The problem is that that individual just left the goverment and he/she is now in a position to help you ;->

__Stephen Russell


>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"