This is really interesting. I love how the professor has the notes available in various formats. This differs from most places where the only option to read math notes is M$ Word, because it has a built in eq. editor.
I think that an open source solution for several software apps that the appartment industry uses should be developed. This is true for several other specialized industries.
This can be the only way to take back power from the vendors.
I would imagine that convincing the Apartment Managers association would be the way to go to accomplish this, but I would have to have some demo's ready. I have had good luck with setting up linux public access labs at a few appartment complexes, however I want to enhance the capabilities of those labs with full user accounts, and other features.
On the office side of these businesses they seem heavily dependant on MS Office, but not neccessarily on windows. Perhaps CrossoverOffice would be in order?
Similar frustrations, overengineered web apps
on
Don't Be a Sharecropper
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· Score: 4, Insightful
I have been in a similar situation.
I do a lot of computer-technician stuff on the side, like fixing servers, installing software, repairing computers.
What I really like to do is work on server programming and linux system configuration, but I generally do not get too much call for that. Most of the money I make on the side is usually gained from fixing whatever crappy software incompatiblity problem introduced in the latest version of Internet Explorer or windows.
In specialized industries (read Apartment Management as one) companies tend to have VERY expensive software that only runs well on one version of windows or on one version of Internet Explorer. When the companies who wrote this software went web based they tried to use ActiveX controls to give them the exact same power over user interfaces that they had when they were developing their stuff in Visual Basic or C.
99% of the support calls I get is to go out and return IE to version 5.5 after it breaks compatibility with some overengineered web based application (that depends heavily on ActiveX for cute menus and the like).
To add insult to injury, software companies in these specialized markets tend to like to keep their customer's data close so they cant switch providers. Usually this means that the web based software is hosted on some machine far far away, that no one but them will ever have a chance at debugging.
People try to use their existing models far after they are outdated, and it only hurts the customer. Just ask anyone in the Appartment Management industry how many times they have been burned by vendors.
I have an application that does not have any access to a database or any database libraries on the server in which it will be run.
It needs to store a small amount of data in a text file. Initially I thought I would use XML, but figuring out how to parse the data after it was created proved very difficult. I had some small luck with DOM inside tcldom, but it seemed like a lot more effort than it was worth.
This file is a basic tree with branches of depth 2. All branches have the exact same structure.
Is XML the way to go for such a project, what other toolkits have you used to store program data in a text file (small strings less than 64 chars)? I definately want it to be in some human readable form so it can be debuggable.
I really wanted to keep the data in a form that someone else could use for a completely unrelated program (if the need ever arose).
Thanks for any input. I was glad to see this topic come up because it got me thinking about the issue again.
Neither end starts out as XML. The troubles arose when trying to pass arrays from within TCL over the XML-RPC layer. I found that the available XML-RPC layers for TCL were very picky.
I am going to give python a shot. TCL is a really cool language, but I think I need to hit this problem from a different perspective.
I also recently added a book about XML-RPC from Oreilly Press to my Safari Bookshelf, so I'm going to RTFM, as the online guides on the matter have proved a bit too difficult to use (especially when using two different XML-RPC implementations, one on each end).
Thanks for your reply.
I agree with you.
I have used mozilla phoenix/firebird for several months now and have found it very reliable.
I use IE at the exact same time because my organization has standardized on it and I cant avoid using it for some tasks.
Using both constantly it is crystal clear that Mozilla is easier to use, and probably a lot easier to support.
As to the "sweat equity" arguments I can only say that he submitted his code as a volunteer. If he was concerned about getting certian business considerations as a result of his work he should have taken it in writing.
One thing I was not certian of; did he loan or donate those servers he mentioned. If he loaned them I could see it being the nice thing to do to return them if he no longer feels comfortable lending them out.
We'll see how this all turns out a year or two from now. I doubt any useful information will come out of either side for a good couple of months. The sanatized reports are all we will get for a while, until later on enough secondary evidence tricles out for people to make their own decisions.
I feel (or felt) your pain. I lived for YEARS with crappy 28.8kbps dialup to AOL of all things, and then finally enjoyed about a year of NMOL before it went offline.
I live in florida now, and have cable broadband, but I agree with the others, it's slow as crap for 40$ a month.
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This is really interesting. I love how the professor has the notes available in various formats. This differs from most places where the only option to read math notes is M$ Word, because it has a built in eq. editor.
I will definatly check this out. Thanks
I think that an open source solution for several software apps that the appartment industry uses should be developed. This is true for several other specialized industries.
