John Dammeyer <johnd@ISLANDNET.COM> wrote:
> requires.  But, if a project _does_ require a logic analyser or ICE, and a
> hobby consultant 'borrows' his from work and I have to buy mine, then I am
> suffering a severe competitive disadvantage if the hobby consultant charges
> only $25/hr.

I'm not sure where you're going with this one; it seems completely irrelevant
to the discussion.  Aren't competitive disadvantages entirely commonplace?
Isn't it just too bad?  No one ever promised life would be fair.  Why
shouldn't an employer take advantage of a situation like this?

I do a lot of embedded system consulting using PICs and other processors,
and I charge a *lot* more than $25/hr.  Perhaps you might consider me to
be a hobby consultant since I do have a full time day job, but I consider
my consulting to be entirely professional.  I don't own a logic analyzer, and
I can't borrow one from my day job; even if I could do it I wouldn't because
it would be a conflict of interest.  But I have borrowed one (at no charge to
myself) from another source on occastion when I've needed it.

Even assuming that our consulting rates are otherwise comparable, it seems to
me that you could argue that I am putting you at competitive disadvantage
since I can just borrow a logic analyzer that you would have to lease or
purchase.  What are you suggesting should be done about this situation?  Would
you claim that it is unethical for me to borrow the analyzer?  That I
shouldn't do it because it isn't fair to you?

Twelve years ago when I was a student I was only able to get $10 per hour for
contract programming.  While it is undoubtedly true that I have more
experience now, I don't think the difference in pay is commensurate, since I
had been already programming embedded systems for 9 years already at that
time.  Are you suggesting that I should have refused to work for that rate,
and worked at a burger joint for minimum wage instead?  Or are you suggesting
that CS students should form a labor union to force companies to pay more?
(in which case they would probably just not hire students at all.)

Cheers,
Eric