dougv.com | The Web home of Doug Vanderweide

Many people contact me directly with questions. I’m very flattered and very appreciative when that happens.

To ensure that I give you an answer you find useful, and everyone can share in that effort, I make the following requests.

Please post your question to Answers first, then e-mail me a link to your question. That way, everyone can see the answer. Besides, I’m not the only person answering questions. If you post your question, you may well get a faster, or better, answer.

Once your question is posted, you’ll notice it has a little envelope icon right beneath your text. Simply click on that and follow the instructions to send the question’s link to dhvrm@yahoo.com.

Please add your e-mail address in the Message field. Answers uses its own e-mail address to send question links, not yours; so I cannot contact you if you don’t put your e-mail address in the Message field.

I look at every question sent to me, but I cannot answer them all. I may not understand the question, know enough about the subject matter or you may have already received a good answer. Sometimes, I can’t answer a question immediately, especially if it is a request for code.

If you include your e-mail address in the Message field, I will e-mail you a reason for delaying or declining your question.

I do not answer certain questions.

• I don’t know enough about certain languages to answer questions:
  • Java (That is, Sun’s programming language. It’s not the same thing as JavaScript.)
  • Flash / ActionScript
  • Ruby
  • FORTRAN, COBOL or any other ancient programming language
• Questions about social networking sites (MySpace, Facebook, etc.). People who ask questions that in any way relate to social networking sites are, in a word, assholes.
• Any question that asks how to steal software or other media, or how to violate someone else’s computer systems. I report all such threads. It’s perfectly fine to copy or tinker with what you own. It’s not OK to steal or vandalize.
• Most help-desk type questions, e.g., the meaning of a given error message, why your PC is doing something strange.

Please use descriptive subject lines in your e-mails. Again, if you want me to answer a question, you need to post it to Answers first. But if you need to e-mail me for another reason, please use a descriptive subject line.

Examples of bad subject lines, which will only get you added to my spammer blacklist:

• hello
• question
• please help

Examples of good subject lines:

• Some comments on your Answer about PHP sockets
• Why didn’t you answer my question about JavaScript?
• Thank you for answering my question

Please write good English. I realize that many people on Answers don’t know proper terminology or how to accurately describe the problem they have. And some people do not speak English well. However, I cannot answer if I cannot understand you.

Do not send unsolicited Yahoo! Messenger IMs or friend requests. If you do, I will add you to my ignore list.

I do not chat for free. If you want detailed help with a problem or to have a wider discussion than the Answers forum allows, I am happy to do so for hire.

My base consulting rate is $70 per hour; actual programming time is at a significantly higher rate, depending on the nature of the work.

I generally require new clients to pay a non-refundable retainer, usually about $1,000, before I provide consulting services. I generally require new clients to provide a formal request for proposal, letter of acceptance and a non-refundable deposit of at least 25 percent before I undertake programming work.

If you want to hire me, send me an e-mail.