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The Beginning - April First Wasted Month - May Second Wasted Month - June Third Month Of Nothing - July |
Arman Atienza A programmer NOT to be trusted |
Testimonials from Arman's Clients |
| << The beginning - April | Second wasted month - June >> |
| May 5, 2009 | 9:18 PM: I could see that Arman was online via Yahoo
Messenger and asked him, "How's it going?" No response at all,
but that kind of thing happens so I thought nothing of it. |
| May 7, 2009 | 9:14 AM: Managed to get hold of Arman on Yahoo. His
laptop battery died; he was hooking up a UPS; it was raining in Manila.
He wrote: Arman Atienza (5/7/2009 10:00:42 AM): im still building the code in OOP that i started from scratch and in 2-3 days i will show you those scripts that i completed. Also im working on the new look and feel of [the new site's] layout (Note that I never did see those scripts, since he never sent/uploaded them and most likely never wrote them.) |
| May 12, 2009 | Two weeks had passed already since Arman
supposedly started work on the project. Since then, not a single sign of
actual work and, more worryingly, not a SINGLE question about the existing
system or about how the new system should operate. Bearing in mind that
I could see hundreds of possible questions -- certainly dozens -- I was
becoming a bit worried, I wrote to Arman on Yahoo Messenger: Stefan (5/12/2009 11:54:17 AM): Is everything alright? Stefan (5/12/2009 11:54:56 AM): I'm just asking, because it seems a little odd that you have not needed to discuss anything with me so far...! No response whatsoever, either upon seeing that message live or upon seeing it as an "offline message", to which he could still have replied. |
| May 15, 2009 | I sent an email to Arman at 12:59 PM: Hello Arman, I am a little concerned, Arman, by the lack of communication that we are having. I have the impression that something is not right... of course, I may be wrong. In a project such as this, there should at least be some communication every few days: questions, suggestions, cooperative decisions, updates and so on... but it's been almost 3 weeks and we've almost not communicated at all... certainly nothing about the details of the project, and my online/offline Yahoo Messenger messages are sometimes not answered. We do need to communicate more. I do understand that a site such as [the new site] can not be completed, or even designed, in just a few days. However, there are many things that we -- as partners -- should be deciding together. I know you are very good at what you do, but "two heads are better than one" (or even 1-1/2 heads!) and you could avoid unnecessary work by discussing things first. Can we agree to communicate more? As you know, I am online most of the day, except when I go into town every 4-5 days. If you have family or other commitments that prevent us from proceeding at the expected pace, then please keep me informed. As I told you -- and I am a man of my word -- this project has "success" written all over it and I look forward to a 50-50 partnership with you, in which we both enjoy immense rewards. If you are having any doubts or concerns, let's discuss them. If you are happy with everything, then let's get this show on the road! Regards, Stefan At 2:42 PM Arman responded: Hi Stefan, Hope you're doing well today i just got your email, I really appreciate and understand your concerns. As of now everything is doing fine, there’s nothing to worry about. As I told you I started working on the codes from scratch and convert it to OOP while reviewing both the previous [the new site] codes and the concept of [another web site] and also from what we have discussed in [my previous location]. Below are the tasks still on progress. Building global classes for all pages. Creating major functions and parameters for both front and back-end. Conceptualization for new look and feel for design layout (notes: nearly completed). Stefan, I have no doubt with this project and I really believe with the success you gained from [another site of mine], and I know [the new site] will do more for it will doubled or tripled the success. My definite plan is to strengthen our relationship in a long term business partnership; I discussed it already with my wife Girlie and we both are so excited about the future success. But for the moments please bear with me with the movement of development since it really take some times to build structured and clean codes so we will not be encountering any major problems in the long run. Next week I will make sure to set ample time for more and more communication. Im so happy to be part of this successful project, and I’m really looking for a lifetime-long partnership with you. I really appreciate your trust and understanding, we will make it happen. By the way I have an emergency need to go to my province Bataan today, my first cousin Ate Amor died yesterday and she’s only 40 years old ,they said the reason is her blood pressure went so high, my father called me up to go there. We will be back here in Manila Sunday. We can talk or chat on Monday and I will show you what I have completed so far. All the best!!! Arman How very convincing... but for the fact that I myself am a programmer with 25 years' experience and I know what should and should not be happening... and how long it should take. There is simply no way on Earth that a programmer could work for over 2 weeks on a new project without a SINGLE question or suggestion. I responded at 4:48 PM: Hi Arman, I am sorry to hear about your cousin, and hope all goes well for you in Bataan. No problem... thank you for the update... let's have more of them...! Whenever there is something for me to look at and comment on, feel free to send it. Regards, Stefan |
| May 19, 2009 | 6:07 AM: Arman informed be via Yahoo Messenger that he was
