Outsourcing: Help for you Final Year project

Outsourcing: Help for your Final Year Project
Or any other project. Let’s face it, not everyone’s hard at work doing all the work on their own projects. These days, with the internet, sourcing for help is getting easier and faster. Students, learn your options. Lecturers, take note.




Other than your usual help from parents, boyfriend, or uncle who happens to have the same degree as the one you’re taking now, here are two sites fairly commonly used (indiscreetly) to outsource project work.

1. http://www.getafreelancer.com/

and

2. http://www.getacoder.com/

Let’s take a quick tour of getafreelancer. Getacoder offers similar services, but is more aimed at programming. Useful for those working on such projects.

Getafreelancer

Getafreelancer features various types of project work. Let us assume we’re working on a flash project, but have no time/too lazy/too lousy to do it. Or we want to get a distinction.

On the front page of getafreelancer there is a list:


Alright. There’s a flash category. Let’s check that one out.



This is the page where you’ll be posting your project to ask for bids. It works like a reverse ebay. You describe your project, and people will bid as low as they feel it is worth to them to do the work. Projects range from the really simple, the slightly more complicated, and the huge (FYP?) projects. Prices range accordingly.

If we’re doing a small project, it may be similar to the 34 second long flash animation for TV. Let’s take a closer look at that project.



Ok now we have a better description of the project, and we see that arlee04 has bid on the project. You will find that some people have no reviews, and some have hundreds and thousands of reviews. Those are the longtime freelancers and will be more likely to ask for a higher price. But if you want top class work, it might be worthwhile investing in them.

Here’s an example:


Of course, as an employer, you have ratings too. Based on how much information you provide for the project, how it is working for you, and so forth.

There are all sorts of employers and all sorts of projects, big and small.

So students, if you ever find yourself stuck on a project, there are ways to get help.

And lecturers, I’m sure you’re aware of such going-ons, and have made post-project interviews to catch cheaters.

For both camps. Be smart about it.