A question, I would like to outsource some work to an administrator to do some work in the root of one of my servers. I really do not like the idea of someone having access to my root while I'm not looking... Since Windows XP has remote assistance built in, would a request for the admin to access my server via remote access to my PC be considered rude or unreasonable? This way i can watch what the contractor is doing and terminate the connection/Chat if the need be...

Any thoughts on this?

Well oswebhosting,

There is definitely a trust factor involved in this and I would suggest you hire someone from a reputable source. You might be able to find someone on www.rentacoder.com! They have a great system that makes sure a job is complete before any money is released.

Yes RentACoder is an excellent way to get contracted work. However, I would also inquire about their services from other community members from this and other web related forums.

Remote assistance works 3way? I thought is was only able to access a remote XP machine and nothing more.

I normally hire from community forums, but to be honest the results are inconsistent. Some come highly recommended by the wrong people etc.. I don't really want to spend all the time doing BG checks every time. A supervised environment made a lot more sense than forum hiring for this task.

Xp Remote assistance worked perfect. We connect, I launched putty and gave him control. Then i just sat back and watched The excersize was painless and i highly recommend this to others, it really makes sense for isolated specialized jobs like this.

This first guy refused to do it using Remote assistance, he seemed to think it was rude of me to even ask! Since i was the one paying for it, it only seemed fair... most employers watch new employees closely to ensure they adhere to company standards, seems to me that is doubly important in the hosting industry. Especially the first hour someone works for you!

If anyone has an opinion to add to this thought, feel free to voice it.

I think its a great idea, although for those of us who use linux a remote desktop connection would not be possible. Personally I don't trust anyone remotely, I hire staff locally, sign agreements etc. If they mess up I have some to blame rather then a ghost who once existed on the internet. Thats what I would advise, look for someone who doesn't mind meeting in person over cofee.

Of course the best method of all would be learn to do it yourself, although for many this may not be economical, but it is worth it if you have the extra time on your hands. I've never had to spend a cent getting someone else to fix my machines for me, pays off after a while Not to mention the money I've made doing jobs for others.

If you need help I know of a great admin who will actually be working for me in the near future, pm me when you get a chance. Thanks!

If you are going to outsource you need to have a level of trust. Don't just choose some random "punter" from a bulletin board.
However, if you are going to hire a professional, it is unreasonable to expect them to connect to your servers via your desktop.

I agree with u2mike about getting a signed contract with someone you can meet in person when possible. Even a better bonus if they can help teach you while they do it (expect to pay more - I'd charge more to do this too )

Best to get someone who is insured and willing to sign the appropriate paperwork as they are as interested in covering their behinds as you are yours.