Re[2]: Re. Using software your clients propos

Subject: Re[2]: Re. Using software your clients propos
From: "Arlen P. Walker" <Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- COM>
Date: Thu, 2 Nov 1995 08:24:00 -0600

I am puzzled by your response, jankwig. I do not recall saying that I will
lie in order to obtain a contract, I only said that I have a good respect
for my learning ability. I have never said I know a package when I did
not.

Kinda puzzled me, too. The question in the "objectionable" message was "Can you
use x?" not "Have you used x?" If anyone asks me if I *can* use a product, the
answer is usually "yes," and it's an honest answer, because there are very few
packages in the field that I don't know whether I can use.

I'm not a contractor, but this is how'd I'd do it if I were:

If you ask me "have you used x?" I'll give you an answer indicating whether I
have used that package, and it'll be truthful. Likewise, if you ask me if I can
use a package, I'll give you that answer, and it also will be as truthful as my
knowledge permits.

Q: Arlen, do you have any experience with Frame?
A: Not at all.

Q: Arlen, can you use Frame for this project?
A: Yes.

Both answers are completely truthful. I'll follow up with questions about which
platform -- Windoze, Eunuchs, Mac -- you want the files in (I'm assuming that's
the reason for the question; if you're just getting hardcopy, not files, you'd
have no reason to care what package I'm using).

If it's a package I'm not very familiar with, I'd pad the schedule to allow for
the learning curve (I learn very quickly, so the padding won't be much) and the
fee structure to allow for the cost of acquisition (this on the principle that
while you're the first to request this package, I'll have others making that
request so I'd better have it around). It'd be your choice if you wanted to pay
the extra time and money or choose another source. OTOH, if I got enough
requests for a particular package that walked away from the extra cost, I'd find
another way to add it to my arsenal. But I'd need the market research supplied
by the extra requests; don't expect me to fund a possible one-shot.

Finally:

Q: Arlen, can you use Ami Pro for this project?
A: No.

This is because I have a Mac (but you already knew that, didn't you?) and the
extra cost in time and money of setting up a complete Windoze system is not
something that I'd care to spend, nor would I ask you to bear it for me.

How about it? To those of you who do it for a living: does that sound rational?

Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 124

Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
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In God we trust; all others must provide data.
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Opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.
If JCI had an opinion on this, they'd hire someone else to deliver it.


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