Roommate wants me to write POS program

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scharfshutze009

2[H]4U
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May 22, 2010
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My roommate wants me to write a POS (can't say what POS means here, but I hope you get the picture) that will integrate some pretty well known virus and maleware removel programs into one piece of garbage and force you to subscibe as well as activate just to use them together instead of separately. Also the programs are already free, but if a subscription or activation is desired then why in the heck would anyone want this crappy program they are nagging me to write. It's sound malicious and stupid. Also I don't want to write it as I have better things to do, like focus on school. It also sounds, like the rip off PC maintenance service they wanted me to do house calls for about $100 cost to the customer that included a bunch of crap nobody needs. What should I do?
 
Offer to do it for him at a rate of 100 USD per hour. No? Then go find yourself someone else.
 
You need to explain forcefully (and nicely) that as a computer developer, you have an ethical backbone and the task you are being asked to do violates it.

It is your opinion and your motivation, not his persuasion or anything else. You're simply uncomfortable carrying out the task, and that's that.
 
It sounds like he wants an easy cleanup program like best buy's MRI that will automate the most common cleanup tools. It's a decent idea in the sense that you could charge people x amount of money for a cleanup that runs itself and takes care of 90% of issues. It's a bad idea in the sense that it violates most if not all of the free popular programs ToS. They are free for personal use but not usual for commercial use like this.
 
Kardonxt said:
They are free for personal use but not usual for commercial use like this.
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This.

One place I worked we used a couple of these and automated it and sent it to our users when needed. One clean up programs developers some how found out and was mad and we where not even charging for it.
 
at the very least, tell him he needs to provide you with written approval from the developers of the programs.
and, of course, bill him.

between the two, he should fail at providing what is necessary.
 
All of those responses sound exactly, like what I was think in someway. I don't know what my roommate and their friend were thinking though. They just said write the program and we'll take care of the rest. No matter what it still sounds like a bad idea and if they don't charge then yes the manufacturers of the programs probably will be pissed and rightfullly so, because I would. I'm even pissed that she asked me to do such a thing after they saw the trouble I had fixing their computer because something messed it up to the point not even safe mode or system repair could fix it and Linux as well because Linux only made it possible to back up the files and then wipe and reload the system. No body in their right mind would pay for this crap and I'm not even sure I can wright, such a thing especially on such short notice and with them nagging me about it like they do want it done soon, but are saying they don't. Not only that, but when I asked what Operating System they wanted it for they said they don't know and maybe all of them and that might be awhile if it can be done at all in this short of time and by one person. Keep in mind that I should know all the major ones enough to at least use them. However, write a program for all of them especially one this crappy is another even with my background with a major in net admin and minor in programming.
 
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I have another idea. Tell her you are too busy writing a program for me. Most likely you are familiar with heatware. I've been trying to find someone to make something very similar but for everything, not just computer parts. Possibly in website form and or android app form.
Could be profitable with ads maybe? Any thoughts?
 
j-sta said:
at the very least, tell him he needs to provide you with written approval from the developers of the programs.
and, of course, bill him.

between the two, he should fail at providing what is necessary.
Click to expand...

Agreed, tell him you can't afford to be sued and you need that written permission.
 
audioman81 said:
I have another idea. Tell her you are too busy writing a program for me. Most likely you are familiar with heatware. I've been trying to find someone to make something very similar but for everything, not just computer parts. Possibly in website form and or android app form.
Could be profitable with ads maybe? Any thoughts?
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I'll get back to you on that because it's sounds like a real time consuming project and even more time consuming than the crap my roommate and their friend want me to write because I'm busy with college.
 
Just tell them it's beyond the scope of your abilities. Non-computer people assume that every computer person knows everything about computers. Just being a tech I have to explain to people daily that I don't know the first think about developing websites, being a network admin, or using Photoshop.

It's like asking a civil engineer to build you a rocket ship, or a mcdonald's employee to bake you a souffle. I don't understand why people can't understand this lol.
 
because its a better chance to ask than not and more likely to ask an engineer to build a rocket that a sewing instructor. just a thought
I asked because nobody I know personally has even heard of heatware, and just makes more sense to mention my idea to someone more likely familiar with it and how it works.
Last person that offered to help me make this couldn't get it through their head what it was or what I wanted even after visiting the site and explaining it in extreme detail what I was looking to create.
I thought the idea was simple, just very labor intensive and complex in program. Somehow they created and maintain a website for a large University hospital as well as a couple other smaller websites. Maybe they were just giving me the run around instead of being honest that it was just too much for them.
 
