jd's Journal: Oh goody. Exactly what I didn't need.

A person I designed an online store for didn't want to pay for it. That happens. They also turned out to be a gun and knife fanatic. No big deal, right? That depends on how you interpret the phrase "you'd better watch your back, if I were you". May this be a lesson to you all - never do software consulting work for a latent psychotic.

no good

[zogger]

sucks. Most weapons enthusiasts are rather sober and adult about it, but some are looney tunes, same as the general population. Did you get upfront earnest money, make something on it at least? As to the threats, and that is what that was, in my state any verbal or written threat like that is a felony, so perhaps das authorities should get involved.

Re:

[jd]

Unfortunately, there was nothing up-front and I actually lost a fair bit on upgrading their system as part of the project. Yes, I would regard it as a very definite threat and I have good reason to believe it wasn't an idle one. I'll see what the laws are in Oregon - it's a bit of a weird state - but if I think they can do anything, I think your advice is probably the right thing to do.

Sounds like a job I did

[spun]

Porn site automation system, designed for some speed freaks I knew. I didn't know they were speed freaks until afterwards... Don't work for speed freaks or psychotics. They did pay some, before the habit got out of control, but ended up owing me over five grand. No threats, though they too were gun and knife freaks and kinda scary.

Why did this nut threaten you? For asking for the money?

Re:

[jd]

Yes. Apparently, this violated some fundamental principle or other. The online store was for Wiccan and occult stuff, which apparently makes the owner exempt from such mortal concerns. I guess I should have been a bit more wary when the owner bragged about having not paid the last store designer - although the store they'd designed was certainly crap and even I would have been hesitant to pay someone for something that was non-functional, incomplete and uglier than, well, anything that the human imagination

Look on the bright side

[ILikeRed]

It is still better than an unhinged girlfriend... I had one that I found out was giving sexual favors to her drug dealer. I can laugh about it now.

The hardest part about consulting is charging people, there really needs to be a service for it. But I learned the hard way not to do work without a retainer - even for large companies. And if a friend asks for work without retainer - they are no friend.

Re:

[smittyoneeach]

And if a friend asks for work without retainer - they are no friend.

I gave a sketch of some work (about an hour's worth) as a sample, to show that I understood the tool in question. But I'll let the buddy get back to me if he wants more serious development. You're right--good friends respect each other's time.