Slashdot Mirror
Workgroup Messaging?
Displaying my ignorance asks: "We have a small workgroup running on Windows XP Professional; we do not have a domain server. We use Peachtree accounting software which is supposedly multi-user. Unfortunately, multi-user
does not translate into allowing two people to be
in the same module (i.e., accounts receivable) at
the same time. Because the users are in different
buildings they often crash Peachtree because
they don't know that someone else is already in
that module. These crashes result in the loss of
data since the last backup. I am therefore trying to locate software, compatible with Windows XP, which would allow a user to create pop-up messages for display on the
remote screens. It needs to be a pop-up, not just
a flag in the system tray; ideally it would be a
flashing neon sign which fills most of the screen
[grin]. Because we do not have SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) Messenger appears not to be a solution. Any suggestions?"
You could use cvs to check the file in and out.
This isn't the sig you are looking for... Carry on...
You're treating the symptom not the disease. What you need is to replace your accounting software (and maybe even your OS) with something that meets your business's requirements.
Worried about the cost of new software are you? How much money is your company hemorraging because your using a single-user accounting program that deletes all of your data? How much more will it lose when you try to patch it up with an IM program?
Michael.
Linux : Mac
OMG!
I just have to comment that if two people are using a single module the whole system will crash, are you crazy for using this software?!?!?!
Seriously, not wanting to sound too crazy, this software is very crazy! It would be easy to build in some kind of user-check module into the software (if there is now no present method, building in a lookup log is no effort at all), to check what users are using what module and deny access if it is in use, or to just allow the software multi-access (this may require some more hard work given the software sounds so flawed). Using some kind of lookup-user module would take a progammer less than a day to create, it is seriously easy business.
I suggest you draft a sternly worded letter to your software providers asking for this.
This however is merely a workaround. I have never heard of such amateur accounting software on public market.
Truely astounded.
--
FreeNET user? Comfortable with the adverse selection?
Extension of your point: all instant messaging systems I can think of will have the same limitation. AIM, Jabber, iChat (not that that's relevant here), MSN, etc. will not queue up messages for users when they aren't logged in. I seem to remember that ICQ would store up messages, but how many people use ICQ anymore? In any case, the only IM server that can reasonably be run by yourself is Jabber, and as far as I know (I welcome corrections) it won't queue up messages.
As some in this thread have said, Jabber is probably the best band-aid over this particular problem, but fixing the multiuser aspects of the database software is the true cure. If Quickbooks Pro can do the job, it should be considered. Alternatively -- and this may be a stretch, depending on your needs & your trust in free software -- GnuCash can be configured to run PostgreSQL as the back-end data storage. This should address all the concurrency & stability issues beautifully; the only issue is that, as near as I can tell, this is still a beta quality feature, and the database schema seems to be evolving.
That and GnuCash might run more happily on Linux, which could scotch the idea if you're really an all XP shop... :-(
If that's the case, the QBpro is probably the safest option -- it should be examined.
DO NOT LEAVE IT IS NOT REAL