returning to Manila at 7 PM that evening. |
| May 25, 2009 | 2:03 PM: I sent an email to Arman: Hello Arman, Honestly, Arman, your silence concerns me somewhat. Yes, I know, you were in contact a few days ago... but are you really a total genius who does not need ANY input from anyone else? I hope this is true! But Arman, "normal" programmers in your situation would have had questions about the following (for example): - Certain aspects of the existing system/code - "What's this for?", "Why did you do it like this?" - How the new system is supposed to function - Major design decisions - "Do we do it like this or this?", "What do you think about this idea?" - New features... should they be added? - Unnecessary features... can they be deleted? - Database design questions - Problems/issues that have been discovered - and so on. I would have expected at least one question... and usually more like 100 or 200 questions. But Arman, I have heard from you precisely 0 (zero) words on any of these topics! You also wrote a few days ago that there would be something to see "in a few days"... Is there anything wrong? Please, if there are any problems (technical, family, whatever), let me know. I can handle it, and I will understand... but I need to know what is going on, or else we can not really call this a partnership, can we? How are you making all of the many decisions that need to be made... do you really know all of the answers, without needing to contact me? Are you confident that all of your ideas are the best possible ones? Might I have an update tomorrow (Tuesday) please so I can see the progress that has been made? Either uploaded to [the new site], or emailed code? I would be very interested! Best regards, Stefan |
| May 27, 2009 | Finally, at 8:30 AM, I receive a response from
Arman: Hi Stef, Hope you're doing well today. I deeply understand your concerns and worries and im very sorry about that later i will be back online and continue working on our [new site] project , right now both my internet connection are working well. And also i have some personal concerns that i would like to share with you when i get online today. I have uploaded the initial front layout, you may suggest something, add or remove which is not needed. Please check http://www.the-new-site.com/devsite/ Best regards, Arman Aha, "both" of his Internet connections were not working well. But at least he uploaded something! Wait... not so fast. His uploaded 'work' consisted of three non-functional (i.e. the code did nothing at all) pages containing JPEG-format graphics, including "JPEG artifacts". Being a graphic designer he knows full well that the format to use for web site layouts is PNG or GIF; this was simply a hastily-contrived threesome of pages that took him, I estimate, around 6 hours maximum to throw together. It was becoming quite obvious that they were put up simply to get me "off his back"; that is why it took him 2 days to respond to my previous message. At 9:53 AM I responded: Hello Arman, Thank you, we are all fine and I hope your family is also. Thank you also for the link. It is a nice layout, and I do have some suggestions (and spelling corrections!) to make. But Arman... ! You have been working on this for almost one month. Is this all that we have so far? Even if we assume you had to take a week off for the funeral, that's still 3 weeks... 100+ hours... By all means, please do tell me your personal concerns. However, I have to state that I, also, have some serious concerns at this point! This situation seems very similar to the one I experienced in 2007, when I paid a programmer in Manila P66,000 in advance for a month's work, and at the end of the month all I had was the existing [the new site] site layout and a small file containing a few poorly-written general PHP functions. I estimate he took about 3 hours to do all the work. So, when he expected me to pay for another month's work, of course I didn't. Arman, I was hoping that this would be a wonderful opportunity for both of us. I paid you in advance, twice what you asked, in order to show you my trust and commitment to this project. The money is nothing to me, really. If we stop now, then that's that... I'll just find someone else. But Arman, you do understand, don't you, how big this project could be for you and your family? If (when) it succeeds, you could basically retire in a few years on what this will earn. It sounds to me, from what I am hearing (nothing - not even one single comment or question about the system) and seeing (one test layout) that very little is happening on this. Clearly, there is some problem here that is holding things up... family matters, other work contracts... I don't know. Arman, please, I need you to be 100% honest with me. Something clearly is very wrong, and we need to talk about it. The only alternative, as happened in 2007, is that we just stop now... and I don't want to do that because I like you and I see that you have immense capabilities. Best regards, Stefan I wrote again to Arman at 10:27 PM: Hello Arman, You wrote "And also i have some personal concerns that i would like to share with you when i get online today"... it is almost 10:30pm and I have not seen you online, so I will sign off soon. Remember, you can always text me if there is a problem [My cell phone number] ...or email me in more detail. Arman, if I don't start hearing more from you soon, I will just have to cancel this project with you and find someone else... I don't like saying that, but what else can I say at this point? Regards, Stefan |
| May 28, 2009 |
At 10:13 AM I wrote an extensive email to Arman stating my concerns, listing
all the evidence I had that he was not working on the project, and asking for
