A problem-solving contest site for WordPress

[Darren Hoyt]

Earlier this year, a friend of mine used Symfony to build a Q&A site similiar to Yahoo Answers or 99 Designs or Experts Exchange. Ultimately, the scope was a bit too broad and there were already too many competitors. But I told him I routinely get emails from people offering $20 or $30 to fix their small WordPress issues.

What if there was a site similar to Experts Exchange where people offer money in the form of a contest to have their WordPress questions answered?

I've noticed in the larger WP community, there are plenty of folks just getting their feet wet with building WP sites while not actually being coders themselves. On a tight deadline, they can't necessarily rely on the WP.org forums, esp now that the WP userbase has gotten so big. Some people need answers ASAP and are willing to absorb the cost of a $20 contest into their client's bill.

The contest software is already built so I think my friend will proceed with the idea regardless in the next month or so. I will probably help design and manage the community a bit, but I want to get some feedback first, positive and negative. Any reason you would or wouldn't use a service like this?

[PaulCunningham]

Devil's advocate...

#1 - is this need not already serviced by the WP jobs listing, and sites like eLance?

#2 - how many WP experts would enter a bidding war that is likely to drive the price down on quick fix WP work?

#3 - if you need a fast answer to a WP question do you have time to run a contest before you get answers?

#4 - as a WP expert, what benefit do you get from participating?

[PaulCunningham]

PS - I'd probably try and get in there for a few quick bucks now and then when I needed to buy a new plugin or theme.

[Len]

What an interesting idea.

I've noticed in the larger WP community, there are plenty of folks just getting their feet wet with building WP sites while not actually being coders themselves. On a tight deadline, they can't necessarily rely on the WP.org forums, esp now that the WP userbase has gotten so big.

As a volunteer at the WP.org forums this has always been a pet peeve of mine. True, the forums exist to provide help and true I enjoying helping when I am able but I've always had a problem with dispensing free help to people working on behalf of clients. I may catch flack for this but I don't care - if you're doing paid work for a client then do your homework and read the docs so you know how the software works instead of being lazy and looking for a quick fix in the forums.

[Omar]

i must agree with paul, specially on the bidding part, you will always have clowns offering to do the job for $1 just to screw the rest. You got to think this over a lot to be sure what you're trying to do.

[Cais]

A "contest" for the best price will only provide cheap labor IMHO; and, I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for with things like this.

[JohnM]

If the concept was offering a fixed price for solving a defined issue, and the solution is publicly available afterwards, its OK, if not its not interesting.

If no one delivers a solution for the fixed price offer, the "client" may offer more $ for the solution.

[andrea_r]

I can see both sides. :) On the one hand, I've come across many people with a really simple (seriously 15 mins via email/twitter) issue that is driving them nuts that they're willing to toss $20 at.

On the other hand, depending on how it's run, you'll have some people working for peanuts (good for new devs looking for clients) and others complaining no amount is enough. "Only $20?? That's a $100 job, and I don't take anything under $1,000." Well then don't apply.

[Darren Hoyt]

Weird, I didn't get an email that there were responses to the thread, sorry I'm late to the discussion.

One thing I should really have stressed - there will be no scenario of 'bidding down'.

The asker will offer a fixed price when the contest begins, and that price will never change. If someone answers first and the answer suits the asker, he will get paid ASAP, OR, depending on preferences checked, the prize money will be divided among multiple people who answered correctly.

We may also have certain contests which have a stopwatch scenario - as soon as someone answers correctly, to the satisfaction of the asker, the contest is over the person is paid. AKA, there isn't opportunity for multiple answerers. First to answer, first to get paid.

#1 - is this need not already serviced by the WP jobs listing, and sites like eLance?

eLance and other sites are pretty broad. This would be a community strictly of WP experts (answerers) and novice WP production people (askers).

#2 - how many WP experts would enter a bidding war that is likely to drive the price down on quick fix WP work?

Answered above. Everything would be fixed rate. Sorry for not clarifying originally.

#3 - if you need a fast answer to a WP question do you have time to run a contest before you get answers?

We'd make the contest-creation process very painless and quick, just a simple form and a few preferences to check.

#4 - as a WP expert, what benefit do you get from participating?

If you hung around the site and were quick to answer, you could potentially make decent money throughout the day. Additionally, you'd be building up karma points the more you were rewarded.

The more accurate/trustworthy your answers, the more likely you'd be to:

1) win contests, and
2) establish yourself as a WP expert and hopefully build a larger reputation as a developer


Thanks again guys, any more questions are welcome.

[andrea_r]

Thanks again guys, any more questions are welcome.

Can you let me know when it's live?

Because I can certainly buzz by. :D Stuff like this is right up my alley.