Corkscrew does more than just provide Web Hosting and Mail Hosting Services. One of the most difficult of tasks is encountered when the work involves Web Development.

Just exactly what is the role of the Web Developer?

This can lead to many extremely heated discussions, and often result in massive polarization between the Corkscrew Customer and Corkscrew as the contractor.

Quite often, possibly 100% of cases, Corkscrew is called to implement a solution for the customer and the customer leaves the management and micro-management of that effort to Corkscrew. This always leads to the best possible results for both sides of the contract. Corkscrew brings a unique ability to the partnership and is able to both see the problem in a clear light and bring a very long and deep experience to the solution, a depth which is absent in many other competing solution providers. It does not mean we are always right, but it does mean we are never wrong. We avoid being wrong because we adapt. And that adapting does not mean we forego what is right, we analyze, review and resolve whatever the basic issue is that led to the problem. Hence, we are, in the end, always right.

There are cases where the customer decides to manage the project. Historically, these situations have been disasters. Regardless of what the background of the customer, this approach lacks the vision of a properly implemented product. It has limits, it has defects, it has built in a large variety of impediments and ultimately leads both sides to failure.

It is also a rather unfortunate fact that on the customer side of the relationship, the person[s] who are involved in managing or co-ordinating the project are usually transitory. Companies change, people change positions, people change jobs, people leave. It is normal. And as those people change and move the vision or guidelines of the individual either move or get lost in translation when the next perons arives. The stability of relying on the contractor sometimes becomes the prime consideration to a successful product implementation. Of course, the contractor must be proven otherwise this can also lead to total disaster.

When a long term relationship exists between contractor and customer, generally, the contractor has a better grip of history and policy than the current representative of the customer. These relationships are golden and this leads to a major conflict potential when a new, well-intentioned, customer contact comes into place. If they are unwilling to work with the contractor and listen, a long term relationship can be wrecked in days or weeks. We have observed this voer and over again. In essentailly all cases, the customer is the loser.

So what can be done?

In a way, the contractor [Corkscrew] is in the position of the CEO of the IT division of the contracting company. It is up to the contractor to provide the guidance for implementation of systems, web sites, etc, based on the policies of the customer. There needs to be to a degree an education process given to the customer. What is not needed, and should never be agreed is to waste time by yet again proving that the contractor is indeed the right contractor for the job. If this situation arises, it is usually best to walk away. The customer will be the loser, but the contractor avoids the grief.

Some possible issues that are to be considered, can be found by paraphrasing an article which recently appeared in Venture Beat. Perhaps reference to the following link would be worthwhile:

http://venturebeat.com/2011/01/13/the-king-is-dead-long-live-the-king/

The following takes a portion of that article and casts it in the light of the contractor and the customer.

If you are the hired-gun [Contractor], these questions need to be considered:

For purposes of this set of questions, we will define Management as one or all of the following: Founder[s], Successor[s], CEO, Chairman, Other Top Level Officers.

1. How much influence does the Management have on the board? Among employees? Among partners? Can the contractor help them settle into a role where that influence is an asset?
2. As the company evolves, how will the contractor influence change? Is that an asset or liability in the relationships with the board and the Management?
3. Are the contractor and the Management in agreement about what success looks like? If not, is the difference based on preference for an outcome or fear of failure? How can the contractor ease the Management’s anxiety?
4. If you have to "fire" someone the Management hired, have you consulted the Management? Have you allowed the Management to advocate for the dignity of that employee? [A really, really touchy issue, but sometimes necessary].
5. Have you established a credible and personable working relationship with the most influential board member? If there is an impasse between you and the Management, will the most influential director feel the need to choose sides or will he/she primarily advocate for the company’s success?
6. If Management is deliberately creating division, do you have the support of the board to remove the Management Individual from the operation or the board? Are you sure?
7. When you are at your wits end because the Management is intractable and advocating a course of action you cannot and will not pursue, are you sure your position is about the success of the company? Are you sure the Management isn’t on to something?

