Encryption for SW files

KMaren

I understand the pain, but you have to chalk it up to the price of doing business. Applying encryption to files provided to a new customer would not be sending a signal of trust. It's your decision, but if I had a contractor do that I wouldn't be inclined to trust them very far.

As far as the client that isn't paying, send them a letter with a fixed deadline for payment and then file a claim in small claims court for the maximum if they don't. It will cost them more that $5000 in legal expenses to deal with it. Failing that, turn it over to a collection agency. They will charge you 25-50% to collect, but it's better than nothing.

Hopefully, this client will have the need for your services again. Then you can collect your debt.

Good luck. =========================================================================== Chris

It may not be right for your circumstances but Acrobat now has a server function whereby you need internet access to open a pdf file, as it has to fetch a license from your server - there are a number of options as to how long the license lasts, and what happens when it expires. I suppose it's a bit like DRM on Windows Media player, but for pdf's - and it's more flexible.

John H

Thanks everyone. You've given me some things to consider.

Mike Schick

you might try true crypt too

It w> Thanks everyone. You've given me some things to consider.

Assuming the part can be opened within SW, wouldn't "file-save as" essentially kill any protection. Might any protection have to be part of the SW core to be sucessful?

Principal 1: Get customers Principal 2: Get the product out for them Principal 3: Get paid.

Rule 1: Pick your customers. Check their references. Rule 2: Until unless a customer has established good paying habits get

Maxim: Actions speak louder than words.

If you are encrypting for anything but confidentiality then you probably shouldn't have them for a customer.

You're in the wrong line of work. You should be selling this wisdom on cable TV. :o)

Mike S

We have trusted most of our client and have had few problems over the last 16 years. The few problems that we have had were not totally unexpected and we took the work anyway because the economy was so horrid. Companies that have over 10 employees have almost always been good. The one man shops tend to be pretty risky. It has been a general policy that "inventors" must pay 100% retainers up front and when the money is gone the work stops until more money is paid. This is not to say the inventors are generally bad but it is common for them to have much bigger ideas then check books.

The other biggest defense against flaky clients is to invoice on a weekly basis. And not to continue work until the previous week is paid for. This has a tremendous advantage for the client because they always have a fairly good idea of where their costs are on the project. It is very easy for smaller clients to get carried away with ideas and work without realizing that they are way beyond their own budgets. At face value it may sound harsh not to continue work until you get paid, but if explained properly, the client will understand that this is as much for their benefit as it is yours. And if they refuse to accept this then there is a high probability that they arn't worth working with anyway.

There are legal means but if one does a fair job "managing" their clients the losses should never be much more then about $5k. However, if a client is just being total flakes probably the best course of action is to get a good collection agency. They will hastle the client way more then the money that they are stealing from you.

The bottom line is that you need to be a good judge of character and if you do want to verify if a client may be potentially good or bad, a good credit agency has the ability to check if there have been any other problems.

Hope this helps,

Ed

Thanks Ed! I'm coming around to the "no encryption point" of view. I've followed TOP'S rules by and large...I guess that's why this is my first experience with not getting paid. I won't bore you with all the details but I took a flyer on a "friend" of 10 years. In fact, I ran this very shop for this guy's in-laws before he came back to run it after I left. I worked my butt off building their CNC dept. into something to be proud of and I built a pretty fair CAD Dept. from nothing. I was extremely well compensated for this but I just had the itch to strike out on my own. Had I known how little effort he put forth in maintaining what I had left him, I probably would have turned around and run.

Mike Schick

Mike,

This guy used up all the good will you built up with the shop and his in-laws over the years, he should be ashamed of himself. There seems to be no middle ground with it comes to the SOB (son of boss) or the Son-In-Law getting involved in the family business, either works out great or horrible.

Tom

Mike Schick wrote:

WT