[wp-pro] Need someone to upgrade multiple WP sites

[Kevin Miller]

I agree and I don't.   Obviously previous work is nice to see and
hourly rates can vary, but you typically get what you pay for.   From
looking at the code for tons of plugin, having to fix so many, IMHO
the majority of these people need to learn basic OOP and basic
progamming practices.   When i look for a dec I could care less if
they know wordpress, if they are good with php they will grab the docs
and run with it.   I'm not saying I don't like wordpress, I obviously
do, but its not the most complicated of frameworks, its in fact very
simple.   People usually charge what they are worth, and their work
should speak for itself.   Beyond that your contract and software
development strategy should ensure you don't get screwed and your
goals are met.   I also don't give past clients as references, they
dont pay me to then be my marketing tool ;-)

Kevin Miller




On 3/25/08, Mark E <mark at edwards.org> wrote:
>
>
> Skaneateles Design wrote:
> > I agree with Kevin.
>
>
> Kevin Miller wrote:
> > On hiring all I can say is you get what you pay for. If you for
> > example pay less than $50 hour you get what you deserve ;-)
>
>
> You guys might be a little bit short-sighted. Hourly rate is no real
> indication of skill. Anybody can pop up charging $200 an hour. Then
> what? Are we to assume that everybody else is not as good? Hardly.
>
>
> Kevin Miller wrote:
> > I would also avoid anyone who
> > learned php as a consequence of learning wordpress :-)
>
>
> Why someone learns PHP is entirely irrelevant. What IS relevant is how
> well they can write PHP code.
>
>
> Skaneateles Design wrote:
> > There are many "hacks" out there claiming to have
> > WordPress development knowledge and/or experience. It's better to
> > find a developer who is a good integrator (which implies a good
> > knowledge of the various disciplines involved with WordPress
> > installations, including PHP/Javascript/Mysql/HTTP/Linux/and other
> > technologies), and is also a good designer.
>
> I think it's best to find people who meet your needs. Again, rate has
> nothing to do with. For example, some people have been integrating from
> A to Z for a decade or two. Nevertheless, sometimes they might do work
> for $35 an hour, other times they might charge $150 an hour. It all
> depends on the scope and nature of project, which translates back to a
> required knowledge base. For example, you probably aren't going to hire
> a decent site security analyst for $50 an hour. On the other hand, I've
> seen top notch PHP coders who work for free! (ahem, you realize
> Wordpress is free, right?)
>
> Hopefully you get my point.
>
> If I were inexperienced at all this stuff and wanted to hire someone,
> the first questions I'd ask are:
>
> - do you have any references I can talk to?
> - how old are you?
> - what are your strongest skills?
> - what country are you in?
>
> Reasons: Anybody can copy something, tweak it, put up a screenshot, and
> say they created it. Anybody can write an email saying that they can
> create such and such code, but if they're a teen then they're also
> subject to their parent's jurisdiction, not to mention school, partying
> all weekend, etc. Anybody can say they know PHP, but is your strongest
> skill, or are you actually just an Ace at CSS and PHP is something you
> do when you have to? Finally, I don't think I'd want to hire someone
> outside of my country because if they don't deliver then I might lose my
> money (this HAS happened to people, repeatedly), and because outsourcing
> to foreign lands helps destroys local industries. Unless of course you
> think the Walmart approach is a good idea, then outsourcing overseas is
> an obvious non-caring solution.
>
> Mark
>
>