Starting a new project?

[erichmond]

Hi all,

I have a project in mind but I'm unsure of where to post, I think here is the best place to start for advice.

The project:
To build a website that would include self populations of historical personal profiles, paid subscription/registration to allow a user more flexiblity to access information on the site. Would need to be bespoke, build in php and MySql, thats the very basics for now.

The question:
If I paid a programmer to do this from scratch, who would own the code?
Is it usual for the programmer to give up the rights of ownership? Can I pay for the code outright? When you pay for the job does this include paying for the ownership rights? Could I offer the coder a percentage of the website annual profits inorder to keep the initial cost down and to remain commited to the project?

Also, my guess is that they would need to be based in the UK - not sure if this is critical, opinions please.

[1ooScreamingTrees]

If I paid a programmer to do this from scratch, who would own the code?

This depends entirely on the contract. Some will sign over the rights to the code, others won't. I would not reccomend giving the coder a percentage of annual profits - that is going to cost much more in the long run than paying a flat fee up front.

If you let the coder know your desire of owning the code up front, I'm sure you will be able to find someone willing to accomodate your needs.

PS.

I took a peek at your company's site - I love your logo deep in the grass with that tagline!

[erichmond]

The reason for the percentage was to try retain them in the team for the maintanence of the website. How does it work if one coder writes an app, then another coder picks it up 12 months down the line, is it common place or is it a pain in the ahole for them to decipher what has been coded?

[1ooScreamingTrees]

Ah - you're wanting upkeep on the code.

If everything is well-formed (well-written code) and your first coder knew what he was doing, a second coder should be able to comprehend what is going on.

When coding, there are many ways to end up with the same results, so it may take some time for your 2nd coder to get a feel for how everything is working. It would be ideal for the same programmer to work on the code, and save a little time - but if this is not possible for whatever reason - a secondary coder should be able to pick up the task.

If you make it clear to the initial programmer that you would like code to be able to be modified with ease by others, the coder can leave "hidden" programmer's notes within the code that help an outside party identify exactly what is going on in each section.

[chris_bcn]

it all depends on the code (and coder) itself. If it has been well written, and the programmer was sensitive to the fact that someone might be editing down the road and comments it well then it should be fine. If not, it would be a giant pain for someone else to edit.

If possible, I would say it always going to be easy to get the person who creted it, to edit it

[JPnyc]

Most of the time you own the files, but not the code from the perspective that you cannot resell it. And if you own them you have the right to edit them.

[erichmond]

Yes, thats what I thought hence the reason for the percentage idea, after all it gives them an incentive don't you agree. I'm not sure if it is common place but the idea of getting paid a percentage as a retainer if you like, would encorage a coder to do a good job - opinions please

[Benjamin]

There is a wide variation in the standards of programming so you need to be a bit careful. As other posters have said, you want someone who builds in a structured, clear way, with comments, or you may run into problems if you want to switch developers. It is also very easy to end up with security flaws in a PHP/MySQL application. My suggestion is that you try to get some code samples from your prospective developers and have someone who knows what they're doing take a look at the code. You could even post the sample code in a PHP forum and ask for oppinions?

In my experience (and I do PHP coding myself) I'm always a bit wary of percentage deals as they just seem pretty complex and full of potential problems. If you can find someone good, I don't think having an incentive should be a problem - good programmers tend to just love programming for the sake of it. I don't know anyone in the Cheltenham area but if you want a couple of recommendations for developers in the UK send me a PM.