SteemGigs is coming SOON - Can we avoid the pitfalls of other freelance websites?
Like many others I am eagerly awaiting the launch of steemgigs.org and the prospect of a more fully fledged gig economy powered by blockchain technology, and the latest post from @surpassinggoogle is welcoming news for those of us that have been hanging around the Discord channel keen to find out the latest developments.
Having worked on Freelancer.com, Fiverr.com and a number of other online freelance websites, I want to point out some of the issues that have plagued these types of platforms and hope that they will receive some attention from the team behind @steemgigs. As someone who is keen to participate both behind the scenes but also wanting to make use of the service, I encourage people to provide their contribution now that the project is on utopian.io.
Some some things to watch out for:
PROJECT SCOPE
- Certain types of projects can be defined more clearly because the outcome is a tangible deliverable (e.g. a logo) but even then some of the requirements can be unclear (e.g. clean, cool-looking) and this is often a source of contention which leads to disagreements (which then requires a dispute resolution process).
- Certain types of projects cannot be defined clearly (e.g. coming up with a concept) because the outcome can take a variable amount of time or even change during the project (as is often the case in the Lean/Agile/US world).
BIDDING PROCESS
- I think one of the flaws of freelancing websites is the emphasis on price rather than the merits or suitability of the bidder, which prices out most people in countries with higher living costs for projects, or allows people in richer countries to pay people less than adequate prices that they would pay people in their own country. It would be interesting to experiment with the idea of having the potential bidders decide who would get the job and at what cost but I am not sure how well it works in practice because I haven't seen it done before.
- Paying for priority/preference is something that again tips the bidding success towards people that can afford to do this, and I don't know if this falls in line with the vision of steemgigs.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
- Having a diverse range of opportunities and projects requires a team that has different areas of specialization in order to resolve potential disputes.
- On many of the freelancing websites the dispute resolution process is not very human (i.e. they stick to the contract/agreement without considering the circumstances) and the outcome usually leads to mistrust in future transactions.
- The outcome of the process is usually a refund, partial payment or cancellation of project, but I think we should focus on how to 'get things done' so that people will be motivated to use the service without feeling like they won't get that project finished.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
- No doubt many of the projects posted on steemit will relate to specific groups or team and the projets they want to work on, but does this provide certain users of the platform that are associated with those groups an unfair advantage when it comes to bidding for work?
RATING SYSTEM
- For buyers (clients) this can be a problem because there will be a reliance on reputation as a starting point for trust when choosing suppliers (freelancers).
- For suppliers this can be a problem because rating systems favour people who go out of their way to do more than the job requirement so they can get a '5 star' rating, but we should be aiming for an equitable amount of reward for effort.
- For buyers and suppliers the rating system is abused when there is a dispute and no satisfactory outcome is reached, resulting in one or both parties suffering a hit on their rating.
All of these factors will influence the user experience and thus the viability of the platform, so I think it is good to have a clear idea of the problems we may face and how to address these issues. I am hoping to get a more in-depth preview of the platform so I can start adding contributions on utopian.io, but would definitely be happy to speak to some of the designers and developers to hear their thoughts on these issues.
This is very good and many ways to leverage its capabilities. Things move so fast around here that I can't believe it has only been one month since I joined steemit. I'm blown away with the talent and vision behind concepts like this. I will need a little more time to get my arms around everything and it straight in my mind, but I have no doubt this will be a very big success. Good job @plushzilla (and all involved), this is very cool and exciting.
Resteemed your article. This article was resteemed because you are part of the New Steemians project. You can learn more about it here: https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@gaman/new-steemians-project-launch
where did you go @gaman... I haven't see you around much.
Looking forward...
I am looking forward to this.
The website mock-up looks like it may just display any post on the #steemgigs tag, which would certainly do nothing to help freelancers, as the tag itself is barely relevant. Let's hope some sort of human filter gets put into play.
Just wondering if you have been around the steemgigs Discord channel much? I haven't but I don't think it is the best place for doing freelance work, but I don't know if there is enough experience with building a blockchain based platform given that existing platforms have their own problems as well (hence the post). I would like to find out more about the Steem Freelancer's Guild and hope that there is a chance to contribute towards a greater cause to help fellow steemians :)
I will i contact you to hear your thoughts when it is time. Thank you for adding this. I do pacing alot so i am in no rush. Discord is more like a waiting area. There was no rush in getting to an interface. Alot has gone on to build a model and a community that is known to me tested in open ground on steemit post and that is where the power lies more than in anything else. I have also done history on steemit and have also a special perception of steemit and humans and life, "no books" involved, so there is no rush. The substance of many things is more in the tiny elements of it, so we let it run in the open ground, in the face of hassle to take the testimonial high route. #untalented is part of this model. The last untalented contest had more than 1000 entries and more than 6k comment and all this endeavor is a learning process. It may not be clear that it is all tied and that is where unadulterated feedback comes from. The aim is to reach billions and each human. build dreams for people, so steemgigs is more than a freelance marketplace. I know naija, i know afang, i know nkwobi, so what we are working on is something bigger than a freelance marketplace. The world out there may not know it but the places we are from know it. If you read my last post, you will understand clearly what the vision is. We want to have room for flaws and channel it aright, we want to have disputes and resolve it, we want to have issues and forgive is where we are headed. On steemgigs, i used to solve disputes with my own money. We sift the notsogood to find good in it, is where we are headed. These things is bigger than a freelancing marketplace. @teardrops, surpassinggoogle.com and untalented, steemgigs are all tied. The interfaces will ever evolve. "Everyone having something to offer". Interfaces is a tool. Where we are from a tool is a bonus, for things can still happen without a tool. We aren't aiming to build freelancers, we are at aiming at the awesomest version of human which is a gift to humanity everytime. Everyone does have talent, "human" is the edge.
Resources to help you grasp the picture:
https://steemit.com/steemit/@surpassinggoogle/steemit-s-untalented-is-in-beta-participate-freely-because-every-participant-in-this-contest-will-win-something-no-losers
https://steemit.com/smt/@surpassinggoogle/the-teardrops-smart-media-tokens-won-t-have-a-whitepaper-it-will-have-a-drafty-simplest-to-understand-colorlesspaper
https://steemit.com/steemgigs/@surpassinggoogle/steemgigs-our-steem-based-freelance-marketplace-where-everyone-has-something-to-offer-is-now-on-utopian-io-join-us-in-bringing
https://steemit.com/growth-projects/@steemgigs/steemit-growth-projects-steemgigs-bringing-the-beauty-of-the-steem-blockchain-and-decentralization-to-the-limelight-using-fun
https://steemit.com/growth-ideas/@surpassinggoogle/idea-using-steemit-to-fix-to-fiverr-everyone-in-the-world-has-something-to-offer
Thank you for reaching out and providing the links. I have read some of them but obviously I haven't been involved in every step of the way so I am happy to contribute and help in the best way I can.
I have seen how untalented has transformed so many people's lives and I believe in the vision, @teardrops is also something that is uniquely different. I am definitely looking forward and you are right there is no rush to get it out as long as we get it right :)
This looks really interesting. Who should I follow for the latest news?
You can join the @steemgigs Discord channel here: https://discord.gg/U6NhDV or follow @steemgigs for the latest news and developments. There should also be updates on utopian.io that you can keep an eye out on, but I am happy to share more with you and also check the links above by surpassinggoogle :)
Thanks for posting this. Will go check out all the links! Upvoted and followed.