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audioman81 said:
because its a better chance to ask than not and more likely to ask an engineer to build a rocket that a sewing instructor. just a thought
I asked because nobody I know personally has even heard of heatware, and just makes more sense to mention my idea to someone more likely familiar with it and how it works.
Last person that offered to help me make this couldn't get it through their head what it was or what I wanted even after visiting the site and explaining it in extreme detail what I was looking to create.
I thought the idea was simple, just very labor intensive and complex in program. Somehow they created and maintain a website for a large University hospital as well as a couple other smaller websites. Maybe they were just giving me the run around instead of being honest that it was just too much for them.
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You provide a spec sheet and I'll get back to you. However, I think I might already have an idea of what you want, but I'm to busy with college at this time and will be until the end of the semester in May.
 
Mainly just looking at feasibility and rough cost estimate maybe insite if its a waste of time or good idea to pursue. If I get laid off this summer or go on strike I'll hopefully be able to do some of it myself. We'll see.
Basicly I'm lookimg for a searchable reveiw site for transactions with users creaating their own profile and link all of their usernames and accounts on one site for people to search and leave feedback after transactions. If it takes off and is widely used eventually maybe people would save time by not dealing with people that aren't on there with good feedback similar to how some won't deal with people with no heatware on this forum. Many people get stood up and deal with shady people or runaround everyday with buyers and sellers on craigslist, veragesale, armslist, ebay, forums every day and could use it as a tool to hopefuly avoid some of the trouble or wasted time.
 
Two things:

First, Sharf, an app / program like that not only violates TOSs but IP law. If you write a for profit program that uses other programs without the owners' permission, she / they can (and likely will) get sued - and maybe you along with them. So not sure what your room-mate is even thinking ...

Second, Audioman81, the problem with a feedback system is that people are cheap and won't use anything unless it is free or near free. The problem of course is that free things are then abused by fake / spam accounts with rigged ratings - so the trustworthiness goes right out the window. The only reason Heat works at all is that it is such a niche / nerd / geek thing, that there is very little profit for scammers to mess with it. BUT if you have one that does multiple things as you stated was your idea to do - then it might be worth their time to screw with it, especially if it takes off and becomes popular or the de facto standard.

BTW: If you still want to go through with it - it would be pretty cheap to outsource to a coder overseas. A buddy of mine sub-contracts codewriting and just sits in his office taking the credit for all the work he has done by contractors. Of course he has to double-check and supervise but still ...
 
dvsman said:
Two things:

First, Sharf, an app / program like that not only violates TOSs but IP law. If you write a for profit program that uses other programs without the owners' permission, she / they can (and likely will) get sued - and maybe you along with them. So not sure what your room-mate is even thinking ...

Second, Audioman81, the problem with a feedback system is that people are cheap and won't use anything unless it is free or near free. The problem of course is that free things are then abused by fake / spam accounts with rigged ratings - so the trustworthiness goes right out the window. The only reason Heat works at all is that it is such a niche / nerd / geek thing, that there is very little profit for scammers to mess with it. BUT if you have one that does multiple things as you stated was your idea to do - then it might be worth their time to screw with it, especially if it takes off and becomes popular or the de facto standard.

BTW: If you still want to go through with it - it would be pretty cheap to outsource to a coder overseas. A buddy of mine sub-contracts codewriting and just sits in his office taking the credit for all the work he has done by contractors. Of course he has to double-check and supervise but still ...
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Thank you I finally got a copy of all the programs their friend and them want me to link together. Neither one of them has any idea what their doing or how or what it should be written in and they want to pay me under the table, so I don't loose my disability benifits. Isn't that great because they may not even pay me at all and take all the credit, which I care if I get credit for such a horrible idea that everyone is sure to hate. An I don't need to worry about writting it for Mac OS X or Linux because the programs are all .exe programs, which means they'll most likely only run on Windows as if I needed other reason not to like Windows now they want me to take part in writing garbage for it as if there wasn't enough for it.
 
scharfshutze009 said:
My roommate wants me to write a POS ...... I don't want to write it as I have better things to do
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So don't write it then. You dont need an excuse to not do something that some random person wants you to do. Why do you give a crap what your roommate wants you to do anyways? Are you his slave bitch?
 
canna said:
So don't write it then. You dont need an excuse to not do something that some random person wants you to do. Why do you give a crap what your roommate wants you to do anyways? Are you his slave bitch?
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Thanks that's exactly what I needed to hear.
 
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