[AccessD] Sorry for joking around

jwcolby jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com
Tue Apr 29 17:34:44 CDT 2008


In 1994 I took a job for $12 an hour.  I had been making 44K a year and 
got laid off, and couldn't get work (Southern California during the 
recession of 92).  In fact I have only ever had one "real job" since 
that time, I have been a consultant.

At any rate, I took this job for $12 / hour learning Access as I built a 
database for a small company.  I read Access books for 4 hours and 
worked six and they paid me for the whole time.

the rest as they say is history.  You can believe that the work I did 
for $12 / hour was worth... about $12 / hour.  ;-)

But I came out of that job with a pretty good grasp of Access.

John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com


Edward S Zuris wrote:
>  Sorry for joking around.  Things are getting grim.
> 
>  I know a client who thinks $15 an hour is too much.
> 
>  Before this is over, we'll be working for table scraps.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Edward S Zuris [mailto:edzedz at comcast.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 4:02 PM
> To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> Subject: RE: [AccessD] Migrate 2.0 and A97 to XP: Advice and Cost???
> 
>  You can fudge that with the F color factor.
> 
>  Is there a color for (2^16)-1 ?
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of jwcolby
> Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 2:00 PM
> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Migrate 2.0 and A97 to XP: Advice and Cost???
> 
> 
> I think that is a good estimate.
> 
> ;-)
> 
> But you forgot to factor in intellectual and emotional age.  Or was that
> intentional?
> 
> John W. Colby
> www.ColbyConsulting.com
> 
> 
> Mark A Matte wrote:
>> With all the different feedback...and formulas I found...and gas prices...
>>
>> Avg Age on AccessD=A
>> My age =B
>> Moon phase= C
>> Years Experience=E
>> that weird 9 tenths gas thing= 9/10
>> windows value for favorite color=F
>> (F/((A-B)*(C+E)))+9/10=$104.99 9/10
>>
>> We'll go with travel expenses + $104.99 9/10 per hour?????
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> From: wdhindman at dejpolsystems.com
>>> To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
>>> Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:30:19 -0400
>>> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Migrate 2.0 and A97 to XP: Advice and Cost???
>>>
>>> ...lol ...its funny that something I wrote so long ago remains
> immediately
>>> identifiable here ...JC and pks are a legend unto themselves :)
>>>
>>> William
>>>
>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>> From: "jwcolby"
>>> Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 1:19 PM
>>> To: "Access Developers discussion and problem solving"
>>>
>>> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Migrate 2.0 and A97 to XP: Advice and Cost???
>>>
>>>> multi-field primary?
>>>>
>>>> Is someone using a multi-field primary? Let me at 'em.
>>>>
>>>> John W. Colby
>>>> www.ColbyConsulting.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Mark A Matte wrote:
>>>>> Excelent article. I think my favorite part was:
>>>>>
>>>>> "will go flat broke and be looking for a salaried position sooner than
>>>>> John Colby can jump on a multi-field primary."
>>>>>
>>>>> Seriously though...The pricing was in line with what I was hearing
>>>>> 'through the grapevine"
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>
>>>>> mark
>>>>>
>>>>>> From: wdhindman at dejpolsystems.com
>>>>>> To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
>>>>>> Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:11:54 -0400
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Migrate 2.0 and A97 to XP: Advice and Cost???
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ...97 to xp is just minor grunt work if the original coder actually
> did
>>>>>> his
>>>>>> job.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ...but if the "97" code is really A2 code running under the 3.5
> library
>>>>>> then
>>>>>> you can have a nightmare on your hands ...it all depends on the
> original
>>>>>> coder, how much Access Basic used versus API calls, and how well
>>>>>> commented
>>>>>> it is/was.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ...my practice is to give them a firm fixed price quote to assess the
>>>>>> existing code and produce a proprietary report on what is actually
>>>>>> needed
>>>>>> ...then go from there once you have something real to deal with ...if
>>>>>> you
>>>>>> have the FMS diagnostics suite, this is usually something you can do
> in
>>>>>> a
>>>>>> few hours, produce reams of report paper on, and impress the hell out
> of
>>>>>> them without actually killing yourself ...if you don't have the FMS
>>>>>> Suite,
>>>>>> good luck ...whatever you do don't give them a price without knowing
>>>>>> exactly
>>>>>> what you're taking on ...and make sure that the conversion project is
>>>>>> extremely well defined in terms of additional reports, functionality,
>>>>>> etc
>>>>>> ...and that you have a firm understanding that any and all
>>>>>> changes/additions
>>>>>> past your original proposal are at additional cost.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ...as to hourly rate, there's an article I wrote on the subject for
> the
>>>>>> first dba newsletter which is still posted on the website ...nothing
> has
>>>>>> really changed ...if you run the numbers your rate question should
>>>>>> answer
>>>>>> itself ...don't sell yourself short ...its better to starve in a
> rocking
>>>>>> chair than to starve while producing code you sold short ...imnsho of
>>>>>> course.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ...hth :)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> William
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>>>>> From: "Mark A Matte"
>>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 11:17 AM
>>>>>> To: "Access Developers discussion and problem solving"
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Subject: [AccessD] Migrate 2.0 and A97 to XP: Advice and Cost???
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hello All,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> A small company needs to have some Access DBs upgraded from Access
> 2.0
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> A97 to XP.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> They want to provide airfare and hotel...and pay hourly.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The project will involve upgrading, some system functionality
>>>>>>> modifications, and some new reports. Some of their current
>>>>>>> functionality
>>>>>>> is "broken" (all the detail they had).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Any suggestions to the approach, things to look out for in the
>>>>>>> migration,
>>>>>>> or any advice?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Also, what would be considered a fair hourly rate?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Mark A. Matte
>>>>>>> _________________________________________________________________
>>>>>>> In a rush? Get real-time answers with Windows Live Messenger.
>>>>>>>
> http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh
> _realtime_042008
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>>>>> _________________________________________________________________
>>>>> Back to work after baby–how do you know when you’re ready?
>>>>>
> http://lifestyle.msn.com/familyandparenting/articleNW.aspx?cp-documentid=579
> 7498&ocid=T067MSN40A0701A
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> in the game.
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