DEAR JOYCE: My hours were cut to 24 a week, and I could use extra money. A friend who was laid off two months ago told me he got $100 for a one-hour computer repair job by bidding for it on a Web site. Unfamiliar with this job market, I was wondering if you could give me a few sites to check out? -- P.T.R.

Freelance bidding sites -- also called job auction Web sites, or talent auction sites -- offer the lure of quick cash when you're laid off, your hours have been cut or you're relocating to a new area and need money to cover budget gaps.

Bidding sites appear to be growing in popularity, probably because businesses have work to be done but are hesitant to gamble on hiring full-time workers in an uncertain economy. Especially so when freelancers and contract workers can walk in and immediately save the day because they're expert in what they do.

Grab an overview of the freelance technology, creative arts and business opportunities that may be available to you by tuning into Guru.com, one of the original job auction sites.

MORE FREELANCE SITES. Additionally, here's an assortment of popular resources, most of which have a bidding system: Elance, Rent A Coder, Sologig, Get a Freelancer, FreelanceSwitch and Freelance Work Exchange. A new site, Jobaphiles.com, was started by Boston-area college students who hope to take it nationwide.

USEFUL/USELESS. Is it worth your time to bid on the talent auction sites? Based on scads of blogs and comments on the question, experienced freelance bidders appear to be in two camps: one with happy campers who see a potential for ongoing work on their timetable, and one with disgusted bidding veterans who say "never again."

If you decide to bid your hand, the following suggestions can improve your odds of success:

-- Many employers who post requests for bids expect tons of work for an ounce of pay. Not all employers are shopping for rock-bottom bids, but it happens often enough that bidders bitterly complain ("I won't write 500 words for $2"). Especially vulnerable: Americans who are at a disadvantage if the bid request goes global to service providers in cheap-labor countries.

-- To be assured of payment for their work, many veteran freelancers stick to bidding sites that provide an escrow service: The labor buyer deposits freelancer payment with the site after a deal is made, and the site pays the freelancer upon the buyer's confirmation that the work has been done to specification. Continued...