Month: June 2007

And from Evolt, there’s the top 10 lies told by clients – which my old workplace especially will recognise. Handly, it also provides some advice.

1. Do this one cheap (or free) and we’ll make it up on the next one.
2. We never pay a cent until we see the final product.
3. Do this for us and you’ll get great exposure! The jobs will just pour in!
4. On looking at sketches or concepts: Well, we aren’t sure if we want to use you yet, but leave your material here so I can talk to my partner/investor/wife/clergy.
5. Well, the job isn’t CANCELLED, just delayed. Keep the account open and we’ll continue in a month or two.
6. Contract? We don’t need no stinking contact! Aren’t we friends?
7. Send me a bill after the work goes to press.
8. The last guy did it for XXX dollars.
9. Our budget is XXX dollars, firm.
10. We are having financial problems. Give us the work, we’ll make some money and we’ll pay you. Simple.
11. and from a commenter there: We’ll pay you less than you are asking and make it up as royalties on the product.

From IBM there’s the Six ways to write more comprehensible code – How to keep your code from destroying you. Usefully it provides examples for:

1. Comment like a smart person
2. Use #define a lot. No, a LOT
3. Don’t use variable names that will mock you
4. Do error checking. You make errors. Yes, you
5. “Premature optimization is the root of all evil.” – Donald Knuth
6. Don’t be too clever by half.