First day on new gig

[King Cnvt]

You not paying attention at the back.. - no PC access so can't use spreddies / databases - but I do agree creating spreadsheets is a wonderful way to create work

On the 1st day I always bring my laptop. I can create spreadsheets without connecting to the corporate LAN. Just in case.

HTH

[Troll]

Seconded. Milan has been doing that for the last 20 years and it's never been a problem.

Don't knock it, I have built a career out of it

[milanbenes]

aye,

and you could learn a lot from it too Francko,

perhaps had you followed this technique you would have been successful as a contractor and not had to go back to permie work

All the best old chap,

Milan.

[Troll]

On the 1st day I always bring my laptop. I can create spreadsheets without connecting to the corporate LAN. Just in case.

HTH

Excellent answer...do you also have a repository of prepared spreadsheets ready to customise & slip into the project for adoption as the 'de facto' standard.

A spreedsheet so hideously complex that only you alone can configure / modify / update.

[milanbenes]

agreed, always bring your own laptop at minimum for the first day

on my laptops I also have sandbox systems of the ones I am operating for the blue chip multinational clients I work for and anything I am not too sure of can be prototyped on my sandbox rather than fecking their systems

works well

plus as troll said, have mountains of doco there and documentation templates

here endeth the lesson

Milan.

[ChimpMaster]

OK guys stop patting yourselves on the back for what you "would have done"

The man is getting strung but he just isn't so aware of it, simple as that. Yes he made the mistake of sitting idle and really should have been chasing people down. How boring must that been to just sit there all day - even work would have been more interesting!

What a Mickey Mouse outfit that lets projects get to that stage ... oh wait isn't that where I work?

Anyway, advice? I would come down hard on the PM and his team, and even his senior, to try and find the resources/info needed to complete this task. Take no bullcrap - some clients hire contractors believing them to be expert saviours and not just developers with 6 months experience.

At the same time I'd keep my eyes open for my next contract!

[milanbenes]

Taz,

they are not necessarily a mickey mouse outfit

they are expecting a certain standard from their contractors, they have probably had self starters like me and troll in the past generating vast facades of productivity from nout and so when someone a little less, how shall we say it, walks in and does nothing all day then ofcourse they will wonder what's going on

Milan.

[DBA_bloke]

Your cards are marked - he gave you your first deliverable and you failed.
The call from the agent is the give away

Get back onto the market ASAP

HTH

Agreed - it's all a bit too strange.

[milanbenes]

'I would come down hard on the PM and his team, and even his senior, to try and find the resources/info needed to complete this task. Take no bullcrap - some clients hire contractors believing them to be expert saviours and not just developers with 6 months experience.
'

Taz you Australians are funny, that is the funniest thing I have heard in ages.

For the naive, if you want to keep your new contracts don't listen to TazMan.

Milan.

[ChimpMaster]

For the naive, if you want to keep your new contracts don't listen to TazMan.

Milan.

Oh yeah, let's just continue changing tapes shall we now....

You just totally conflicted yourself in your last 2 posts to me