[thelist] Fulltime to freelance

[Lee Kowalkowski]

2008/11/25 Matt Warden <mwarden at gmail.com>:
> On Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 10:35 AM, sbeam <sbeam at onsetcorps.net> wrote:
>> Everything needs to be written and detailed in specifications/
>> functional requirements and _signed_ before work begins.
>> [...]
>> Some clients can be difficult but you should be able to
>> just point to the reqs and resolve any dispute in minutes (ideally).
>
> Writing stuff down is not a panacea.
> [...]
> You go back to the requirements and it is clear that
> you built the system exactly as specified by the client project team
> (who are a part of the administrative unit and not the end users, who
> are, say, field workers).

This reminded me of Jakob Nielsen's latest alertbox
(http://www.useit.com/alertbox/agile-methods.html).  Which contained
two points that made me chuckle "how true!":

1. "requirement specifications are always wrong".
2. "The only thing worse than having developers deviate from the
design specs is having developers implement the design specs to the
letter".

-- 
Lee