im a programmer not a designer .. IDK if that makes a difference.
    • [1] reply
    • You want awareness. They want food. Which demand do you think will be more persuasive?

      This brings up a conversation I have on a fairly regular basis with some of my friends. They scream that the entire world should boycott Walmart, because they're paying such lousy wages to people in the "third world." To which my response is, "Yeah. Let's put those third-worlders out of work. That'll really help them live better."

      Free exchange and mobility, whether digital or physical, is extracting a price from everyone who used to benefit from more limited options. It acts as a balancing force, pushing labor costs/wages closer to the global average across the board. That sucks for people who live in countries with higher costs of living, but it's also made life a lot better for people in areas where money goes a lot farther.

      It's the constant struggle to get the most you can for as little as possible. The leverage will go away only when the system reaches a balance where each skill level demands similar wages in every labor market. That's not likely to happen in less than two decades.

      If you want to push wages up, get people to take pride in their work, and learn to do it well. As an example, people will only pay so much for the kind of barely literate writing that comes from trying to create content on topics about which you know nothing, in languages you barely speak.

      Know where most of the copyright issues we deal with here come from? Indian programmers taking source code from commercial products to complete work they're being underpaid for. The programmers are too unconcerned to even properly hide the source, and the people paying them are too clueless to even try to see if what they're getting is original work.

      Also, if you're going to sell to an English-speaking market, learning to speak English properly will automatically increase your earning power. Yes, your English is far better than my any-other-language. Still, like most language groups, we tend to associate poor English with poor thinking. It's illogical, it's stupid, and it's totally natural in countries with a strong history of mono-linguistic populations.

      Note that the vocabulary isn't what triggers that prejudice. It's the syntax. The way sentences are structured. That varies from language to language, so what makes perfect sense to you may be all out of order to someone who speaks another language as their primary.

      There. Some practical suggestions for things you can do something about, even if only in your personal circle of acquaintances. Help who you can, where you are.

      That's how movements get started.


      Paul
      • [ 3 ] Thanks
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • [1] reply
    • Excellent post!

      OT, but that dang "dare to succeed button" is just awesome!

  • You can look at this situation as a negative (which appears to be what you're doing) or flip it into a positive.

    The Internet is a worldwide marketplace and the fact is some countries cost significantly less to live in that others. So if you're like me and from a country with high living costs (UK here) providing services can sting you.

    Especially if you're using freelance sites because the buyers are internet savvy and know how cheaply they can get quality service Online.

    The key to flipping this in your favor is to actually step out of the office and meet real brick and mortar businesses face to face to offer services. They aren't as Internet savvy so don't know about freelance sites and prefer to deal with someone that can meet up with in the coffee shop... Offer them the services and they will pay the going rate in your country.

    Then outsource the services to the guys who are working for peanuts on the freelance websites and simply project manage the work. You're no longer trading your time for money, can take on multiple projects at once and can charge a significant mark up price.

    Let others do the work but you reap the rewards. The tough part is going out, networking and meeting clients. But trust me, there are still people out there with 'traditional' values who will pay good money for quality work. But you're not going to find them if you're a just a vendor on ODesk...
  • The problem is with the Freelancers and not the Buyers. I have been freelancing for the past 4 years and must say I'm earning far better than most of full time working people (Writers , Web designers and SEO/PPC/SEM professionals) in my country.

    Once you are on Odesk, Elance, Guru or Freelancer, you have to compete with thousands of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Filipino and Indian professionals. For example, you are quite likely to come across a guy who calls himself a PPC professional and asks for just $3 an hour. I have seen people asking for as low as $0.50 per hour. The real problem with them and not with the buyers.

    As far as I am concerned, I have never worked below $8 an hour. The amount can still look alarmingly low but considering the cost of living in India it is a good deal

    Freelancing is not slavery...No one compels you to be a slave.
    • [ 3 ] Thanks
  • yeah freelancing can suck. That is how I started out and I hated it. I would end up working for 2 bucks and hour or even free and then have to deal with clients who would complain I was gouging them - lol - I couldn't get out of doing that fast enough. Avoid it at all cost or at least charge a fortune for what you do - because you are worth it dammit!
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    • Well, First of all i am not from 1st or 3rd world country.... i´ll call it a 2nd world

      But in this case what matters is not the minimum Wage, in this case what matter really is the mindset of this kind of designers / IT / etc people they define the price, so if there someone guilty for their crap incomes are themselves.

      I can tell you this, once i was thinking to start my IT Career in Odesk (since its quite Big) but when i started to see Sys Admin services offered at $2-$3 per hour when in my 2nd class country is near $50 /hour.... hmmmmm i think to myself keep it

      So i believe there is no need to create a rule about wages, prices, costs, etc, people needs to understand how much is the price of his own work.... $20 for 2 months is fair? if someone offer that rate or accept an offer.... sure its fair for that person.

      Now telling that selling at Hiper Low price is the way to achieve success.... sincerely i doubt it, quality has a price and always will have it.

      I can give you an example, 1 year ago i had started to offer some SEO services in Ebay, the price was lower then the average (lets say 10-15% lower), after my customers liked my services i can say that i have doubled and in some cases tripled my price and my customers increased . I had a nice income and a huge amount of competition from 3rd world countries, because quality has a price.

      For last there is the Quality chapter.... many people of 3rd world countries does not have a good quality of service and support. In webdesign for ex. i have tested a few workers not at that low rate but i can call it cheap and the result was Awful... So personally i do prefer to pay to a Freelancer that can proof to me is high quality of work.

      So before trying to start a war you need to do your homework because in this world there is not only good and bad guys as you seem to believe.

