So, this is what I'm discovering I should do: if my clients don't buy a support contract, then they don't get support.
Right now I get called all the time and people expect me to drop everything for them, but I can't handle half a dozen clients needing fixes every week and still get my new projects done which pay my bills. Plus there's 3 or 4 days a week that I can't do anything at all for them during the day (on-site work somewhere else), so I have to sacrifice my evenings for free.
I should have got an MBA instead of learning how to program, because all the business stuff is hard to manage then the coding. Or maybe I just need a secretary, an accountant, a sales team, and a designer. And as I was telling Paul, a Xanax prescription.
Jim's Journal
My Podcast Link
10/29/2007 14:09 #41861
New PlanCategory: work
10/28/2007 19:49 #41850
PartyCategory: estrip
So, I really am craving pumpkin seeds after last night. I need to find more pumpkins to carve gut out. I had a great time otherwise too! It was good to see all of you :) I forgot to bring my camera though, so I have nothing much to post.
I'll be setting up a November (e:strip) dinner or some such thing in a couple weeks, trying to get it earlier in the month so as not to be too close to Thanksgiving. How would you all feel about a pot-luck at 24 Linwood? If the boys there would be willing, that is. Not such a drunken all night affair as last night, but dinner and conversation and slightly less scandal.
I'll be setting up a November (e:strip) dinner or some such thing in a couple weeks, trying to get it earlier in the month so as not to be too close to Thanksgiving. How would you all feel about a pot-luck at 24 Linwood? If the boys there would be willing, that is. Not such a drunken all night affair as last night, but dinner and conversation and slightly less scandal.
mrmike - 10/28/07 21:42
Jim, I'd be down with that
Jim, I'd be down with that
drew - 10/28/07 21:11
I have already sung the praises of Google's set of stuff, including presentations.
I have already sung the praises of Google's set of stuff, including presentations.
tinypliny - 10/28/07 21:08
I admit I have correction fluid OCD. That phrase should read: MS wields its POWER to hold you at gunPOINT
I admit I have correction fluid OCD. That phrase should read: MS wields its POWER to hold you at gunPOINT
tinypliny - 10/28/07 21:05
It drives me crazy that macsters have such cool options, and yet converting to mac is like facing a desert with a few oases of software development.
Powerpoint is more like MS wields it POWER to hold you are gunPOINT. :/ It's detestably clunky, only its newest versions have soft shadows, its animations don't work across different versions. It's hideously out-of-sync with OpenOffice Impress.
I need to give so many presentations in the future, I don't think I deserve this constant wrestling in the mud with clunky monolithic software. So as I was telling you, I am trying to move to Dave Raggett's Slidy :::link:::(1) or perhaps, Operashow, since Opera is my favourite browser. :::link:::
But I fear that my presentation venues might not even have heard of Opera and using HTML for slides might be perceived as uncool. I don't know. I am confused. I don't have the means or the willpower to become a macster overnight, but I don't want to continue with the tyranny of Gunpoint. :(
It drives me crazy that macsters have such cool options, and yet converting to mac is like facing a desert with a few oases of software development.
Powerpoint is more like MS wields it POWER to hold you are gunPOINT. :/ It's detestably clunky, only its newest versions have soft shadows, its animations don't work across different versions. It's hideously out-of-sync with OpenOffice Impress.
I need to give so many presentations in the future, I don't think I deserve this constant wrestling in the mud with clunky monolithic software. So as I was telling you, I am trying to move to Dave Raggett's Slidy :::link:::(1) or perhaps, Operashow, since Opera is my favourite browser. :::link:::
But I fear that my presentation venues might not even have heard of Opera and using HTML for slides might be perceived as uncool. I don't know. I am confused. I don't have the means or the willpower to become a macster overnight, but I don't want to continue with the tyranny of Gunpoint. :(
jenks - 10/28/07 20:40
I will come only if there is promise of MORE scandal, not less. I needs me some new drama!
I will come only if there is promise of MORE scandal, not less. I needs me some new drama!
jim - 10/28/07 20:16
I've been thinking about your question last night, and unfortunately haven't come up with anything. I have used Keynote just a couple times, and Powerpoint never. I really don't give many presentations. I wish I could help you escape from Powerpoint!
I've been thinking about your question last night, and unfortunately haven't come up with anything. I have used Keynote just a couple times, and Powerpoint never. I really don't give many presentations. I wish I could help you escape from Powerpoint!
tinypliny - 10/28/07 20:14
Oh, and since even stalkers need to apologize at times, I need to apologize for hounding you with arcane questions when I could clearly see that you were tired! Sorry!! I didn't mean to be so pesky! I just thought the knowledge might be transferred to me via osmosis rather than speech. ;)
Oh, and since even stalkers need to apologize at times, I need to apologize for hounding you with arcane questions when I could clearly see that you were tired! Sorry!! I didn't mean to be so pesky! I just thought the knowledge might be transferred to me via osmosis rather than speech. ;)
james - 10/28/07 20:13
oh, I will bring a dish to the potluck. But I am also bringing a scandal casserole!
oh, I will bring a dish to the potluck. But I am also bringing a scandal casserole!
tinypliny - 10/28/07 20:10
I missed the pumpkin seeds. :(( Don't you have any left for your No. #1 stalker??!
