OT: Can you work online?

Can you work online? I am not really sure what I am looking for, but I will give you my situation in hopes that someone can point me in the right direction. I am currently 16 years old. I work 20 hours per week (the maximum allowed for a minor in my state) and am attending high school. I have to save most of my money for college. My family is not rich and I have two siblings already in college. I am trying to save up enough money now so I won’t have to pay off too many loans later.What I am looking for is a type of second job that I can do in my free time on the internet. Does such a thing exist? I am not really expecting anything that pays really well. I have spent a lot of time over the years trying to find ways to earn a few extra dollars on the internet. None of my plans have really worked admirably. I normally end up wasting lots of time and not really getting much out of it. As far as grades in school I average in the low 90s. I take mostly AP (Advanced Placement) level courses, including AP Computer Science, so those numbers could be scaled. I have a fair amount (about 6 years) of experience with the internet. Basically what I am looking for is some type of work I can do in my spare time. I have done some searching on-line but I haven't found anything that is what I am really looking for. This is probably because I don't know too much about what I am looking for. Something that perked my interest was Google Answers; where researchers are paid an amount of money specified by the customers to answer questions. I doubt Google would be accepting any new researchers as I have not seen them promote this feature very extensively. Work like this would be most desirable to me; where I could get paid for the amount of work I actually have time to do. I just don't really know where to begin to look for such work. Most of what I have found has been outdated get-rich-quick schemes or full time job listings (so I guess I don't have the searching skills for Google Answers anyway ). I know this is quite a mess of a post, but if anyone has any information to help direct a motivated, reasonably tech savvy 16 year-old I would be most appreciative.

Why am I posting this here? I really don't know where else to do so. I have been looking for computer and tech forums. If anyone knows of a better place to post this type of request I would be very interested.

[ktkendall]

My only advice is that if you find something that is too good to be true, then it probably is, and if they want money up-front from you then I would stay away from it.

Yeah, that's mostly all I have found so far. Its always something along the lines of 'our report can show you how to make $100/hr for doing nothing'. I have tried just about everything I can think of. I had a paper route for three years. I ran my own little eBay buisness for another three years. I never really made a lot of money, but then again I never really had any bills or any serious plans for saving money. Back then just about any amount of work for a small amount of money seemed worth it, and most of my schemes were kind of shady to begin with. I decided to get a regular after school job but I would still like to supplement my income. I am not looking for an easy or quick way to make extra money. I would just like something where I could use my mind a little more than in my fast-food job.

[mattg2k4]

You could get a job that is "off the books," like lawnmowing, yardwork, or babysitting. For jobs like those, you don't need a work permit (at least in my state, CA), that is to say, they won't find out if you don't have one. I honestly don't know if one is supposed to get a permit for jobs like those. However, jobs like that do not typically earn all that much money, especially compared to a 20 hour/week job.

If you are "tech savvy" enough, have money to invest, and preferably can get a knowledgable partner/assistant, building home computers and networks is a decent endeavor. I have done a freelance on both a computer build, and a simple network setup (router, cat 5, and some nics) for a tidy profit. Work like that is erratic at best, but rather straightforward. Just make sure to ALWAYS GET A DEPOSIT for a computer build. You will be investing several hundred dollars at least in it, and if they back out, you might be forced to sell it at a discount or not at all.

I am also interested in this, being 16 years old as well.

[glc]

Small businesses are always looking for someone who can design and maintain websites without costing an arm and a leg, if you have any web development skills.