Knowledge harvesting (or IP rip off)

**MarillionFan** · 2 July 2010, 14:42

Originally posted by cojak View Post

Before the end of my contract I've been asked to attend a knowledge harvesting interview. I'm a bit irritated by this cos the initial request which I agreed to was a more informal knowledge sharing chat.

I don't think I'll accept this invite...

Surely this is a just handover.

Anyway, you've only been there a month. Have you come on to the IT director again?

Oh Cojak (canned laughter)

**cojak** · 2 July 2010, 14:50

The contract was only for 3 months in the public sector. And there are handovers and 'let's suck your expertise from you to tell us in detail how we're going to do this job, because we haven't the first clue'.

I don't mind telling them the 'what' and the 'why', it's the 'how' I object to.

And the people asking aren't my project!

**MarillionFan** · 2 July 2010, 15:05

Originally posted by cojak View Post

The contract was only for 3 months in the public sector. And there are handovers and 'let's suck your expertise from you to tell us in detail how we're going to do this job, because we haven't the first clue'.

I don't mind telling them the 'what' and the 'why', it's the 'how' I object to.

And the people asking aren't my project!

I had this a number of years back from Tata. I had been working on the National Program for a client & was the data migration manager for a number of legacy systems. We had reengineered the software and created a suite of tools.

I left and interviewed with each of the major bidders(most were in leeds which i didnt fancy the commute) and eventually agreed a deal with Tata. £80K fixed contract with six weeks holiday.

They then asked me to go to Delhi and set up a University course in NHS Legacy systems, brain dumping everything I knew.

I told them to stuff it.

**shaunbhoy** · 2 July 2010, 18:04

Originally posted by cojak View Post

Before the end of my contract I've been asked to attend a knowledge harvesting interview.

Why so touchy about a 10-minute jamboree??

**MarillionFan** · 2 July 2010, 18:42

Originally posted by shaunbhoy View Post

Why so touchy about a 10-minute jamboree??

Cause if she gives them a piece of her mind, she isn't going to have much left!

**TheFaQQer** · 2 July 2010, 19:27

Originally posted by cojak View Post

I don't mind telling them the 'what' and the 'why', it's the 'how' I object to.

So don't. Keep it at a level which is high enough to keep the appropriate knowledge in your head, but at a level which they think they are getting the right detail.

Obfuscate the how somewhat, but in a way that the client isn't going to realize that. If the people aren't on your project, they are hardly going to know, are they?

**cojak** · 2 July 2010, 19:58

Originally posted by shaunbhoy View Post

Why so touchy about a 10-minute jamboree??

If it was only 10 minutes I wouldn't mind. It's the 2 hour structured interview I'm not doing!

**cojak** · 2 July 2010, 19:58

Originally posted by TheFaQQer View Post

So don't. Keep it at a level which is high enough to keep the appropriate knowledge in your head, but at a level which they think they are getting the right detail.

Obfuscate the how somewhat, but in a way that the client isn't going to realize that. If the people aren't on your project, they are hardly going to know, are they?

True, true...

**shaunbhoy** · 2 July 2010, 20:15

Originally posted by cojak View Post

If it was only 10 minutes I wouldn't mind. It's the 2 hour structured interview I'm not doing!

Get "inventive" with the lollipop. That ought to kill an hour or so. After that, you can tell them anything!

HTH

Knowledge harvesting (or IP rip off)