Would the potluck be a weekday or a weekend? If its a weekend, maybe I can cook on the premises <tiny>(and make another attempt at taking over the gorgeous kitchen)</tiny>. Hehehe
I missed the pumpkin seeds. :(( Don't you have any left for your No. #1 stalker??!
Would the potluck be a weekday or a weekend? If its a weekend, maybe I can cook on the premises <tiny>(and make another attempt at taking over the gorgeous kitchen)</tiny>. Hehehe
paul - 10/28/07 19:53
That sounds good to us.
That sounds good to us.
10/27/2007 18:02 #41841
TrafficThis is the graph of the traffic for my Ruby blog. It's headed in a gratifying direction :) It makes writing for it a lot of fun knowing that I'm helping other people.
10/26/2007 23:49 #41826
E:Strip Chat ClientOnly in Mac OS X Leopard.
paul - 10/27/07 00:22
Ya, everything is awesome except that multi file flash uploads don't work in leopard in any browser using the latest flash 9 player. That sucks!!! It doesnt work on estrip. It doesn't work on swfupload and it doesn't work at flickr. Argh. How could no one have caught that at Adobe. To make it worse, there is no way to detect it is on leopard using firefox as nothing about the user agent seems different than the tiger one.
Ya, everything is awesome except that multi file flash uploads don't work in leopard in any browser using the latest flash 9 player. That sucks!!! It doesnt work on estrip. It doesn't work on swfupload and it doesn't work at flickr. Argh. How could no one have caught that at Adobe. To make it worse, there is no way to detect it is on leopard using firefox as nothing about the user agent seems different than the tiger one.
10/25/2007 16:57 #41800
WNY Ruby User GroupCategory: ruby
So, I've agreed to help plan the WNY Ruby meet-ups. This will be in addition to the monthly estrip night outs that I've been setting up, and the monthly photo meet-ups that I run.
I just need to find a way to either: combine them all into one event, or start a social event planning business :)
Anyone out there who's interested in Ruby let me know if you want to join up with the user group.
I just need to find a way to either: combine them all into one event, or start a social event planning business :)
Anyone out there who's interested in Ruby let me know if you want to join up with the user group.
carolinian - 10/26/07 12:01
I've had a really ugly time learning Ruby on Rails, so it would be nice to find a place with wi-fi so someone could sit down with me and show me what I'm doing wrong.
I've had a really ugly time learning Ruby on Rails, so it would be nice to find a place with wi-fi so someone could sit down with me and show me what I'm doing wrong.
zobar - 10/26/07 10:57
Whatever! Gimme a call when you want to upgrade. We got a zero-click installer and tutorials that won't fill your inbox with spam.
Humble suggestions: change 'User Group' to 'Gang.' Get a rival gang, too: Haskell? Lisp? Doesn't matter. Get jackets and patches and secret handshakes. Schedule your meetings for the same place and same time. Get into fights and thrown out of bars. Do this up right, right?
- Z
Whatever! Gimme a call when you want to upgrade. We got a zero-click installer and tutorials that won't fill your inbox with spam.
Humble suggestions: change 'User Group' to 'Gang.' Get a rival gang, too: Haskell? Lisp? Doesn't matter. Get jackets and patches and secret handshakes. Schedule your meetings for the same place and same time. Get into fights and thrown out of bars. Do this up right, right?
- Z
jim - 10/25/07 23:06
First you can get the one-click windows installer:
:::link:::
And a 20 minute tutorial after that, via the interactive ruby shell:
:::link:::
First you can get the one-click windows installer:
:::link:::
And a 20 minute tutorial after that, via the interactive ruby shell:
:::link:::
jim - 10/25/07 23:03
For a good quick intro there's Try Ruby: :::link::: which is an interactive tutorial in a web browser.
There's also a free book :::link::: but you have to create an account at InfoQ to download it.
For a good quick intro there's Try Ruby: :::link::: which is an interactive tutorial in a web browser.
There's also a free book :::link::: but you have to create an account at InfoQ to download it.
mrdeadlier - 10/25/07 22:56
Where's a good "from the ground up" tutorial on Ruby that you would recommend?
Where's a good "from the ground up" tutorial on Ruby that you would recommend?
jim - 10/25/07 20:16
As if!
As if!
The secretary, sales department etc could be tricky. The Xanax is easy and covered by insurance. You just tell your doctor you have anxiety issues!
I offered to be Jim's secretary. Free of charge of course.
Jim is too smart for that though. He knew I was just looking for permission to start nagging hum about the way he runs his business.
And please, by all means, tell some of your clients to fuck off. They need the reminder.
I have a master plan to go part time by July 2009. If you have the means to hire a part time administrative assistant at that time...well, I'm really good at such things =)