Originally Posted by Lassitor

I do a lot of perl, php, C#, mssql and mysql programming as a contractor. I work with Windows and Linux servers too. Not sure why you must have the person in Tampa, that is going to limit who you get and probably cost you much more than a remote contractor. I have to agree, that the programmer you are seeking would be a senior programmer. You will not find some kid with these skills who will work for rock bottom wages.

Yeah, I have read on this board about the horror stories that some people have with remote contractors, but there are many more happy stories than sad ones. Keep in mind that a deals go bad when there is poor communications, lack of detailed requirements, ambiguous and vague directions, and of course when the pay is too low or when the contractor feels that they are being unfairly treated.

There are systems like elance that you can work through that ensures that everything is fair and nobody get ripped off. They have an escrow system that really helps to ensure that payment is made for work performed.