Searchable Database on Price and/or Salary

I have a client that built a huge database of prices/salaries and is now
placing it on an SQL server at their main web site
(http://www.brennerbooks.com/rpconfidential.html). This is a searchable 
database that can be queried by country, state, city and category. The
results from a search is the minimum, maximum, and average price for the
category with a detailed listing of all the prices behind the search.
Access is by password based on a paid monthly or annual subscription (this
is really a bargain).

This company has been collecting and producing pricing related information
books and tables for over a decade. They've collected over 5,000 Web
services prices and are putting them at their site. You may want to
bookmark http://www.brennerbooks.com and check out Real Prices
Confidential. This resource can certainly make estimating jobs a lot
easier, whether the project is local or geographically distant.

When I sent my client the concerns of some lists about discussing
prices/salaries in a public forum, this is the answer he sent to me:

"Jim,
Before I began producing the first Pricing Tables book, I visited the
Federal Trade Commission and the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington
telling them what I was doing and asking for their advice. They told me
that as long as I report prices and don't recommend prices, I am simply
doing a statistical service. With their legal interpretation, I began
collecting, organizing and distributing pricing information in 1990 and
have been doing so ever since. In fact, the Government Printing Office is
one of my customers.

The key is that we DO NOT recommend prices. We report what others are
charging. There is no violation of any law by doing this. In fact this is a
tremendous service for all involved since it tends to get the newbies to
raise their rates as they learn what their work is really worth. This lets
EVERYONE make a decent wage while enjoying their work.
 
Bob"

I hope that this answers your questions? If not, feel free to email me
through the list or directly (mailto:jim(at)docnprof.com). If you wish you can
send your questions directly to Bob Brenner (the developer of Real Prices
Confidential) at mailto:brenner(at)brennerbooks.com . His main site is
http://www.brennerbooks.com/. Just go there and then click on the Real
Prices Confidential link at the top of the opening page.
Jim Livingston
livingsj(at)4dcomm.com
http://www2.4dcomm.com/livingsj/

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