It’s commonplace these days for people in the web industry to have a good moan, to the point we’re genuinely expecting future browser engines to be powered by sheer grumpiness. But sporting a shiny-toothed grin aimed in the vague direction of curmudgeonly folk everywhere is Clients From Heaven, with its sunny catchphrase: “Because we should celebrate the good clients”.
Clients From Heaven isn’t brand new, but was recently randomly 'rediscovered' on Twitter, and creator James Young is delighted about the site's potential for a second wind. Talking to .net, Young said the original aim of the site was to make something quick to thank good clients, or “at least acknowledge there are lots of them out there who are great to work with”. He added that “Twitter sometimes feels like a timeline of negativity and complaining, and so this was just a little bit of fun to try and balance that out”.
Although Young admitted there’s nothing wrong with saying something is bad if it really is, it’s also very easy to be negative. “Much as I enjoy Clients From Hell, I figured that wasn't a typical experience – mercifully – of working with my clients, and so hoped a little balance might make someone smile,” he explained. “I'm sure we could all benefit from balancing negativity with a little more positivity from time to time!”
The site’s also open for submissions, and Young remarked that it’s “nice knowing that fellow web folks also experience good working relationships and want to share”. Our favourite at .net so far: the developer who told a client they usually invoiced 50 per cent up front, only to be told: “Just invoice us the whole lot and we will get that paid today if that’s OK? Then it’s all sorted.”