Thanks for the info!

I’m afraid I must agree with you. I’m not sure what’s going on behind the curtain at Elance but it’s not good. More and more bottom feeders and a management team that hates to be told its baby is ugly (don’t we all).

I used to get invited to provider council conference calls but quickly discovered that management doesn’t want the truth. (“You can’t HANDLE the truth.) They float balloons, see how providers react and move forward any way.

The site is totally buyer-centric and little consideration is paid to those who actually generate income. It’s a closed loop that doesn’t welcome dissent. Sad, too. It used to be such a good site for networking.

Thanks for the suggested alternatives.

Best,
Paul
editor@webwordslinger.com

However with more expensive fees, I have to maximize my bids and not waste money. This forces me to be more selective with my bids/connects and I no longer waste bids on unworthy buyers and ridiculous project requests that I have no interest in. Instead I focus on those serious buyers who are willing to pay for quality services and that have a good reputation for delivering payments.

By doing this, I am able to find the “gold” and stay away from the fool’s gold and headache projects that are a big waste of my time and energy.

Anyway, many Elance buyers don’t know what to expect as far as quality services and content so if the buyer lists the project at “less than $500,” I take the time to explain why my bid is $1500.

I’m always amazed and thankful that at least some Elance buyers are willing to pay for quality. They just don’t know what quality costs, but they’re happy to be educated.