en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/812133 Comments by sarah semark http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/how-i-broke-up-with-a-tyrannical-beast/#IDComment94400920 Generally speaking, this is a great way of guiding someone's decision-making process without completely quashing their control over a project. Some clients will listen to your professional advice and accept it happily, but others are convinced they know better (which is sometimes, but oftentimes not, the case). Throwing "it's going to cost extra" in on top of "you totally don't need it" helps that decision. Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:20:34 +0000 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/how-i-broke-up-with-a-tyrannical-beast/#IDComment94400920 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/how-i-broke-up-with-a-tyrannical-beast/#IDComment94400052 I LOVE the "charge-extra" idea, and cannot believe it didn't occur to me earlier. Money is an excellent communicator in this respect, and I do like giving an option, rather than simply refusing to do something. By default, however, I won't be doing it. I'd rather code a website properly---if things go a little kinky in IE6, I really don't mind if it doesn't look perfect to the user. (I can't imagine what the internet is like for IE6 users. I assume it's pretty atrocious.) I thought it was really hilarious when I called my bank a little while ago, and they told me the reason I was having troubles was because their system was only supported in some version of IE. Of course, I started ranting about "what about all the Mac users who CAN'T run IE?" and "Are you AWARE of the number of security holes?" until I calmed down, and realized the poor man was not responsible for building the site and, in fact, probably had no idea what standards-compliance meant. Whoops. I've never used hacks (I find them too hacky), but I do my best to code everything cleanly. If IE6 can't handle itself, so be it. However, as much as I'll no longer bend to its reign of terror, I won't be so tyrannical as to refuse to do it--I'll just discourage it as much as I'm able. Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:13:26 +0000 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/how-i-broke-up-with-a-tyrannical-beast/#IDComment94400052 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/how-i-broke-up-with-a-tyrannical-beast/#IDComment94398582 Oh dear, what a nightmare. I can only hope that they all took to upgrading? I cannot tell you what a lovely feeling it is to have drawn a line in the sand re: IE6. It does help that the Microsoft dev team has actually been doing a lot of good work -- I actually don't mind IE8, and IE7 isn't that bad. IE9 is coming along nicely, and actually has pretty great support for a lot of HTML5, which is such an incredible turnaround from what we're all used to seeing from MS. IE itself will never die, but it's time for antiquated versions to expire. I understand the desire to make everything work for everyone, but in doing so, at this point we're essentially pandering to outmoded, security-hole-filled, software. No more! Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:01:47 +0000 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/how-i-broke-up-with-a-tyrannical-beast/#IDComment94398582 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/why-you-cant-call-me-cheap-anymore/#IDComment88363537 I think everyone feels like that from time to time--and it's that drive that keeps us trying to be better. It's hard to be sure of your value, but in the client-relations case, I find it helps to just fake it--now everyone believes that I'm self-confident, which I feel isn't entirely true. Pricing is such a tricky issue, anyway--and honestly, I'd rather have people think I'm too expensive for them than to think I'm cheap. Somewhere on the internet there's still a page up from when I was in school that reads "I'll do pretty much anything for $6 an hour". True then, not true now. Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:40:32 +0000 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/why-you-cant-call-me-cheap-anymore/#IDComment88363537 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/why-you-cant-call-me-cheap-anymore/#IDComment88302216 That's both sort of true, and sort of not-true. My first website (that paid actual money) cost (I think) all of $300, though, and obviously I'm no longer charging that. So while I *have* become much faster and more efficient, my per-project cost has also increased substantially. I may do basic tasks faster now, but I also do more advanced tasks, which take more time. And some things (mockups, revisions, etc) simply don't get faster. Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:27:02 +0000 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/why-you-cant-call-me-cheap-anymore/#IDComment88302216 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/5-reasons-i-dont-pick-up-my-phone-and-neither-should-you/#IDComment71320049 I think ignoring the phone ought to be considered a good thing! I realized this morning that if I couldn't communicate via email, I'd almost invariably spend the entire day on the telephone--and would never get ANY work done! Thank god for email. Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:18:46 +0000 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/5-reasons-i-dont-pick-up-my-phone-and-neither-should-you/#IDComment71320049 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/whats-on-the-outside-counts-too/#IDComment68384084 Thanks, Kayla. I hope school is going well for you--your work is looking really good! Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:12:00 +0000 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/whats-on-the-outside-counts-too/#IDComment68384084 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/a-policy-of-truthiness/#IDComment64677483 Oh, thankyou! That is completely what's I'm going for, too! I figure it's best to embrace one's bizzarre tendencies, rather than try to fight them. Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:16:34 +0000 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/a-policy-of-truthiness/#IDComment64677483 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/a-policy-of-truthiness/#IDComment64222605 I used to use "we"--I think it's an outmoded business idea that people still cling to. If you're a freelancer, the idea is to make it seem like you're bigger than you are, but nowadays people just see that as fraudulent (which they should!) We trust businesses less, especially when we DO deal with fewer actual, real-live people now. (And actually, this post started off with the intention of being about "branding and self-identity", then totally veered, so I'd agree with you on the BS marketing point!) Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:23:39 +0000 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/a-policy-of-truthiness/#IDComment64222605 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/getting-naked/#IDComment59932280 Thanks, Pam! I love Sally's group--they were the first group I modelled for, and they were so warm, welcoming, and positive that it really made for an amazing experience, especially when starting "cold", as it were. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 20:08:53 +0000 http://triggersandsparks.com/blog/getting-naked/#IDComment59932280