pdr Lists wrote:
We can blame that sell web design software for the public misconception
that building a valuable web site/blog/presence/application/anything is
easy and inexpensive. After all, people will be more likely to buy a
copy ...
As a result, many people believe that what we do is easy, ( "isnt it
just like writing a Word document?" ), does not require any knowledge
other than how to run a program, and worse yet, they believe they are
also experts in the field because they "use the web".
Tell me about it. A few years ago I was designing and implementing a
workflow system: it allowed the department to define workflows
(including points at which emails were automagically sent requesting
authorisation from managers), provided complete traceability of all
processes, and generated reports on utilisation of resources (==
people). It had a SQL Server back end, ASP middleware and an Ajax UI
(although we didn't know it was called Ajax then).
Three months in, the department head went on a 2 day course in
DreamWeaver, and on her return wanted to know why it had taken me so
long when it was "only a few pages". Shortly after they didn't renew my
contract, getting in a recent graphic design graduate (at a lower rate)
to finish it off.
From what I heard, it never was finished. These days, I'm very careful
to explain in excruciating detail exactly what I'm doing and why; the
client may never read the reports, but it covers me somewhat against
idiocy like that.
Cheers,
Nick.
--
Nick Fitzsimons
http://www.nickfitz.co.uk/
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