complete honesty from him. A couple of hours later we had a Yahoo Messenger conversation in which Arman Atienza admits having lied for one whole month about working on the system, and in which he promises to start again seriously: Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:00:37 PM): i read your messages, and i really appreciate it so much. Stefan (5/28/2009 12:01:08 PM): I don't know if 'appreciate' is the right word... Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:02:40 PM): not only that i appreciate, but also i deeply apologize for my unprofessional approach Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:03:16 PM): you are right i need to be honest Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:03:56 PM): Stefan to be honest with you, aside from the things that truly happened to me few days /weeks ago like; my first cousin’s funeral and family reunion , internet connection problems and computer upgrade; Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:04:48 PM): I really have to confess to you that I have one left project that was needed to be delivered last week and its all completed last Saturday. Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:05:28 PM): . I didn’t tell it to you before we started the project because im so afraid I might not positively close our deal. So, the truth comes out: He lied about being free of commitments so that he could have the one-month advance payment, and he lied for a whole month about working on my project. Armando Atienza is, as you will continue to see, an unmitigated, shameless, master liar. Just for starters, he admits on June 28th that it was in fact not one (as he writes above) but FOUR other projects that he was working on. He goes on: Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:05:43 PM): still there? Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:06:31 PM): I really admit it’s my entire fault; it’s really a learning experience for me. Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:07:26 PM): I really appreciate your truthfulness and sincerity, you are a good person. And I sincerely agree that in a partnership (be it business, marriage or any other) does not have 100% honesty and trust between the partners, then it has nothing and it will fail. Hmmm... a "learning experience" for him? Now, having written that he appreciates my truthfulness, sincerity and all around goodness, let's wait for him to put up a negative page about myself. But good news, it seems: He agrees that lying to a partner is not a good idea. Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:09:56 PM): please accept the file, i can show what im doing right now and we can work it out together... Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:11:19 PM): do you have a headset so we can talk via ym Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:31:55 PM): hello Stef, are you there? Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:33:07 PM): ill be right back, will have my breakfast/lunch. Stefan (5/28/2009 12:42:32 PM): Hello Arman Stefan (5/28/2009 12:43:10 PM): Why is the file a ".exe" file? I am always suspicious of those! Stefan (5/28/2009 12:43:36 PM): No, I don't have a headset unfortunately. I will put it on my shopping list for when I next go into town Note that he sends me a ".exe" file -- highly suspicious -- and never tells me exactly what it is. No .exe file is involved at all, anywhere, in the new web site (or in 99% of web sites for that matter.) Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:57:59 PM): hi Stef im back, just completed my lunch Stefan (5/28/2009 12:58:40 PM): OK, so where do we go from here? Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 12:59:47 PM): well lets talk about the concept and the idea for [the new project] Note how he conveniently avoids discussing the fact that he has just LIED to me for one entire month about being hard at work on my project, when he was nothing of the sort. Stefan (5/28/2009 1:00:16 PM): More important, I think, is first to discuss how the work is done. Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 1:00:22 PM): you said that its almost the same as [a different site] Stefan (5/28/2009 1:00:23 PM): Are you free from all other commitments now? Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 1:00:46 PM): yes i am, we can now work daytime Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 7:01:06 PM): and i can rest during night time We see here his assurance that he is free of commitments. He makes this assurance right before spending the ENTIRE NEXT MONTH again working for other clients, as you will read. Stefan (5/28/2009 1:01:31 PM): That's the right way around Stefan (5/28/2009 1:01:58 PM): But if you were programming for someone in another country, why did you need to be awake during their "business hours"? Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 1:03:11 PM): yes the reason i can't work daytime in the past weeks because of that one left project but its all completed, so i can workwith you like im working in an office during daytime Stefan (5/28/2009 1:03:32 PM): Huh? Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 1:05:37 PM): okay im sending the client module, where in i can show you the layout and discuss what new concept we can arrive at Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 1:05:59 PM): its a safe file no any virus attached Stefan (5/28/2009 1:06:01 PM): Arman, you're answering questions that I haven't asked... Stefan (5/28/2009 1:06:16 PM): ...and not answering questions that I have asked! Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 1:08:12 PM): ahh about working with someone in another country, well we usually conducting conference. At this point one of my sites stops working completely and the conversation turns partly to fixing that. Armando has no idea how to fix it (strange, considering he is an expert web developer and I give him complete details of the error), but he does ask for my site's password. An inner voice told me not to give it to him, and that voice was right: within a few days' time (June 3rd) he infected the new site's files (on the same server) with a serious virus. Stefan (5/28/2009 1:09:17 PM): OK, conferences Stefan (5/28/2009 1:09:19 PM): I understand Stefan (5/28/2009 1:09:32 PM): So, you see, you ARE talking to clients while you are working. But not me! Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 1:10:37 PM): im really sorry, and i will make it up to cover all my shortcomings to you Stefan (5/28/2009 1:11:15 PM): Well, gee Arman, I hope so. This has been (another) really bad experience for me Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 1:12:01 PM): i dont think so, i will assure you it wont happen again the one you had with the other programmer... Wow, he's going to make it all up to me. Good news... and he's not like the other Manila programmer who cheated me a year previously. Good news. I manage to fix the bug on my server. Armando almost suspiciously keeps asking for my FTP login and password for my main revenue-earning site. I don't give it to him. I tried to have a conversation about the new project, but his responses were coming very slowly with gaps of one to two minutes in between, as if he was doing something else. Stefan (5/28/2009 3:27:34 PM): Arman, this is too slow. Stefan (5/28/2009 3:27:40 PM): I suggest that you do the following: Stefan (5/28/2009 3:27:51 PM): - Go through the system that I wrote, as we agreed before Stefan (5/28/2009 3:28:16 PM): - Make written suggestions for me to comment on Stefan (5/28/2009 3:28:30 PM): - Ask questions about where you are not clear Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 3:28:54 PM): okay got you Stefan (5/28/2009 3:29:00 PM): - Create sample web pages in basic form for us to look at and discuss Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 3:29:41 PM): for now i will be working on what we have discuss and the system that you wrote.... Stefan (5/28/2009 3:30:50 PM): I suggest that each day that you work, you send me an update at the end of the day, consisting of: Stefan (5/28/2009 3:31:09 PM): - Uploads to the web site of things that you have completed or trying out Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 3:31:18 PM): okay Stefan (5/28/2009 3:31:23 PM): - A list of what you have done, and a list of things for me to try out (We went on to discuss details of the new site) Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 4:08:07 PM): yes starting today we will be in regular communincation everyday, Stefan (5/28/2009 4:09:48 PM): Once I see total commitment from you, you will obviously get the same from me Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 4:10:21 PM): thanks a lot Arman Atienza (5/28/2009 4:12:25 PM): i can start now then show you what i have completed later tonight or early tomorrow morning... then make another conference/discussion tomorrow of the result Wow. Total commitment. Let's see... Arman later wrote at 6:54 PM: Hi Stefan, I didn't make it to catch you online, my apology. I have uploaded initial pages on the front please check http://www.the-new-site.com/devsite/. Stefan as I told you this is a long term partnership and I will surely dedicate all my skills and capabilities to fully complete and maintain this project. I truly trust you and im very much confident that this project will succeed and will surely help my family and my kids a lot. I also appreciate your goodness and motivations. About your concerns with the tasks completed this month, I hope you are with me that the development includes analysis and conceptualization then scripting, that’s why on initial development phase I told you that please be patient because I really have to review and understand the flow of the system. Since I have completed the layout already it will ease the flow of scripting, actually I have already built the OOP and will integrate one by one on both front and back end of [the new site]. Furthermore I’m still on progress and will continue working on this project, now we can start sharing our suggestions and idea since I have completed front layout already. I have added new internet connection (PLDT) for this project so I can now assure you that my line will be 100% available starting today, I also setup my computer and bought additional new memory and hard drive for faster development on this project. Again my deepest apology for previous long interval communications, starting today we will be communicating more on this project. Regarding my personal concern, just what I told you before we start the project that my family is renting a house in Cainta Rizal and also I am renting a separate condo unit here in Mandaluyong City as my workplace. My wife and I really want to buy a house and setup my workplace there in Cainta so I can work there together with my wife and kids. This is our goal that’s why Im so motivated to complete our project. <There’s a house and lot for sale nearby in our place in Cainta that costs about $50,000 and we are looking how we can get that property before it’s too late. I don’t know if you can you provide me good suggestions or help me out, but that concerns me a lot. Anyway, cheer up my friend let’s continue working. Best Regards, Arman After lying to me for a whole month about working when he wasn't, he actually has the nerve to ask to borrow $50,000 from me (roughly a lifetime average Filipino salary)!! |
| May 29, 2009 | At 6:27 PM he sent me an 'update' saying that he
had added a rollover effect to one of the (existing, poor quality JPEG)
graphics. This would be his first -- and last for over a month -- daily update after his
promising several times yesterday to provide them. Any guesses why? |
| << The beginning - April | E-mail: | Second wasted month - June >> |