Lemonade

Feb 4

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This is a story I can relate to. Unfortunately, I have been able to relate to it a few times. Recently I have been bale to relate to what these people have gone through. After watching the video over at Bert’s web site, this hit home, I could relate, I could understand the feelings these people felt. Maybe not on such a high scale as being laid off by a top notch ad agency, but the feelings of despair, anger, depression, desperation… I can relate, as many of us probably can if you’ve been laid off at one time or another.

The video below is a half-hour plus, but I strongly urge those to watch and listen to the stories. The title of the movie also is an excellent one, “Lemonade”. “When we’re handed lemons…”, “When life hands you lemons…” Make the best of your situation and freedom. My situation is a bit different in that I have been freelancing at one time or another for the past ten years.

Some people don’t like the work that I have done. No one said that was wrong, although I take great pride in my work and what I have been doing, different developers do things different. Not all developers code the same. This movie made me realize that life isn’t going to be an open road down the path to financial riches, especially in the field of web development, rather, it’s going to be what “I” make of it.

I have had a small amount of people not like the way I work, that’s life. When that happens, it’s just a matter of moving on to somewhere, where the work is appreciated. I have had 99% of the people I have worked with, like my work, they have approved my work, and that is something I have to remember during these tough times with the current economy in the U.S.

So please watch the video below, take in what these stories that are being told say, and please leave a comment on what your experiences are, if any, when you have been laid off and what you’ve done to climb back up on your feet and make lemonade out of those lemons you were handed. Enjoy!

The Survey, 2009

Feb 4

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I Took the Survey For People Who Make Websites – 2009, you should too!

Scope Creep

Feb 4

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No, it’s not some guy hanging out on the corner by the local teen center or playground. It’s the changes that occur in a project’s scope and it happens in web development & graphic design more times than we care to admit. Everyone that works in web development and in graphic design has experienced it if there was a change that came down the pipe and it wasn’t on your list of things to do.

What exactly defines scope creep? To me, it’s a problem where something has been overlooked or passed through into the project that is outside of the originally documented scope of project. Why does scope creep happen? I think because a client or a middleman is asking something of you, the developer, that was not part of the original scope. The client may be looking for something that is free. “Hey, could you throw in…” or they ask for a particular feature not originally discussed.

No matter what the case may be or the point of view we have, scope creep is a part of development. How do we keep it under control?

I, for one, outline everything in a contract. If there is something that is not covered in the original contract, then there is a clause, that if there are changes that need to be made, then there will not only be an extra fee, but there will be an additional fee added. It’s the nature of the business, we’re all going to run into scope creep no matter how hard we try. Sometimes we let the little things slide, I do.

So, what are your stories of scope creep? How do you avoid or keep it to a dull roar? What are your thoughts about it and how to avoid it?