Microsoft Access, god help me
Had a client of mine that needed software to track some projects for one of their departments. Instead of asking me my opinion, they did a google search for the topic of their project and found a small local company that built them a Microsoft Access database. I used to date an Access developer a zillion years ago, didn't even think anyone took Access as a serious tool anymore.
The developers sent me a page-long set of instructions on how to install it on end-user desktops. I said, why don't you just make a quick installer? Shouldn't take more than an hour. "What's an installer?" forehead slap
I wrote a couple of dozen lines batch file in about 5 minutes just to make my life easier to push it out to the half dozen staff. Then after promising they'd never change the filenames, they CHANGED ALL THE FILENAMES.
If I ever come across another customer asking about databases, can you help me come up with arguments why they should avoid an outdated technology like Access? I heard it was scheduled for the trash bin by MS?
Don't waste your time. Seriously. Unless it pays a ridiculous amount and you enjoy headaches. Then, have at it.
For reference, I still get calls from time to time because I used to do Excel and Access programming (I can't tell you the number of trading floors that used to live on Excel and Access). I quote them $275 an hour with a min billable of 40 hours. I don't like headaches, but for $11k, I'll deal with one for a week.
I like this mentality for dealing with unwanted/difficult projects. Just up your rates!
If the client is trying to defend Microsoft Access, you probably can’t.
This doesn’t apply to all cases, but these are the commonalities I’ve seen:
A quasi coder sold them on the idea in the beginning, and they thought it worked OK and was really cheap. Anything that will costs more than ~$2,000 seems likes someone is trying to rip them off because the guy that built did it really quick using a tool they have familiarity with. It was the ultimate win.
The client probably has been ripped off in the past by some local development company where they needed a small landing page, and the local company tried to sell them on building a $100,000 app that ended up costing $200,000. After getting taken for a ride the first time, they are on the look out to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Anybody selling anything other than a tool that they know or is related to a tool they know (i.e. Microsoft Office) is automatically suspect.
They mistrust technology in general.
They try to run an ultra lean cost base.
Firm believers in brand names (like Microsoft). Something like React and Vue.js (and even HTML and javascript) are treated with suspicion.
If a client meets meets several of these points, you’re probably wasting your time.
I’ve seen quite a few small businesses like this, and I actually feel sorry for them because they are being left behind. But, you can’t help them because of the above and they just don’t understand and mistrust technology.
Appreciate your thoughtful reply @raymondcarl. I must admit it left me reeling, maybe I took it personally which I know I shouldn't have, but still. I think you hit the nail on the head with #1 and #4 and they just went with it.
Wow, I can understand having a legacy Access database that needs to be maintained/updated but to make something new with it seems a little crazy!