Comments on: Stick out your tongue http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/ Web design news and insights since 1995 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:06:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Rusty http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-37312 Rusty Fri, 23 May 2008 20:00:46 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-37312 Beautiful posting and sadly true. Thanks Jeffrey; I am becoming a new fan. Beautiful posting and sadly true. Thanks Jeffrey; I am becoming a new fan.

]]> By: Dave Stevens » Blog Archive » Budgets can be a bad thing http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-37070 Dave Stevens » Blog Archive » Budgets can be a bad thing Tue, 13 May 2008 18:50:22 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-37070 [...] Jeffrey Zeldman posted about a personal experience of when budgets are spent just to ensure the same...: The client—the marketing side of a product development group—had a budget of $60,000 to spend. So they spent it, even though the R&D side of the product development group had not been able to deliver the product. [...] [...] Jeffrey Zeldman posted about a personal experience of when budgets are spent just to ensure the same…: The client—the marketing side of a product development group—had a budget of $60,000 to spend. So they spent it, even though the R&D side of the product development group had not been able to deliver the product. [...]

]]> By: Jeff http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-37049 Jeff Tue, 13 May 2008 13:32:48 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-37049 I recently made the transition from full-time freelancer to long-term contractor at a major financial services company, and let me tell you, the extent to which the behavior you describe in this post seems to exist industry-wide (or, as you point out, really in any bureaucracy), is staggering. You wouldn't believe how often I hear arguments to the effect of "this is how we've always done [x], we have money appropriated for [x], and if we don't do [x] we won't have the money for it next year, so why bother to rethink anything?" Frustrating stuff. And here I was looking forward to the relative simplicity of reducing my freelance workload in favor of something more stable. I'd give a lot to do things my way again. Excellent post. I recently made the transition from full-time freelancer to long-term contractor at a major financial services company, and let me tell you, the extent to which the behavior you describe in this post seems to exist industry-wide (or, as you point out, really in any bureaucracy), is staggering. You wouldn’t believe how often I hear arguments to the effect of “this is how we’ve always done [x], we have money appropriated for [x], and if we don’t do [x] we won’t have the money for it next year, so why bother to rethink anything?”

Frustrating stuff. And here I was looking forward to the relative simplicity of reducing my freelance workload in favor of something more stable. I’d give a lot to do things my way again.

Excellent post.

]]> By: Ian Lloyd http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-36829 Ian Lloyd Tue, 06 May 2008 07:55:24 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-36829 I'm suddenly reminded of that scene in Falling Down where he challenges the roadworks guys about why they're digging up the road, knowing full well it's to spend budget for sake of getting budget the following year. And then he unleashes an RPG at it just for shits and giggles. I’m suddenly reminded of that scene in Falling Down where he challenges the roadworks guys about why they’re digging up the road, knowing full well it’s to spend budget for sake of getting budget the following year. And then he unleashes an RPG at it just for shits and giggles.

]]> By: Dean Landolt » Blog Archive » Depressing organizational reality… http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-36817 Dean Landolt » Blog Archive » Depressing organizational reality… Mon, 05 May 2008 19:48:48 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-36817 [...] Zeldman on lumbering corporate budgetary beasts. [...] [...] Zeldman on lumbering corporate budgetary beasts. [...]

]]> By: tre http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-36816 tre Mon, 05 May 2008 19:37:36 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-36816 this saddens me greatly -- not the least of which because i witness this type of wastefulness occurr day in and day out. it's ironic that corporations or government organizations punish for efficient spending when they should be rewarding them. this saddens me greatly — not the least of which because i witness this type of wastefulness occurr day in and day out.

it’s ironic that corporations or government organizations punish for efficient spending when they should be rewarding them.

]]> By: Jeffrey Zeldman Presents The Daily Report http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-36814 Jeffrey Zeldman Presents The Daily Report Mon, 05 May 2008 18:54:52 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-36814 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] e-mail from Chip Kidd Stick out your tongue The vanishing personal site An Event Apart New Orleans: thank you and adieu ALA 257: the why and [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> [...] e-mail from Chip Kidd Stick out your tongue The vanishing personal site An Event Apart New Orleans: thank you and adieu ALA 257: the why and [...]

