Charging

sometimes.. all I hear when you guys talk is "blah blah blah" heh strange about that

If you find it strange, you must consider it abnormal and as we seem to be in the majority (even as you conceed) therefore it must be you that are experiencing the abnormal blah blab blah phenomona. ;)

or something along those lines that vaguely makes sense.

Well, while I don't believe online discussions with people in non-competitive markets applies (I only market locally or through personal contacts), best to err on the side of caution.

If you are going to source this information by approaching competitors directly, a word of caution ... DON’T. The Sherman Act in the US (and similar legislation in many other jurisdictions) prohibits businesses of any size from entering “contracts, combinations or conspiracies” in restraint of trade. In other words, it’s illegal to make deals with competitors about what price you’ll charge or what services you’ll offer. Merely discussing prices with competitors can be construed as an attempt to CONSPIRE on prices. This is one area where you just don't want to give even the whiff of an impression of doing anything of the sort.

...just another 'conspiracy' theory in the making.

do what I do - go to the computer/photo store - see how much your new camera/videocard/whatever will cost and see if you can swing the price from the client.
hihi - joking. Though there were times I wished I could do just that.

oh - Malibu - does the Sherman Act cover discussing a fictive client, similar to a real one?