Ask Slashdot: How to begin work in IT freelancing

king.purpuriu writes: I'm a computer science high school student and I'm looking for some work in IT freelancing. I have had a interest in computers and programming for a while, and I began learning on my own before high school. I would like to gain some experience (eg: what the bulk of the jobs in various markets require, various technologies/frameworks and their usage) and possibly make some money on the side (don't think too much; at this point, any non-negative amount will do). Key areas are web development, app programming and scripting. What solutions do you recommend? Any tips or tricks I should be aware of? How is the payment (in terms of fees and commissions; I'm from European country) and which solutions do you recommend? I would also be willing to do some small stuff for free for experience (small static sites, small scripts etc.)