      Regards,
      Morg
  • Banned
    Stab

    There, I killed the thread. We're just repeating ourselves and the OP is gone anyways.
  • Im so glad I specialise in high-end photo manipulation.. It's a world apart from logo design, and there's only a handful of freaks that can do it really well. Outsource that one!
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    • Banned
      That's the whole thing in a nutshell. Do something that very few people (or no one else) is willing to learn/master. Charge what you're worth. Enjoy the monies.
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      • [1] reply
  • Some people are happy to work for different pay ranges. In some parts of the world you get paid cents per hour to stand in a rice paddy field all day. No one is forced to accept $1-$2 an hour, but the offer is out there for those that are happy to accept.
  • You know, this conversation does make me wonder one thing.

    Hypothetically, what do you think would happen if a new freelance marketplace actually did set itself up with a minimum rate?

    I wonder, would the effect potentially be to cull any freelancer not able to provide quality commensurate with that minimum rate?

    Would such a marketplace eliminate broken English writers, technically inept programmers and untalented designers, through buyers being unwilling to pay the base rate for low quality?

    And if the effect were to create a quality bar that had to be surpassed, would that in turn eliminate the low quality buyer?

    As a parallel, if you look at a marketplace like ThemeForest they have fairly strict quality controls (despite their ironic low prices) and that's a big part of why they're so successful.

    I often think quality control in some form or another on any marketplace is a good thing for both sellers and buyers.

    So now that we're talking about it, I do wonder how a minimum rate freelance marketplace would actually play out.

    It most likely wouldn't do any good for those freelancers working for tiny rates now, as if their quality wasn't up to par they wouldn't get hired in such a marketplace anyway.

    But for those freelancers (from any part of the world) who do offer quality, and for buyers who don't want to get stuck with dodgy work, it's actually an interesting concept.
    • [1] reply
    • I make digital product and sell online because the freelance marketplace has become a mess. I believe that if someone has quality he deserve something more. That is why I asked for a minimum rate for freelance marketplace.

      All the procedure and feedback system in freelance marketplace is already fine to select a good developer. The problem is good paying standard. So it should not be a problem to find good talent for your project.

      I am doing a research on this issue and I will let you know when the research paper will be published.
      • [2] replies
  • I ask one question first...

    Is the person I am dealing with (whether in a third world country or not) the actual person who will be doing the work?

    THIS IS THE MAJOR PROBLEM HERE. Many people are acting as front men (women), obtaining work and giving to others to do for a tiny fee while they pocket the biggest profits.

    This can be called business and it can be called exploitation (depending on the people behind it, the fee versus the work etc.)

    The cost of running my home with my partner, 6 year old daughter and two teenage step daughters is over $2000 a month. I need to earn a significant amount of money to make that happen.

    The cost of living varies around the world and in parts of Asia the cost of living is a tenth of mine.

    I happily pay outsourcer's (provided I am certain in my mind that it is them who is doing the work) an hourly rate that is considerably less than the hourly rate I would pay someone who resides in my country the U.K.

    I do not believe I am exploiting and frankly refute any remark that I might be. I also actively encourage my prospects and clients to outsource WITH THE USE OF A SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT AND WHERE EVER POSSIBLE A CONVERSATION VIA SKYPE.

    There are no absolute certainties but provided I am taking actions to ensure I am paying a reasonable rate, receiving a good level of work, deadlines are being met, relationships are being built and fairness and equality are being met then I am happy to continue the way I'm going.

    Marcus Rockey
  • Our idea of poverty is a situation where someone lives in government welfare housing and gets a food card. You still have your running water, heat (possibly air conditioning) and maybe even free internet (or you can certainly find a free wifi spot).

    This is Indian poverty (some images are extremely graphic)...
    Filthy India Photos, Chinese Netizen Reactions – chinaSMACK

    Perhaps now it is clear why so many are willing to do a task for $2 where an American or European wants $50. The broke American that comes here to WarriorForum asking for $50 to do something has government welfare as a safety net if nobody buys. Imagine taking that away. Maybe they too would work for peanuts just to have guaranteed income.
    • [1] reply
    • Banned
      That's a bunch of BS. Some people get welfare, many do not. Children being raised in poverty in the US go to bed hungry. Many people live on the streets and die from exposure to extreme temperatures. Many people die because they can't afford health care insurance. So poverty looks different in different countries, but hunger is hunger and death from lack of medical care is still death and homelessness is still homelessness.
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
      • [2] replies
  • Banned
    Another example of an Indian firm on Elance who has their stuff together

    https://www.elance.com/s/synapseindia/

    They charge thousands for the work they do and have made a bundle from Elance.

    Earnings
    $9,423,441 Total
    $8,436 Per Client

    Here's the Netmen Corp's stats

    Earnings
    $3,392,179 Total
    $422 Per Client
  • There are pros and cons in every aspect of working. But I have seen that if you can build a better profile, it will surely give you more works in better rate than before. You cannot blame freelance marketplace for this.
  • I could argue and say people from higher paid countries are the victim's here!

    People from higher paid countries are difficult to compete, because they can't afford to take $20 for a day's work.

    Not saying it doesn't suck, but remember a quote from my man Bobby the brain..

    "You know the difference between a limo driver and a cab driver? The limo driver wears a suit". - bobby the brain

    Don't undersell yourself.
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    Freelance Market Place and Modern slavery!

    I started my journey from a Freelance Marketplace. I still remember I earned only $50 after working for about 2 months for only one client. I was new and she knew I needed a good feedback so she forced me to work a lot. I read a lot of blog post whee writers ( freelancers ) telling newbie to get good feedback from a client in anyway so that he can get more work.