In the end, the primary function as a Contractor is to inspire and motivate a group of people to make a sustained effort toward a common objective. Inspiring employees is only half the battle. Inspiring the board, the business partners, and the community to join the cause is the other half. If you ask yourself these questions every day, you will be in a better position to forge and sustain stronger relationships.

A very difficult assignment for a Contractor!

Depending on moral background, a consideration of all issues, sometimes the easy approach of walking away just does not seem right. It may well be the only solution, but it may also leave a bad taste and be an admission of moral defeat. This is something which is very hard to accept.

The “Shaving Conspiracy” – and Why This is the Single Biggest Reason Most Developers are Failing…

What the hell does

have to do with Developers [of anything]?

In a sense – everything.

Like most men, I shave my face in the morning. And like the majority who really value a close shave, I use a handheld razor.

The part that always “gets me”, though, is how quickly the damn blades go dull. It seems every other day I’m throwing down hefty sums at the checkout till for those $30 “value packs” of blades that will last me another 3 weeks. (And no, I don’t pay any attention to those stupid color-strips that “tell me” when a blade is going dull. I use another indicator, known as PAIN, CUTS and PULLING HAIR [all gone], which are far more accurate and usually “extend” blade life a few days or so.)

And for the longest time, I basically just accepted it and chalked it up to yet another living expense, albeit a pretty expensive one in comparison to other hygiene-related things like brushing teeth, etc.

That all changed one day, not too long ago…

I was going through a bunch of things left over from my father, some 25 years ago. He was a stickler for sticking to the tried and true, and in fact fanatically followed the same habits of my Grandfather. He had used the classic “straight razor” (like the ones in Sweeney Todd). I always kind of laughed at him using these obsolete razors, but, on a whim, I decided to pick up a safety-razor kit, with a nice brass razor from 1955 – it comes with a brush and shaving soap – and the blades are purchased separately.

This picture is similar to the kit I have:

A few days later, I gave it a try and I couldn’t believe the results…

THIS THING SHAVES CLOSER, SMOOTHER AND BETTER THAN ANY “MACH 9″, “ULTRA FUSION” CONTRAPTION ON THE MARKET TODAY. Except for travelling, I have literally thrown out my old razors because there is literally no comparison in feel, shave quality and the feeling on my face afterwards.

The “new” technology doesn’t come close to its original 1955 ancestry in terms of what it’s actually designed to do – shave close and shave smooth.

And it got me thinking… why do all the latest and “greatest” razors/shavers SUCK compared to stuff that’s almost a century behind technologically?

Well – you can probably guess the answer, but before I lay it out – let me first of all compare the costs I have now as a “vintage shaver”.

————–

Avg. Cost of Current Razor Blades (“Gillette Fusion Power”): About $30 for an 8-pack.

Avg. Cost of Vintage Razor Blades: Roughly $3.00 for 10 blades (ten times less, for more blades).

————–

Avg. # of Shaves With NEW Razor Blades: About 4 shaves.

Avg. # of Shaves With VINTAGE Razor Blades: About 5-7 shaves.

————–

Avg. Cost of NEW Bottle of Shaving Cream: $3 – $8, depending on brand/size.

Avg. Cost of VINTAGE Shaving Soap: $5

————–

Avg. Lifespan of NEW Shaving Cream: About 1-2 weeks.

Avg. Lifespan of VINTAGE Shaving Soap: About 2-3 months.

————–

Okay, so let’s summarize everything here, just to get an accurate, birds-eye view of the whole situation…

Vintage razors shave closer, smoother, the blades last longer and cost literally 10 times LESS, and the old shaving soap costs LESS and lasts as much as 6 – 10 times LONGER than “new” shaving cream.

Ummm…. what??

What about all the ads you see on TV, showcasing the latest “technological advances” from Gillette, Schick, and whatever the other big-dog shaving corporations are. It seems every month these guys are bragging about some big “breakthrough”…

…with some Calvin Klein model showing off his shirtless body while using a 38-blade, self-lubricating, space-foam construction razor – and of course the ad ends suggestively, as the obligatory Victoria’s Secret model of the year clings off of him, caresses his face and moves in for the big wet kiss.

But… just who is all this “new technology” and “breakthroughs” really serving?

