On Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:03:47 -0400, axolotl
wrote:



Time is limited. I am sorry to say that there are people who will take
advantage of yours (not that I think that this is the case in your
son/MIL instance). There are many more people who simply have no idea
what it takes to do something.

Yup. Been there done that, got the teeshirt. I was also a research
puke.

I still do a lot of (free) stuff. But having the free/business dividing
line helps me decide what to do and what to regretfully decline.

I draw a firm line with self-imagined "inventors". I'll bet you do
too. If they want my help they'll have to provide a print, a spec,
and pay full consulting rate. Not one ever has.

When I hear "I can't tell you some of the details", or "I won't reveal
what it does but I'll know when it's right", that's full stop. I
don't want to know their secrets, but I won't work blindfolded either.
If they wanna be secretive, they can work alone in their secret lab.
Geez! I've never stolen an idea in my life and I certainly don't need
to start now. Most of the time they don't really know what the hell
they want anyway.