[VPM] Fwd: Perl programmer needed for small project

Michael Joyce michael at negativespace.net
Wed Jan 7 01:28:14 CST 2004


I have been in this situation from the other point of view.

You should be paid by the hour.

As far as the employer is concerned (having been the employeer), there 
must be well defined deadlines in the agreement which define 
deliverables and payment for the deliverables. I could regale you with 
tales of misadventures, but I digress. Define stages for what you will 
deliver. Define payments for your deliverables. Put those into a 
contract. Make sure your contract is legally binding.

It is probably for your best interest to include a clause in your 
contract stating that you will be paid for each deliverable, regardless 
of the future deliverables.

I have seen more than one contract employee treated unfairly. Make 
certain that there are  goals for which you will be paid. Make certain 
that if you reach a goal on time (it is the employeer's responsibility 
to define "on time") you will be paid.

I have often heard "program defensively" stated in classes. "Contract 
defensively" should also be stated. Make sure that you define the work 
schedule, and that you are paid for the work you complete on time.

Michael

On Jan 6, 2004, at 3:09 PM, Peter Scott wrote:

> At 02:02 PM 1/6/2004 -0800, Darren Duncan wrote:
>> On my part, this position you forwarded sounds like something I could 
>> do,
>> and depending how good their code is, something that could be simple 
>> and
>> easy.  And I am technically unemployed right now.  And that job does 
>> go
>> straight to my expertise.
>>
>> My main reservation against taking this position is that I am trying 
>> to
>> create something of my own as soon as possible, and doing another 
>> person's
>> project, especially if recurring, could seriously hamper this.
>>
>> So does this sound like a valid concern or would I be better off to
>> contact that person?
>>
>> Something I'm considering is contacting the person to say that I 
>> could be
>> available, but that I have existing projects on the go and would 
>> prefer to
>> "be the backup option" if another suitable person can't be found.  
>> Also, I
>> prefer to work either from home or from a Sidney/Victoria location
>> (their equipment in the latter case).
>>
>> If I do volunteer, and I don't know the overhead of trying to 
>> understand
>> another person's code, should I request to get paid by the hour or 
>> for the
>> job?
>>
>> In the end, what action of mine would best reflect on VPM?
>
> Firstly, any professional and courteous action reflects well upon us 
> whether it results in the work being done or not.  That's all I was 
> getting at and it was a minor point at best.
>
> Secondly, everyone in this field who appears to know anything at all 
> about what they're talking about says that you should bill by the 
> hour.  The client of course usually wants a fixed figure but this is 
> not likely to be in their best interests any more than it is in yours. 
>  I am currently in favour of the model espoused by "Planning Extreme 
> Programming" 
> (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0201710919/) as the 
> best way to work with a customer to mutual advantage.  (It's too long 
> to summarize.)
>
> If you think you might have the time to take this on depending on how 
> long it would take the best thing is to be up front about how you need 
> to understand enough of the problem first to estimate whether you can 
> get it done in time.  Volunteer to be a backup only if you believe 
> you're likely to have enough time to do it anyway.
>
>
> -- 
> Peter Scott
> Pacific Systems Design Technologies
> http://www.perldebugged.com/
> *** New! *** http://www.perlmedic.com/
>
>
>
Michael S. Joyce
http://www.negativespace.net - all things in between




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