Is it just me?

[Jacqui caren]

Andy Armstrong wrote:
> The older I get the more intolerant I become of wasting precious cycles 
> either a) doing really stupid things that clients want or b) giving a 
> shit about the quality of things when it turns out the client doesn't 
> much care.
> 
> Case in point: client has front trotters and snout firmly hooked into 
> the public trough. Client is receiving presumably substantial pile of 
> cash from public purse to build insultingly crap online consultation 
> system.
> 
> Client: "I know it's not due until next week but can we show the client 
> something today"
> Me: "Sure, all I really have to do is work out some wrinkles that are 
> specific to Safari"

Fatal mistake #1: too much information.
  One reasonwomen fare worse in this industry is that we tend to
  like to talk :-) In situaions like this I am know tobe far too verbose
  providing information thatthe client does not need to know.

  In this case he wated to know if somethingcouldbe shown today.
  "Yes but we still have spme testing to do" wouldhae covered it.

> Client: "In that case you're done - we're not paid to support mickey 
> mouse alternative browsers"

I thought that all UK publicsites have to be browser and disabled
friendly? If this was not in the spec from the org.uk then they
needto replace their contracts people.

> Well actually yes you fucking are. You're being paid to produce an open, 
> accessible public consultation system. Admittedly it's so horribly 
> misconceived that nobody will want to use it anyway[1] but let's at 
> least show willing eh?

I would have hoped your client would have provided you with reqs
both from them and thier client.

1/3 of my time is usually spent getting the client to think about
needs they do not include in the original requirements.

> It'd be excessively arrogant (and commercially suicidal) to say "I 
> haven't spent the best years of my life getting as smart as I could with 
> the limited cerebral resources at my disposal just to dance like a 
> fucking fool on a stick to your moronic whims" right? :)
> 
> [1] Client: "How many concurrent users do you think it'll support"
>     Me thinks: "That's highly unlikely to be an issue"

This should have been in the requirements!