At 03:45 PM 3/4/98 -0000, you wrote:
>I can appreciate your position, but I recently worked for a company that,
>after spending many months on a project, failed to pay.  There were numerous
>delivery options for the project, but when I asked for money after
>completing 1/2 the project, I was "locked out" of the company, my personal
>equipment seized, and the source code farmed out to another company.
>  My suggestion is to give your customer the object (compiled) product, and
>turn over source after payment.  On a hardware project, it is of course more
>difficult, but for software, a simple encryption of the source would protect
>small, independent developers.
>  Of course, there were no signed agreements, and everything was friendly up
>until I asked for payment.
>
>Eric H.

Eric,

You have my sympathies, and whilst they will not put food on your table, I
guess it is a good lesson for everyone else. Always get it in writing, no
matter how trivial. I keep a diary of requested changes also.

Progressive payments linked to demonstrable/verifiable stages of work can be
used to trigger the warning bells also. No payment, no further work. I walk
away from any prospective customer that refuses this condition. I also do
not accept work from any customer that I feel uneasy with/about. At the end
of the day, work should be enjoyable.

Best wishes,

Ross McKenzie
Melbourne Australia