First, there was Craigslist, the mother of all virtual local advertising. Then in 2007, DoMyStuff emerged as the first big player in online outsourcing. In 2009, RunMyErrand was all the rage, and a year later, that website has evolved into TaskRabbit.
What’s the difference between the three? For one, Craigslist is a free-for-all, which can at times lead to scary sexual requests, but otherwise, really good. DoMyStuff is worldwide, unlike the new TaskRabbit, which is only available in Boston and San Francisco. (But they have expansion plans.) Also, users pay 25 cents to bid (like in an eBay auction) on tasks on DoMyStuff, whereas TaskRabbit is free to both those who post and bidders.
Outsourcing our lives is fantastic. It means more time with family and friends. It also opens our minds to meeting new people online. But the one thing that got us jazzed about the new TaskRabbit is their knack for charity. The site sponsors RunMyMarathon, in which a few volunteers will literally run the Boston Marathon for you and donate to the Ellie Fund, the National Federation for the Blind of Massachusetts and the Council of Aging in the process.
Photo by jbhthescots via Flickr.