[consulting] Proper Collections Procedure

[Sami Khan]

Chiming in:

I don't see how such a rating system really is all that useful for
consultants. I can just see it coming out as a bashing site where
disappointed clients go around bashing developers and vice versa. Even if
it's factual, I don't really understand what such a rating site that's
public buys us in terms that the cost is going to higher than the benefit.
The benefit is weeding out clients at the cost of having to defend your
reputation against the accusations of the said clients and I know how
often words fail to meet reality.

Potential clients currently have at their disposal the right to ask for
references and ask around about you -- I think that's plenty. I have not
really seen it as a major concern for clients to have such a site. All it
does, is get the way of your personal freedom to carry out your affairs as
your please.

As for legal defense fund, that makes sense to me as both a deterrant and
legal recourse in case the . I have personally been in situations where
such a fund would've been helpful.

Also I think that in terms of getting more business, it would make sense
to form more groupings of companies or groupings of consultants that share
marketing budgets and attract more clients, visit conventions, etc.
Getting clients who give a higher ROI is always preferable to your average
client who wants a bargain. However, there is an inherent conflict of
interest there as who gets which client, but I think it's resolvable if
the people if people remain faithful to each other.
(http://www.alistapart.com/articles/readerstayawhile)

I do need to write about business models centered around Drupal.

Best Regards,
Sami Khan
http://www.samikhan.org/topics/drupal


> I'm interested but (continued below)
>
> On 8/20/06, Michael Haggerty <mhaggerty at trellon.com> wrote:
>>
>> I am not one to name names and think a blacklist could put someone at
>> risk
>> of libel. But I can see the use for a developer's legal fund and would
>> be
>> the first one to make a contribution. If someone tries to screw with the
>> bill you can go after them and the fund would pay for it up to a certain
>> amount. Maybe this fund could also give out contracts for services, my
>> company would be happy to distribute them. It makes sense in a way, we
>> all
>> benefit off each other's code, we should all have a way to stand up for
>> each
>> other without encountering legal jeopardy.
>>
>> I have $500 USD to start it off and would be happy to get an attorney to
>> organize the fund if anyone else is interested.
>>
>
> I'm interested but I'm far too new to have a vote.
>
> More than that, I am a big supporter of organized labor, and wish we had a
> great deal more of it, but I don't think a union or a guild is an
> appropriate model for developers and consultants.
>
> And a fund primarily for legal expenses has the unfortunate incentive of
> encouraging the legal route.  (On the other hand, if it is well-known, it
> could have a deterrant effect on clients who would otherwise break
> contracts
> not expecting to get sued.)
>
> If people are interested in co-ordinating, I would encourage the community
> reputation system -- for both developers and clients -- as the
> centerpiece.
> It would be a public web site with full right to respond, and the truth
> will
> likely be clear by anyone's third or fourth transaction.  (On the other
> hand, I think consultants and clients would both survive the occasional
> mutual disagreement, reputation-wise.)  It would run, naturally, on (as
> yet
> written?) Drupal modules.  (I'll be coding something similar for a client,
> so thoughts on the implementation very welcome!)
>
> The organization that runs this site would also be able to distribute
> funds
> for legal expenses as Michael Haggerty described.
>
> And perhaps we could use it as a decision-making body for funding broadly
> desired modules or enhancements more effectively than the bounty or
> reverse-bounty system.  Essentially, a limited self-government for
> Drupalers
> where we could tax ourselves by dues and/or a percentage of all contracts
> backed by the reputation/legal-backup system.  (So, it should be noted,
> the
> process would be known by clients up front: both our reputations are on
> the
> line.)
>
> Anyway, that's one proposal.  I've got $250 for anything that promises to
> be
> democratic and reasonably useful.
>
> ben melançon
>
> member, Agaric Design Collective
> http://AgaricDesign.com - "Open Source Web Development"
>
> web worker, PowerToExchange
> http://PowerToExchange.com - "Of, By, and For Entrepreneurs"
>
> person, People Who Give a Damn
> http://pwgd.org - "building the infrastructure for a network of everyone"
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