It’s a bit weird when I talk to one of my new contractors at 7:30pm then again a few minutes before 8am.  He’s only been around for a few days and we have not been in the same physical space, but I’m actually looking forward to getting his input on a number of projects that I have running right now.  He seems to be as passionate about “doing the right thing” when it comes to code.

Working code isn’t enough.  It’s a starting place.

In case you haven’t noticed, I try to treat my contractors like peers.  Having been a consultant/mercenary for well over a decade I don’t see why your employment status should make any difference when it comes to doing your job.  The mercenary roll can be very difficult at times.  You have to limit your output and emotional investment, because in the end you don’t own the work product.  It’s someone else’s baby once it’s been brought into the light of day.  I guess you could say that for everything we write that isn’t written 100% during our (non-existent) free time.  Intel owns everything I write during the day.  My other clients own the code I write in the evenings.    It’s the nature of my profession.

I’m hopeful that our latest round of “contingent workers” are going to measure up.  Time will tell…