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<TITLE>RE: [wplug-erie] Is there any interest in generating revenue for the LUG?</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Personally, I do not think the LUG should be involved in commercial ventures like this. </FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Acting as an intermediary between companies, ie. Local companies looking for Linux professional or companies offering Linux services would be fine. However I don't think the LUG should take on a project like this. I for one do not feel that we should sign any contract as a LUG (unless one of us is a lawyer and I just don't know it and would be willing to review the contract and represent us in any contract disputes.) </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>We have several people involved in the LUG who either run their own company or work for a company that offers services similar to what is be requested. I feel the LUG should offer to put those parties in contact with the manufacturing company and nothing more. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>Just an opinion and you know what they say about those.....</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Chris</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>-----Original Message-----</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>From: Bill Moran [<A HREF="mailto:wmoran@potentialtech.com">mailto:wmoran@potentialtech.com</A>] </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 11:33 AM</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>To: wplug-erie@wplug.org</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Subject: Re: [wplug-erie] Is there any interest in generating revenue for the LUG?</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>MIS wrote:</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> One of my pet projects is to increase technology development within </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> the local area. That being said, is there any interest from the Erie </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> LUG in developing a commercial grade website for a locally base </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> manufacturing company in exchanged for a healthy contribution to the </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>> LUG? See the attached requirements.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Off the bat, I wouldn't agree to much based on this document. It bla-bla- blas a lot without any specifics.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>The only thing I would say based on this document (if my company were</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>involved) is "yes, we're qualified."</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Number 2 is extremely sweeping! It could be hundreds of hours just for that alone ... do you have any idea how long it can take to test every imaginable screen size and browser configuration? I would want a list of the "wide variety of client systems" they want to support, otherwise you could be expected to support everything, back to Netscape 1 on Windows 3.1.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>#8 is pretty broad as well. Unlimted updates over a period? That's crazy ...</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>you're asking to be bent over if you accept that!</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Whether or not you can organize the LUG to support such a contract is a question beyond my ability to answer. If this is their best attempt at an RFQ, I would be very careful in responding. Make sure to set limits to all the things they imply will be unlimited, or you'll end up WAY over your head!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>It's impossible to provide a quote based on this RFQ in any case ... as it doesn't say how many pages, doesn't give a quantity for anything. A site with only static pages sounds simple, until you find out there's a seperate page for each product, and it takes up 1000 pages!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>I hate to be all negative about this, but I just got out of a contract where we were supposed to supply unlimited service for a fixed price, and I know how much that can suck. If you can nail down some limits on these things, it may be a good project ... then you just need a committment from LUG members to participate.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>--</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Bill Moran</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Potential Technologies</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2><A HREF="http://www.potentialtech.com" TARGET="_blank">http://www.potentialtech.com</A></FONT>
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