I came across this article that is much in line with the spirit of berating my clients (yes, you know who you are)

What Your Web Designer Wants You To Know by Tia Scott

A particularly good point she made

One way to puzzle a web designer is to say “I want a website”. What kind of website? Who are your customers? What color do you prefer? What features will you need

For reference to my methods of client abuse read Clients That Suck