Well, it doesn’t take a genius to see what’s going on.

Obviously, the NEW blades are purposely designed with alloys that dull quickly so that you’ll need to buy them more frequently – and for insane prices. (Combine that with those helpful “color strips” that tell you “when to replace”, and they can increase order frequency even more).

On top of that, their handy dandy shaving cream only seems to last a few shaves as well, so you’ll need more of that, too. But then, by this point – it should be obvious.

So to answer my question above, obviously, all of this “NEW” and “BREAKTHROUGH” technology is designed solely, and strictly, for the purpose of PROFIT.

The “technology” is for the Company – not the Customer – who would obviously be better off locating and using a vintage, “collectible” product that is now over 50 years old. Not only is the shave quality literally twice as good – it also costs a fraction of what it does with all the “new” crap today.

This also unearths a very powerful “law”:

The fundamentals will always outperform the gimmicks.

And if you’re a real smart cookie… I’m betting you’re starting to see the emergence of a connection forming between the travesties of the Shaving Industry…

…and one that hits a little closer to home…

——————————-

~ The Big Lie ~

And The Myth of “New”

——————————-

Today the newbie developers are all chasing the latest fad - which this week is "Open Source", "Facebook", "Twitter" and all of the artifacts that go along with this. They make some pretty convincing claims and trot out figures which really dazzle.

And in another 10 years, they will be off this kick and onto a new kick with whatever the newsest and latest is that has the Buzz and gets people moving. No one will remember "Social Networking Web Sites" by then and who will remember what "Facebook" is or was. Kind of irrelevant by then.

 We only have to look into recent history to see what happens.

First there was COBOL - the Common Business Oriented Language. it was MANDATORY to write all computer applications using this common language. There was a dizzying array of other contenders all suited to whatever was popular at the time, and most people under 60 would have a hard time knowing or having heard of them and those over 60 are either still maintaining those archaic systems or trying to forget as rapidly as their aging minds can.

There there was the big move to "Structured programming".  If you did not follow the religious rules of this inspiration of the moment, your application was going to be a total disaster. Try and find a book on Structured Programming today.

Then there was the Data Base Wars. If you did not follow IBM and use IMS, you were bound for purgatory. Until along came Cullinane with IDMS, a better, and far more difficult system which trounced IMS in spades for complexity. There was a somewhat unheralded system called M204 which beat hands down anything available at the time, but was frowned upon in corporate circles because it was not annointed by the "powers above" and was destined to a niche success. Oh, we will ignore that while this system was beating the pants of things like IBM's relational database offering which was to become DB2, it also walloped another upstart called Oracle. Today relational data bases are the norm, and now we have to fight over deciding which is better, Proprietary systems like Microsoft SQL or Oracle, or use open source such as MySQL [which ironically is now also owned by Oracle].

But that does bring us to the current situation where we have all of the newbies in the market singing the praises of Open Source and how using Drupal, Wordpress [?], Joomla and a dozen other fads of the day, each being infinitely superior to every other technology in existance.

To be fair, these new technologies are light years ahead of what we did even 10 years ago, but what they are not is the panacea which will cure the ills of the world.

As with the fads which preceded them, there is an almost religious fervor associated with the embracing of each of the technologies and then an affection which excludes clear vision and perhaps the ability to choose the best tool to use for the application at hand.

And this is why most of these new, shallow experience developers are going to fail. They get so close to the flavor of the day solution, that they lose sight of the bigger picture.

Nothing beats experience in this market, and the glossy story of the latest technology is not always the right answer to the problem at hand. Every case needs to be viewed on its own merits.

So what is the problem?

In most cases – this isn’t some “evil” act. Many of the instigators are simply following a fundamental element of marketing – giving the people what they want…

The Root of All Evil:

The primary problem with developers in general is that the AUDIENCE (especially the beginners) are obsessed with “what’s new”. The cutting edge, or sometimes more accurately "the Bleeding Edge". The latest proverbial “stock tip”.

