[UPDATE: 9/23/2008/]: There are some corrections to this post in the comments by someone at oDesk concerning the privacy issues. I am too lazy to check.
oDesk ‘s software allows employers to hire freelancers from a pool of thousands of workers around the world. To match the geographical and maybe also cultural distance, the employer is given the right by the employee to control keep track of mouseclicks and take screencshots and even highjack their webcams. This is really a new level in privacy intrusion. The workers seem to like it. oDesk claims to have 107’000 “Providers” of work and privacy. Something that open-plan offices, internet access control, facebook bans and private email filters in large corporations never achieved. This might be a very efficient way of outsourcing labour.
I want to correct some information in the blog post.
oDesk buyers do not control their providers mouse, screen, keyboard or webcam whatsoever. What the oDesk Team application offers is an automatic way for providers to bill their buyers and enjoy guaranteed payment. The application merely captures screen shots and activity levels and places them on the provider’s work diary. This, in turn, helps with two things:
1. Captures the time spent on each assignment and bills the buyer accordingly (the work diary serves as the proof of work performed); and
2. Serves as a collaboration tool to share information.
It’s important to realize that providers are not required to share their screen information. If there is a screen shot that does not pertain to my work (like when I check my personal bank account or surf youtube) that screen can be erased from the work diary. A provider can also suspend the session whenever they know they will be doing non-work related activities, in which case no screen shots will be captured. Providers can also choose to no not allow any screen shots at all. The downside is that without the proof of work oDesk won’t be able to guarantee payment and it’s up to the buyer to decide whether they take the buyer’s word or not.
Alternatively, a buyer who does not want to use the oDesk Team application can choose to do fixed-price jobs only. Again, because there is no record of work oDesk can’t guarantee payment and it’s up to the buyer to accept the end product and issue the payment.
We do find that most providers like the oDesk Team approach because it takes the guesswork out of billing clients. Knowing that payment is guaranteed they can focus on work. Providers also tell us that they love having the high level of collaboration within the team room where like in a physical office space, information is shared.
Another important point to realize is that buyers tend to review the work diaries more carefully at the beginning of an engagement. This is a way to rapidly develop the trust between the buyer and provider, and once that has been created there is no real need to closely follow the work. No one likes to be a micro-manager….
Hope this sheds some light on the privacy issue that was raised.
Orie from oDesk
Thanks for your reply. I have updated the entry.