That's right. Joel Spolsky (co-founder of StackOverflow) and others said long ago that offering people cash incentives can work against you. Some people will do quality work for free if they receive a non-monetary incentive like recognition. But when you reduce it to dollars, they can easily do the math and decide it's not worth helping you.
The above-linked question about databases is a great example: it basically asks the reader to solve a fairly tricky database design/administration problem for the princely sum of US $3. And this is a question posted by the site's creator?
Almost no one will be your part-time DBA for $3. And anyone who will should be treated with suspicion.
If you want to pay me money to solve your IT problems, great, let's talk about that, but it's going to be more expensive than an ice cream cone.
The above-linked question about databases is a great example: it basically asks the reader to solve a fairly tricky database design/administration problem for the princely sum of US $3. And this is a question posted by the site's creator?
Almost no one will be your part-time DBA for $3. And anyone who will should be treated with suspicion.
If you want to pay me money to solve your IT problems, great, let's talk about that, but it's going to be more expensive than an ice cream cone.