And I somberly say no.

But that ends today!

Freelancer sites like Elance or oDesk can be great, or super-frustrating, depending on what you’re looking for.

Answer the following questions:

• Are you looking for a “tech assistant” who will be there at the drop of a hat to help you out, or are you looking to simply get a project completed?
• If you’re looking to just have a project completed, Elance or oDesk can be great. If you’re really looking for an ongoing tech assistant, I might suggest one of the other geek-finding approaches.
• How good are you at communicating what you want in a painfully clear tone?
• If you use this approach, it’s likely you’ll end up choosing someone overseas. Because of the language barrier, it’s important that you be painfully clear about what you want with your Elance/oDesk geek, versus being able to quickly go back-and-forth with a local geek in person.
• How much patience do you have for people that don’t understand the point you’re trying to make?
• This is kinda like the one above; if you’re impatient with people that don’t quickly understand what you’re trying to say, Elance/oDesk might not be a good fit for you.

Check back soon for part 2!

P.S. Have you purchased The Geek Guidebook yet? You’ll need it if you want to know how to interview the geeks you’ll find on Elance/oDesk. Click here to purchase it securely through ClickBank.