10.2 is actually not bad, if you get paid hourly :).

>I want to just do the design work and sell the spec. If someone else can read it and understand UML, then I did the right thing. If they can't then the company should come back to me to do it.
>
>And if you get paid correctly to write it then that may be the niche!
>
>My favorites were 9, and 10 1&2.
>
>
>__Stephen Russell
>
>
>
>>>Hi Stephen ----
>>>
>>>I think you hit the number one warning sign:
>>>
>>>>1) Won't pay for a spec.
>>>
>>>If they won't pay for analysis, run screaming.
>>
>>We've run into problems with this more than once. You write a prelim spec and then they take it to Joe Smoe and have him develop on the side at a cut rate. One way to avoid this problem is to make sure you copyright all of your specs not just the app. I have a Word template called Spec that has a copyright notice at the bottom of every page. At the beginning of the doc is a notice that this is a copyrighted document and the client has no rights to use the document for any development without my permission. I've only had one guy push it and I had a lawyer friend send a certified letter stating our intent to litigate. Cost me a six pack to my friend but took care of the prob.
>>
>>My signs that a customer is going to be a bear:
>>
>>1 "I don't pay until the project is completely done"
>>2 "You'll find we're great to work with"
>>3 "I trust you"
>>4 "I know a little about computers"
>>5 "Can this run on my Mac"
>>6 "We're not in a hurry"
>>7 "What kind of status reports to I get"
>>8.1 "I hate Microsoft, let's use anything else"
>>8.2 "I read about this Internet Explorer, can we use it"
>>9 "I took a programming class a couple of years ago."
>>10.1 "We have a committee that will help with the design work"
>>10.2 "I know exactly what my employees need - you don't need to interview them"