What would you do for five bucks?
TEXT OF STORY
Steve Chiotakis: And finally, got five bucks burning a hole in your pocket? There’s this website we recently stumbled across, it’s called Fiverr.com. Fiverr spelled F-I-V-E-R-R. And it calls itself the place for people to share things they’re willing to do for five bucks. Such as…
MICHA KAUFMAN: I will write something in the sand for you, and turn it into a greeting card for $5. I will help you research and write your college or high school paper for $5.
That’s Micha Kaufman. He spoke to us from Tel Aviv, Israel where he developed Fiverr.com.
There’s a bunch of categories. Writing. I will translate a paragraph from Japanese. Technology. I will provide technical support for any cell phone. Or even the fun and bizarre. I will pretend to be married to you on Facebook. Wow. Kaufman says so far the site has about 40,000 listings.
KAUFMAN: If someone thinks that the service is worth it, they order it. And if they don’t, they don’t. It makes things very, very simple.
Users can rate providers so there’s some quality control. And the site is monitored for abuse. You can also use the website to order something you think is worth five bucks. Kaufman did it — a customed written song.
KAUFMAN: I ordered it for my wife as a present. And the only thing that I gave was my wife’s name.
And so in what we think must be the premiere on public radio…
SONG KAUFMAN BOUGHT PLAYS
Of course, all this five-buck business got us thinking. What service would our colleagues here be willing to do for a Lincoln spot?
Engineer Jeff Peters, hey…
JEFF PETERS: I’d take out your trash.
From the entire Marketplace trash department?
PETERS: No, your trash at your house.
Oh, that trash.
All right, assistant producer Millie Jefferson?
MILLIE JEFFERSON: I would attend a meeting for you that you didn’t want to go to.
I’ve got like 20 bucks for you here.
Eve Troeh assistant producer at Marketplace Money?
EVE TROEH: Well, I’m really good at talking to people’s parents. I will call your mom and talk to her, and I will tell her you’re getting plenty of sleep, and you’re eating right, whatever you need me to tell your mom, I will tell her.
Interested in any of those? Maybe you have some ideas of your own.
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