Freelance contractor oDesk is spying... I mean monitoring the productivity of some of their 90,000 contractors. Recording time spent, keystrokes etc., was once the province of creepy, paranoid employers. Now you can work from home without missing out on the nasty feeling that someone is watching you.

The system takes random snapshots of workers' computer screens six times an hour, records keystrokes and mouse clicks and takes optional Web cam photos of freelancers at work. Clients can log into the system anytime and see whether contractors are working, what they're doing and how long it's taking them

oDesk competitor eLance is taking a lighter approach:

...installing "spyware," as one Elance executive calls it, is going too far. Elance recently unveiled a monitoring system of its own that allows freelancers to document their work electronically, but leaves control entirely in freelancers' hands. "We don't believe in having a camera on your computer, taking pictures and tracing every move," says Elance Chief Executive Fabio Rosati.

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