Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Extremely Off Topic -- Soured developmentagreement

[Michael <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

> Such words of wisdom.  But what did you tell your customer when you took
> on the job?

I did estimate I could finish much sooner but I did make it clear that it
was an estimate and not a promise and I even let them deliver the project
specs a couple weeks after agreeing to take the job. And full specs were
much more complex than the rough specs I gave the estimate for. Really I
think I could have been done months ago if I hadn't gotten bounced around
like a ping pong ball. I've been forced to move several times, been
without basic utils, been homeless, etc. Those kind of things throw
estimates to hell. Which is why I never promise a delivery date. If a
company wants a fixed delivery date I charge a much higher rate so I can
afford to eat any costs.

> This kind of situation is really difficult.  Can you fault a guy who has
> worked for weeks for peanuts?  What if he hasn't produced anything you can
> use?  Do you ask for your peanuts back?

I really don't fault Kirk for being impatient. I do find it in bad taste
to say nasty things about me in a public forum. Not that I haven't said
worse about myself. It just sort of irks me.

I will say that it's weird trying to be a contract programmer. I don't
really like it. I try to always work for an hourly wage or sell products
I've already finished. You just take shitty jobs when your desperate for
work.

> The key to avoiding problems like this one is for the code developer to
> have a realistic (or pessimistic!) view of how long the job will take.

That doesn't work because then all clients go to someone else who has a
just as unrealistic optimistic view. Last time I gave a truely fair but
pessimistic view the client pulled out after me having already invested
three weeks of hard work on reviewing project specs, doing rough drafts of
specs, etc.

It's kind of a sucky reality. Like right now I'm trying to move somewhere
new with working utils and a decent isp. I can finally work on such a
thing because I have a job again. It'll cut down my effort to work
dramaticly. Right now I'm having to work like 12 hours to get 8 hours work
done because of fighting with my network connection. When
broke/unemployed/homeless I was lucky to keep a roof over my head besides
stay online. Crawling on the bottom just sucks. ;)
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