]]> By: Jason http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-36808 Jason Mon, 05 May 2008 13:12:38 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-36808 Great story Jeffrey. Now maybe they'll air that commercial after all--the 80's are back in style so no one will know the difference, right? :) Great story Jeffrey. Now maybe they’ll air that commercial after all–the 80’s are back in style so no one will know the difference, right? :)

]]> By: Will K http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-36807 Will K Mon, 05 May 2008 13:01:48 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-36807 Man, Jeff, did you ever hit this one on the head! I had a couple of federally-funded clients back when I was freelancing -- and they had to use up their federal funds completely, or their allotment for the following year would be cut back by the amount they didn't spend. So to keep the money, they spent it on unnecessary frills and junk on their web sites, which only inflated the costs and upped my stress levels -- and the amount of money I paid in taxes at the end of the year (unless I found a way to pad my equipment needs and use that as a write-off). Talk about inefficient and over-complicated... To echo what Josh said: you're a better writer today than you were back in '95 (and I read you then because you were relevant and one of the best around -- and that <em>hasn't</em> changed in 13 years). Man, Jeff, did you ever hit this one on the head! I had a couple of federally-funded clients back when I was freelancing — and they had to use up their federal funds completely, or their allotment for the following year would be cut back by the amount they didn’t spend. So to keep the money, they spent it on unnecessary frills and junk on their web sites, which only inflated the costs and upped my stress levels — and the amount of money I paid in taxes at the end of the year (unless I found a way to pad my equipment needs and use that as a write-off).

Talk about inefficient and over-complicated…

To echo what Josh said: you’re a better writer today than you were back in ‘95 (and I read you then because you were relevant and one of the best around — and that hasn’t changed in 13 years).

]]> By: Publish By Chapter - News Feeds http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-36794 Publish By Chapter - News Feeds Mon, 05 May 2008 03:04:06 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-36794 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] Stick out your tongue While employed at a famous New York advertising agency twenty years ago, a partner and I created a TV commercial touting an over-the-counter medicine client’s revolutionary new cold and flu remedy for young children. Only when the shooting and shouting was over did we learn that the product did not, in fact, exist. The commercial [...] [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> [...] Stick out your tongue While employed at a famous New York advertising agency twenty years ago, a partner and I created a TV commercial touting an over-the-counter medicine client’s revolutionary new cold and flu remedy for young children. Only when the shooting and shouting was over did we learn that the product did not, in fact, exist. The commercial [...] [...]

]]> By: Design-Feed Latest http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-36788 Design-Feed Latest Sun, 04 May 2008 16:12:20 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-36788 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] Stick out your tongue Jeffrey Zeldman Presents The Daily Report | May 01, 2008 07:03AM [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> [...] Stick out your tongue Jeffrey Zeldman Presents The Daily Report | May 01, 2008 07:03AM [...]

]]> By: Erik http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-36750 Erik Sat, 03 May 2008 17:40:40 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-36750 The same thing happened to the Michigan public school system in the early 1990s, when they switched funding models. Schools that hadn't blown through their entire budget got less money. It wasn't fun being a student during that period--we started losing music, art, and anything that couldn't be justified as "essential." I imagine it was even harder for the teachers and the administration, losing jobs and having to lay people off. Thanks for bringing back strong memories from my ill-spent youth. I hope I remember how it felt, while my kids are growing up and if I have to make any kind of budget decisions like this. The same thing happened to the Michigan public school system in the early 1990s, when they switched funding models. Schools that hadn’t blown through their entire budget got less money.

It wasn’t fun being a student during that period–we started losing music, art, and anything that couldn’t be justified as “essential.” I imagine it was even harder for the teachers and the administration, losing jobs and having to lay people off.

Thanks for bringing back strong memories from my ill-spent youth. I hope I remember how it felt, while my kids are growing up and if I have to make any kind of budget decisions like this.

]]> By: John F Croston III http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-36673 John F Croston III Fri, 02 May 2008 14:17:09 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-36673 It similar to having to build a small web application for like two users that takes a weeks worth of hours to build over two months. When completed it saves the people like twenty minutes each per month. At least let me make something useful for everyone that saves a ton of time instead of this. It similar to having to build a small web application for like two users that takes a weeks worth of hours to build over two months. When completed it saves the people like twenty minutes each per month. At least let me make something useful for everyone that saves a ton of time instead of this.

]]> By: delizade http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-36665 delizade Fri, 02 May 2008 10:53:55 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-36665 nice story,thnx. if I had 60,000$ which they have to be throw away,I can found my design studio, but i can't. It is tragic ;) nice story,thnx.

if I had 60,000$ which they have to be throw away,I can found my design studio, but i can’t. It is tragic ;)

]]> By: Jeffrey Zeldman http://www.zeldman.com/2008/05/01/stick-out-your-tongue/#comment-36664 Jeffrey Zeldman Fri, 02 May 2008 10:47:27 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/?p=344#comment-36664 <blockquote> Let me just say this: you are a fantastic writer. </blockquote> Shucks. Thanks, Josh!

Let me just say this: you are a fantastic writer.

Shucks. Thanks, Josh!

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