[Equest-users] eQUEST Help Desk Funding

David Eldridge dse at grummanbutkus.com
Wed May 26 15:50:04 PDT 2010


It has always been offered if someone asked, it is only a new phenomenon
that someone has advertised.



Seems to be a help to the community.  It would only be a detriment if we
start to get these announcements on a daily basis from everyone, or if Carol
or someone else follows-up with each and every poster whether or not they
mentioned any inclination for a paid consultancy.



A separate post from Gordon S. after I started this one compares eQuest with
HAP/Trace with paid help – there are still plenty of people out there who
don’t need assistance on a regular basis, and enjoy using eQuest for free.



If the user was inexperienced and knew they would need a lot of help, then
we’re talking a different story – but that doesn’t cover the majority of
practitioners.  Hopefully most of those entering the market are working with
established modelers, but I guess there isn’t a rule that you can’t enter
the industry starting from scratch.



Personally I hope to offer advice from time to time when I’m able (for
free), and hopefully someone out there will be willing to offer me a tip or
two when I’m in need.



As long as we don’t become inundated with commercial requests I think the
list will remain quite viable…even lively!



David

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*From:* equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org [mailto:
equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] *On Behalf Of *Haynes, Glenn
*Sent:* Wednesday, May 26, 2010 3:03 PM
*To:* Dakota Kelley; Carol Gardner; eQUEST Users List
*Subject:* Re: [Equest-users] eQUEST Help Desk Funding



I do not have a strong opinion on this issue because it offers a service not
currently available.  But to me the issue is one of effect on the whole
eQuest community.  My fear is that once this service is offered, many who
have spent their valuable time offering free advice will tend to back off
and let the paid services take up the slack.  This will probably reduce the
usefulness of the current list and leave small firms and individuals without
extra cash out.  This may eventually reduce or destroy the value of the free
list service.  The future of DOE2 and eQuest depends on young beginners who
currently have little money and need the free help.



This list is one of the few truly valuable free services available in the
world today.  It provides a forum for old codgers like me to mentor those
younger and less experienced (those who need help the most and can afford it
the least), and, currently, I am in good company.



Glenn


 ------------------------------

*From:* equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org [mailto:
equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] *On Behalf Of *Dakota Kelley
*Sent:* Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:14 PM
*To:* Carol Gardner; eQUEST Users List
*Subject:* Re: [Equest-users] eQUEST Help Desk Funding

Carol,



Let me cut through the philosophical stuff and set a starting bid: were I to
find myself in need, I would pay $125/hr for one-on-one, pay-per-use,
phone/WebEx-style assistance, billed in 0.25 hr increments or each fraction
thereof, with a minimum charge of 0.5 hrs.  This assumes the person
providing the help has both a mechanical engineering degree and years of
eQUEST experience, which appears to fit your description.  If Portland has
not eliminated your Canadian accent, I would gladly pay aboot
$126/hr..what’s another loonie, eh?  Naturally, there would be a high
expectation that you should be able to solve nearly any issue somewhat
quickly, and you would have to determine how you want to handle issues you
are unable to resolve.  However, I have no qualms about charging or paying
for one-on-one help…it’s called “consulting”.  In my early days I posted a
couple questions and received no responses – I could’ve just as easily been
talking to my HP DeskJet while printing “I hope that helps” messages to
myself.  Having an alternate, fee-based help resource would have been a
blessing.



If I may enter the philosophical arena for a minute, I’m amazed by the
eQUEST users who will comfortably charge their clients thousands of dollars
for a model, using “free” software, but *expect* free assistance and get up
in arms when anyone brings up the idea of fee-based help (or that it would
be brought up on a forum created *for* eQUEST help).  There has been talk
about helping for “the greater good of the modeling community”, but I don’t
find it to be intellectually honest.  Such a notion is predicated on an
equal contribution from all participants, but the reality is that there are
far more help-seekers than help-providers, and such will always be the case
with voluntary forums.  Quick questions that can be answered in five minutes
are not an issue, and the forum is wonderful for that, but when it turns
into me taking an hour or two to go through someone’s model for free, while
they get paid for my findings, is not inherently good for me or the
community.  It has been done for me in the past, and I have paid it
forward.  However, there are not enough active participants to make this
standard operating procedure.  I also refute the notion that having an
alternate help source undermines the forum; the two are not mutually
exclusive.



So, Carol, please put out your shingle.  I might break my model just for an
excuse to call you.





*                        DAKOTA KELLEY*
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*From:* Carol Gardner [mailto:cmg750 at gmail.com]
*Sent:* Tuesday, May 25, 2010 4:45 PM
*To:* eQUEST Users List
*Cc:* Benville, Jim; ed.wall at ee.doe.gov
*Subject:* [Equest-users] eQUEST Help Desk Funding



All,

For the right amount of money, a dedicated land line, and a dedicated
computer, I will function as your dedicated Help Desk. Let me know who is
interested in funding me to be this resource. Let me know how much you think
this resource is worth. As you all know by now unless you've been sleeping,
I am a self-employed professional that takes time to answer your questions
but must quit giving my time away for free.

-- 
Carol Gardner PE
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