When a customer burns you.

Mon Dec 1 18:40:47 PST 2003

Okay a (partly fictional) scenario:

I'm in the database.  Some consultant I hired reported me.
Oh, but it turns out I fired him after he showed up, started working
for a bit, the machines were unreliable, crashing, etc.  He'd mixed
packages between versions. Libc was all screwed up.  The machines were
now up 50% of the time.  He'd been with us 2 days and done some work
on the weekend.  We refused to pay him the weekend rates, when he
messed everything up.  He reports us to your bad company database.
The DBDB. (deadbeat database).

We later make an offer to someone; he checks the database.  Refuses,
at the last minute, to work for us - cause we're deadbeats.

Not having our new servers up costs *us* a client.  Measurable money.
$200k, lets say.  We now turn around and go after you for defamation.
$200k plus damages and legal fees.

You sure you want to be in that business?

The RBL folks are careful AND are looking for a good suit to establish
some legal footings with.  You really don't want to be there without
resources. Especially when other resources exist:  BBB, D&B, etc.

No need to keep me on the reply list, I'm on the baylisa list already.

Quoting richard childers / kg6hac (fscked at pacbell.net):
> Hear, hear. I second the idea of a local database tracking customers 
> (and employers).
> 
> There's a good reason to establish a database, locally; it closes the 
> loop, locally, and creates an effective feedback mechanism to the 
> companies and personnel responsible.
> 
> I'm not convinced D&B is an effective mechanism; a company can bully 
> (rob) smaller companies, and get away with it, because its behavior 
> never gets on the record, so long as it picks its victims carefully ... 
> just like in real life, where having a teacher, on the playground, 
> doesn't stop bullies from catching their target, in the bathroom.
> 
> Just because we're part of the global village, doesn't mean we can't 
> still benefit from a block patrol.
> 
> -- richard
> 
> Richard Childers / Senior Engineer
> Daemonized Networking Services
> https://www.daemonized.com
> (415) 759-5571