This can be the only way to take back power from the vendors.
I would imagine that convincing the Apartment Managers association would be the way to go to accomplish this, but I would have to have some demo's ready. I have had good luck with setting up linux public access labs at a few appartment complexes, however I want to enhance the capabilities of those labs with full user accounts, and other features.
On the office side of these businesses they seem heavily dependant on MS Office, but not neccessarily on windows. Perhaps CrossoverOffice would be in order?
I have been in a similar situation.
I do a lot of computer-technician stuff on the side, like fixing servers, installing software, repairing computers.
What I really like to do is work on server programming and linux system configuration, but I generally do not get too much call for that. Most of the money I make on the side is usually gained from fixing whatever crappy software incompatiblity problem introduced in the latest version of Internet Explorer or windows.
In specialized industries (read Apartment Management as one) companies tend to have VERY expensive software that only runs well on one version of windows or on one version of Internet Explorer. When the companies who wrote this software went web based they tried to use ActiveX controls to give them the exact same power over user interfaces that they had when they were developing their stuff in Visual Basic or C.
99% of the support calls I get is to go out and return IE to version 5.5 after it breaks compatibility with some overengineered web based application (that depends heavily on ActiveX for cute menus and the like).
To add insult to injury, software companies in these specialized markets tend to like to keep their customer's data close so they cant switch providers. Usually this means that the web based software is hosted on some machine far far away, that no one but them will ever have a chance at debugging.
People try to use their existing models far after they are outdated, and it only hurts the customer. Just ask anyone in the Appartment Management industry how many times they have been burned by vendors.
-Jonathan
Thanks for the information. I'll definately check it out.
I really enjoy working in TCL because of the very clean syntax and straightforwardness of TCL.
Still, it will take me a little while to get used to not having access to pointers.
Where did you purchase the cards from?
-Jonathan
I have an application that does not have any access to a database or any database libraries on the server in which it will be run.
It needs to store a small amount of data in a text file. Initially I thought I would use XML, but figuring out how to parse the data after it was created proved very difficult. I had some small luck with DOM inside tcldom, but it seemed like a lot more effort than it was worth.
This file is a basic tree with branches of depth 2. All branches have the exact same structure.
Is XML the way to go for such a project, what other toolkits have you used to store program data in a text file (small strings less than 64 chars)? I definately want it to be in some human readable form so it can be debuggable.
I really wanted to keep the data in a form that someone else could use for a completely unrelated program (if the need ever arose).
Thanks for any input. I was glad to see this topic come up because it got me thinking about the issue again.
-Jonathan
Neither end starts out as XML. The troubles arose when trying to pass arrays from within TCL over the XML-RPC layer. I found that the available XML-RPC layers for TCL were very picky.
I am going to give python a shot. TCL is a really cool language, but I think I need to hit this problem from a different perspective.
I also recently added a book about XML-RPC from Oreilly Press to my Safari Bookshelf, so I'm going to RTFM, as the online guides on the matter have proved a bit too difficult to use (especially when using two different XML-RPC implementations, one on each end). Thanks for your reply.
What then is the proper use for XML?
I am working on a project where I have to link a TCL based program with a PHP program.
I have been having a rediculously horrible time figuring out how to link the two using XML-RPC. I briefly tried SOAP but that wasnt much better.
Is XML and XML-RPC any easier in python or C?
I agree with you. I have used mozilla phoenix/firebird for several months now and have found it very reliable. I use IE at the exact same time because my organization has standardized on it and I cant avoid using it for some tasks. Using both constantly it is crystal clear that Mozilla is easier to use, and probably a lot easier to support.
I will take your advice to heart and practice my 2am and later spelling skills. -Jonathan
As to the "sweat equity" arguments I can only say that he submitted his code as a volunteer. If he was concerned about getting certian business considerations as a result of his work he should have taken it in writing.
One thing I was not certian of; did he loan or donate those servers he mentioned. If he loaned them I could see it being the nice thing to do to return them if he no longer feels comfortable lending them out.
We'll see how this all turns out a year or two from now. I doubt any useful information will come out of either side for a good couple of months. The sanatized reports are all we will get for a while, until later on enough secondary evidence tricles out for people to make their own decisions.
I feel (or felt) your pain. I lived for YEARS with crappy 28.8kbps dialup to AOL of all things, and then finally enjoyed about a year of NMOL before it went offline.
I live in florida now, and have cable broadband, but I agree with the others, it's slow as crap for 40$ a month.
-Jonathan