As always, the answer is "it depends". In our case, we wouldn't charge for the initial high level meetings or the initial proposal. But the proposal would only contain ball-part estimates of cost. We wouldn't know the exact cost until we did detailed analysis, which is always chargeable.

So after receiving ball-park estimates, the client could choose to proceed on a time and material basis, or, if they wanted an exact cost, pay for analysis meetings and a detailed design document. Having written, and been paid for, a design document, the price can be fixed - so if it ends up costing more because we've made a mistake in the design or underestimated the time required, then that would be on us.

This generally works fine other than clients often fail to appreciate the difference between "ballpark costs" and "quote". So if we estimate it will cost between $10k and $30k, in their head the quote is fixed at $10k and they get upset if it ends up costing more. Clients also fail to appreciate how much time it actually takes to write a decent design document.

I think @PhlipElder's point about the difference in cost between small capacity SSDs and spinning disks is a good one. So if you're going to create a separate RAID1 for the OS on small disks, why not buy SSDs?

Apart from anything, the failure rate on them is much lower, isn't it? The labour cost of replacing failed disks often isn't trivial. It takes me over an hour per disk.

So the issue becomes should you install the OS on a separate array with small disks, or on OBR10? I'd argue that any disks under 250GB should always be SSDs.

@scottalanmiller said in Why Do Recruiters Never Get Involved in Forums Like This:

I've invited many recruiters to this and other forums, and none ever show up or decide to participate, even though the arena is absolutely perfect for them. What better way to find, engage, and validate potential candidates; and how better could you achieve visibility for a job posting?

Why? As far as I can tell, ML has about 20 regular posters, half of whom run their own business, and most live in Texas. The probability of an average recruiter justifying time spent on here seems negligible.

Recruiters seem to actively despise transparency, vetting, or even good placement. Why?

SAM logic: I think X. Therefore anyone who doesn't agree therefore must be somehow corrupt, stupid, incompetent or evil.

That's not true @DustinB3403

@scottalanmiller said in GDPR Requiring Centralized Password Management:

@carnival-boy said in GDPR Requiring Centralized Password Management:

@dustinb3403 said in GDPR Requiring Centralized Password Management:

@carnival-boy said in GDPR Requiring Centralized Password Management:

I don't understand what user/password management has to do with GDPR. My understanding of GDPR is that relates to restrictions on personal data held by companies, and rules on reporting data breaches to authorities in a timely manner. Neither of these seem to relate to AD or similar services? AD doesn't even generally hold personal data.

First and Last name of a person is personal data. But so is an email address, birthday, sex, sexual orientation etc.

Don't store sexual orientation in AD. Have processes to remove accounts for ex-employees in a timely manner. Job done.

I don't think anyone actually thinks AD is a problem. The question is just "how much of a requirement is it"?

Sure. I understand. But I think any standard, encrypted credentials management system is GDPR compliant. So Workgroups are fine.

@dustinb3403 said in GDPR Requiring Centralized Password Management:

@carnival-boy said in GDPR Requiring Centralized Password Management:

I don't understand what user/password management has to do with GDPR. My understanding of GDPR is that relates to restrictions on personal data held by companies, and rules on reporting data breaches to authorities in a timely manner. Neither of these seem to relate to AD or similar services? AD doesn't even generally hold personal data.

First and Last name of a person is personal data. But so is an email address, birthday, sex, sexual orientation etc.

Don't store sexual orientation in AD. Have processes to remove accounts for ex-employees in a timely manner. Job done.

@stuartjordan said in GDPR Requiring Centralized Password Management:

@carnival-boy The basis of it is regarding personal data, but the outer layer is prevention, how are you protecting this personal data.

Maybe. But AD is GDPR compliant. It's a secure system, designed with security in mind, at least as far as GDPR is concerned. Using Post-It notes for password management might break GDPR regulations, AD won't.

I don't understand what user/password management has to do with GDPR. My understanding of GDPR is that relates to restrictions on personal data held by companies, and rules on reporting data breaches to authorities in a timely manner. Neither of these seem to relate to AD or similar services? AD doesn't even generally hold personal data.

Trello

@scottalanmiller said in Freelance websites?:

If you think about it, all these people are are failed MSPs that can't retain customers and are willing to work at literally any price. And logically, the only possible way for them to make any money at all is by doing the work really poorly. If they put in the time to do the job well, or know how to do the job well, then being on those sites would be a waste of their time.

@irj said in Freelance websites?:

ou also need to pay someone a decent rate as ones that's charge $20 an hour or less are useless

I've used one of these sites once, a few years ago, can't remember the name. I employed a guy in Bangladesh to do some InDesign work. It worked out fine.

It's a case of global labour arbitrage. $20 an hour in Bangladesh is a decent rate.

I don't know where you get the idea that a decent Bangladeshi freelancer must be a failed MSP. It's also a good way for decent IT people to earn extra money outside of their normal job. I'm charged out at about $1500 a day in my salaried day job, but would work for far less in my spare time (if I had any spare time!) as I don't have any costs - it's "money for jam" as we say in England.