So a few weeks ago I get an email from Mr. XYZ about an opportunity for Shey and I to work on an ecommerce project. GOOD STUFF! It’s a php/mysql/css website using oscommerce as the starting point. The original deadline was 10/31/2005. We respond quickly and wait…and wait.
So a few days go by and and so does the deadline. While I’m at the MFAH for my Art History paper last week, I get a call from him to see if we are still available, and indeed we were. I made plans to meet up with him on the weekend and he would get back to me. So again, I wait…and wait.
He calls tonight and asks if I’m free and can get to a computer. So I do it. He knows about projects I’ve worked on and has my resume. He asks if I use AIM or YIM, and of course I do, but I’m not about to mix my social life with work! I ask him to email me and he tells me email is slow, very ineffective, and goes on with this speech about why I should get YIM so he can send me some links. I tell him to email them to me, but he still insists on Instant Messaging me!
I ask him what site he wants me to visit and he response was something like…”I want to see if you can read data from this database.” WOW! A test? Is he serious? READ DATA FROM A DATABASE?
I let him know things between him and I probably won’t work out. I was and still am very offended by this. Is it me or was what he did very outrageous and ridiculous?
why didnt u just do it.
Okay no offense to anyone but using instant messaging for business in my eyes is very unprofessional, if you want to correspond with a business associate you call him during “office hours” or you email him, I am totally agreeing with you tom, that is rediculous. AIM was designed for business but through abbreviations and bad english it was deminished to a mere communication tool between people. I would not want my employer to keep tabs on me wether I am online or not, though my screenname, and if I would create an extra work AIM account I would only use it during “Office Hours”, and then it becomes absolit because a phone call is a much better way to communicate. I feel sorry that you lost this extra income oppertunity but I think you did the right thing. If you business associate throws a fit about that little bit what is he going to do when you start working for him lol.
-Hope you feel better soon and Happy Thanksgiving
Hi,
Well, reading data from the database issue might be because he wanted to see what coding standards you use and what design patterns you apply (I am talking about .NET) to retrieve the information. In one of my interview I was also asked to do the same thing. I guess this is a trick to separate book worms from application developers.
The idea of using AIM is not soo cool. I think if the client is in Houston he should meet face to face (Maybe 1-2 times a week). This will remove any misunderstanding from the developer’s side as well as the client side during the developement of the application.