Andy Lacey
andy at minstersystems.co.uk
Tue Mar 30 13:12:59 CST 2004
I could write lots, or I could just say "William said it for me", which is not just easier but also true. Agree with every word of the sentiment, if not the detail on Netware etc. -- Andy Lacey http://www.minstersystems.co.uk > -----Original Message----- > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of > William Hindman > Sent: 30 March 2004 00:09 > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving > Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: A survey from somebody not as > well-connected as JC > > > ...don't take this the wrong way Steve but some of the > questions you ask point away from the answers you want imnsho > ...Access is a tool for me ...I don't get clients ...or keep > them ...because I use Access ...or any other tool ...I get > and keep clients because I solve their problems ...99% could > care less what I use as long as it works and fits their budget. > > ...of course I'm not trying to get rich like Rocky nor invent > a new wheel like JC ...I do what it takes to make a client > happy ...that, or I colbyize them ...I got into the SBS gig > because a client was getting a raw deal from a Netware house > and I agreed to fix his network if he'd invest the money in > what I recommended ...he agreed and I bought a couple books > on SBS and found a good list and he's happy and passed me on > to a couple others and so on ...same with websites which I've > now taken up for profit ...client was getting a raw deal and > asked my advice ...so I bought a couple of books and found a > good list and its starting to look pretty nice and he wants > loads more and there is another waiting with baited breath > ...if I want the work > :) > > ...but I'm just me and don't have any intention of ever > working hard again ...so much of this may not apply to you > ...but I'd think that if you focused a lot more on what the > client needs rather than what gadget you're fixing to use, > you might solve both of your problems :) > > ...just my two cents of course ...others may well see it > different and I won't mind at all :) > > William Hindman > ipsedixitism: something is true because I myself have said it > is true ...the philosophy of Noam Chomsky :) > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Steven W. Erbach" <serbach at new.rr.com> > To: "Access Developers discussion and problem solving" > <accessd at databaseadvisors.com> > Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 11:16 AM > Subject: [AccessD] OT: A survey from somebody not as > well-connected as JC > > > > Dear Group, > > > > This is for the independent developers only. If you work > for a company > > and > you'd like to take the survey, just let me know that you're > not an independent developer when you reply. > > > > I'm curious about what you independent developers have had > to learn to > keep up with the changing marketplace. > > > > 1) If you've managed to maintain a significant clientele by > developing > Access applications, what have you done to sharpen your > skills to make you more attractive as the developer of choice > in a competitive field? That is, have you developed a > framework like JC, or have you gone more towards developing > front ends for SQL back ends like Arthur? > > > > 2) If you've moved away from Access development as your > primary source > > of > income, what other platforms have you learned to make a > living? Do you now do mostly .NET development, ASP, SQL > Server, PHP, what? > > > > 3) If you're doing .NET development, what kind of things are you > > doing? > Has it lived up to the hype? Last year about this time I was > searching the want ads for positions before I decided to > stick with my own business. I was amused by the ads that > profiled the "ideal" candidate as one who had deep .NET > experience. The stinking product had only officially been on > the market for one whole year with another year in beta > before that. Sheesh! Have you seen any real live .NET > implementations that are worth bragging about...or have you > created any? > > > > In short, what have you had to do to make yourself useful as an > independent developer? I know that William works quite a bit > with SBS and LANs. Have any of you developed proficiency with > cabling and routers and such to increase your marketability? > > > > Do you do any security consulting, say? Do you build > custom-order PCs? > > Do > you do LAN management, e-mail server management and setup, > web site development? > > > > One final thing: Years ago when I started I took advantage of the > > swing of > the pendulum that put PC power in users' hands. That is, the > PC was a great analysis tool for mainframe data. Lotus 1-2-3, > dBASE III, Paradox, etc., were the tools that enabled users > and departments to fiddle with the data without having to > wait for the IT department to get around to their little > pissant application requests. > > > > Now the pendulum has swung the other way. Security concerns and > scalability and distributed networks / VPNs and web-based > database applications have all made the pendulum swing back > towards centralized control...and the IT guys are loving it. > Or am I reading it wrong? What do you think? > > > > Regards, > > > > Steve Erbach > > Scientific Marketing > > Neenah, WI > > 920-969-0504 > > > > Security and Virus information: http://www.swerbach.com/security > > > > -- > > _______________________________________________ > > AccessD mailing list > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > AccessD mailing list > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > >