From an ethical perspective (also a freelancer), I think it's my job to warn my clients when I think a particular idea won't work and help guide them to either abandon it or find a better idea. It is, after all, why they hired an expert -- presumably I know more about the specialty than they do so why wouldn't they expect that their money is paying for my honest advice?

If the insist on doing it the way they want, I am happy to admit that they may well know more about the business than me and do it anyway. But I'd rather have a reputation for steering my clients in good directions with both advice and direct technical help. That way people will be confident I'm not trying to take them for a ride. Plus better technical specs out of it and clarity around what needs to be done.

Sure, but we are passed the stage of "idea that won't work". The whole system runs in degraded mode at this point.

The best one can do is be patient, and help them do with what they got.

I see it the other way around:

- to them, I'm helpful. So I feel useful, because I got actual humans that are thankful that I'm here. I need that to live, to be happy.

- the money allows me to have a very good life style, so I can enjoy many things I couldn't otherwise in what you call my "very limited lifetime"

- high rates mean less hours, which mean I get to spend time with people I love, have fun and contribute to open source projects.

It's not perfect, sure. But it's pretty sweat.

Alternatively: It's time to up your bill rate.

I did that recently and was astonished that it got accepted so easily. I merely got a "hum..." from some of my clients.

I wish people would have told me that years ago.

Every year, up your rate little-by-little.

One extreme example is there is this homeless guy who is a retired very good teacher who has a way of both teaching kids and correcting problematic behaviors. Unfortunately, he doesn't advertise and he doesn't up his rate ($20/hr IIRC). It's a shame.

I hear you and would like to agree with you.

Unfortunately, for me, being a do-gooder didn't pay very well.

I often wonder if I should have stayed in the rat race during my most productive years and then used that nest egg to fund my activism.

I honestly don't know.