In their minds, this is day-trading. Fast-paced, wall-street style, high-tech “online alchemy” where it’s the most technically-inclined hypergeek who “cracks the latest code” that produces the best results – and the idea is for the collective audience of beginners & wannabe heroes to discover his or her “secret”.

This is, of course, total excrement.

Consider the proverbial jackass who’s selling his latest products using Facebook Ads, Twitter, iPhone Apps (or whatever, and for whatever obscene price point) – we’ve all seen lots of this lately…

Then look at the developer selling you a bill of goods for their own 'unique, super efficient, open source, run anywhere, cheaper than dirt, cure to the worlds ill's approach'. Then ever wonder why the price is out of this world, and the add-ons will put the final nail in the coffin. And if you can wait a few months, check back to see if it is the same last forever solution being sold, or has it moved on.

There is nothing wrong with adopting new technology and taking advantage of new development. Just don't let it cloud logical decision making.

The sellers and developers in our industry have to adapt to what the market-at-large really wants.

And this is where the big conspiracy really gets exposed…

A Sad Reality For Most – And Yet a Very Simple Road to Wealth for Others

This is both “good” and “bad”.

There are those that are selling the secrets, picks, shovels, etc.

There is also the fundamentals themselves.

You see, getting back to the “razor” analogy, most people think it’s the technology behind the “blade” that makes it work. Whereas anyone who’s successful, following with this analogy – realizes it’s the blade itself.

All the gimmicks, the tricks, the shortcuts – the diversions – ALL of that is designed for the seller. Not the user.

Just like the shaving industry.

And the reason why this “Myth of New” is so prevailing (and so prolific) in the (marketing) community at large is for 4 core reasons – and this is the most important part of this post:

————————————————————

1) People have a subliminal aversion to SIMPLE TRUTH. They either want to justify their lack of results with an acceptable excuse (“I don’t have the latest gizmo method…”), or they want to believe it’s more complicated than it really is – so that they can “secretly” never complete anything lest they potentially face failure.

2) People secretly want the thrill of the hunt over and above the spoils of the catch. For the majority of people, the thrill of discovery and embarking on a journey (with some “new” method) is infinitely MORE enticing than putting on some proverbial overalls and hammering out some results with really basic methods – methods that have always worked and always will.

3) The Market Serves Demand. And the market contains an audience with an aversion to simplicity and an insatiable desire for the “new” and the “exciting”. That’s what gets ordered. So therefore – that’s what’s on the menu. Therefore…

4) The PRIMARY News Topics, Discussions and Points of Interest in the Industry Always Focus on “What’s New” and “What’s Hot”. It’s just like the regular media. People don’t buy “fluff” headlines – regardless of the reality. And even though most have a better chance of getting struck by lightning whilst being attacked by a Shark than they do compared to being the victim of “terrorism” – the news must deliver what is interesting. What’s… “new”.

And so the cycle continues. Indefinitely.

And as always – as in ANY society, ever – the masses concern themselves with daily distractions, all the while the “succesful” simply enrich themselves by doing what they’ve always done…

Understanding the masses – and serving them accordingly.

————————————————————

The reality is that Gillette would have probably gone out of business a long time ago if all they ever did was sell the fundamentals – a sharp blade.

Even though, not only is that all one needs…  it actually works better than all the latest “trappings” on offer.

This applies to developers of technology in kind.

The people who are truly successful care about two things:

1) Solutions which really do meet the real requirements. This translates into boring analysis and validation of requirements.

2) Offers that the are packaged so that the Market buys.

Then they build products that solve the fundamental issues.

The processes are simple. The approach is simple. Even the RESULTS are the product of simplicity.

And yet why is this all so “complicated” for so many people?

Closing Thoughts

It’s not about “discovering”. It’s about deciding.

…there is a simple process…

…called…

WORK.

(Not nearly as sexy as Twitter, Facebook et al).

But it works a lot better in the long run.

Corkscrew Has been using Dot Net Nuke Framework since 2004. From those early days until now we have kept pace with the changes and updates of this platform. At this time we have moved almost all of our major websites to use the DotNetNuke where customers demand solid performance web sites. We are in good company!

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UPDATED 3 NOV 2010 - Please read again.