Portfolio Details - Puddledancer
Title:
Puddledancer
Short Description:
Minor fixes and updates to PHP/MySQL DB Agreement Management System
Full Description:
This client had hired another programmer to write a management system for their publishing records, and like so many other clients, found that the project did not go well. I was hired to clean up the mess, thinking that the core code would be usable. In the end, less than 10% of the original code was salvageable. The rest was poorly done, incomplete or just plain wrong. Even the mySQL database structures had to be significantly altered.
It's all about experience and talent. There are thousands of what I call "kids with laptops" out there who claim to be programmers. Often, their clients do not know the difference until it's too late, after the project is "finished." Often, this initial investment is wasted, and another programmer must be hired to truly complete the work.
These non-professional programmers tend to charge ridiculously low rates (it's just pin money while they finish high school or work their real jobs!). Meanwhile, the professionals who earn their entire livings from freelance programming have to compete in the same market. As the freelance market matures, haphazard valuations will no longer be acceptable.
So, how do clients tell the difference and avoid having to do the same work repeatedly? Client reviews help, but do not solve the problem, since they are subjective opinions, and often from non-technical sources. What is needed is verifiable credentials and certifications, professional skills testing, and other objective means of appraisal.
See WorkMeOver.com for the answer.