Well Duh I have found the most frustrating thing about vb scripting under asp is the syntax. response.write "This is a line 1." & vblf _ & "This is line 2." & vblf _ & "This is the last line" </sarcasm> That's why they call it VerBoseScript;)
>sarcasm< Well Duh I have found the most frustrating thing about vb scripting under asp is the syntax. response.write "This is a line 1." & vblf _ & "This is line 2." & vblf _ & "This is the last line" >/sarcasm&;tl That's why they call it VerBoseScript;)
How is it more difficult than perl or php, etc.. for large projects??
If the script itself can't do something I can create a component and call it through ASP. I can also separate my display/data/logic layers that way.
One of the beauties of ASP is you can use vbScript, JavaScript, PerScript(more perlscript), etc...to develop with as well as COM object built in vb, C/C++, etc... There are also MANY good code snippets and help available without having to look hard.
If you want a " in your string with vbscript you can stick in two " and it'll be escaped OR you can append the Chr() of it to the string.
So far the only limitation I have come across has nothing to do with ASP: HTML sucks for complex forms. Client side Javascript can do a lot but often you still need to split your forms up if you can't use ActiveX or Java.
It could screw any other company wishing to provide upgrades for their software components automagically depending on the date enetered in the registry.
So, the workaround? store the VERSION number in the registry (unless someone has already patented).
Heh..this patent is almost as stupid as the M$ press release on Innovations Enhance Windows 2000. Hmm...can you say file links boyz & grlz? They are only umpteen years behind the times.
They both create a product you can't physically hold with tools.
They are both distributed on the same media (CD, magnetic tape and files).
They are both a form of entertainment (although software can do more)
They both have versioning (different mixes / upgrades) that we pay for.
They can both be considered free speach
Code is art. Music is art.
When you purchase a CD, you are purchasing a license to listen to one copy of your song. When you purchase shrink wrap warez, you are purchasing 1 license to use it. You can purchase more than 1 license.
Just because it is law that doesn't mean it is just/correct. Times are changing faster than the gov't can can create laws to "protect" whatever it is they are supposed to.
It is revolting that the music industry feels it is being screwed after they have _forced_ us to buy CD's full of crap that we can't return and we couldn't try it first. Someone oughta report them to the better business bureau. Hell...that sounds like gambling. Isn't that illegal for minors to risk $$$ on chance? Hey...there we go - we can counter sue for corrupting our youth and causing problem gambling.
To top it all off, their profits increase and they have the gall to say their industry is being hurt. What a bunch of over rich whiners.
Since the MP3 "revolution" I have heard so many new songs (BY "popular" artists) that I have/will go out and purchase. The unfortunate part? I have to buy the whole freakin CD and pay my $20 for a bunch of crap I don't want. Heh...still sounds like software:)
Can you provide a link to where it says they don't have the right do use anonymous stories in the book which were posted on the site & sent privately via e-mail? What law says they can only use it on the net? And if there is such a law, what makes it right?
According to your Hellmouth comment the "intended medium" for the Simpson's sounds were TV, not your website in WAV or text. By your logic in the other thread, putting the anonymous stories in another medium (the book) isn't hurting anyone either. I guess what that really tells me is that your opinion (as mine) probably differs from the _law_(pending proof).
Besides, comments on here are (AFAIK) not copyrighted. Of course I haven't seen the book but the announcement of it the other day put it clear in my mind that the stories are not the words of the author(s) but of victims who are being kept anonymous to avoid reprocussions.
Where's the beef? The article? Case number (or whatever). This certainly sounds fishy.
If it was a story published with false or no names and no distinguishing traits that could trace it to the victim it is just that: a story. Hell, it borderlines fiction. If they indeed ruled that it was a violation of privacy all the fiction authors could be in real trouble:)
Just the facts please.
BTW, I have no Xperience in law so this is of course IMHO.
FPhlyer has posted 1 comments (this only counts the last few weeks)
Do you honestly think that my comments or yours would really be missed? If you are submitting a comment to a public forum for ALL to read you are contradicting yourself.
Sure, the comment is owned by the poster but you've voluntarily responded to a public forum being published on the net. Publishing in a book is just another means of distribution. By posting, you signified intent that you want your opinions to be shared. What does the medium have to do with it? Instead of being locked forever in 1's and 0's, your comment would be locked forever in paper.
Do you realize that at this very moment your words are not only sitting on Slashdot but in hundreds/thousands of other netizens browser cache (or perhaps only the moderators and mine)? Perhaps multiple times? Did you intend this to happen? What if they link to your comment off another site. Are you going to get uppity over that because you didn't intend it?
Slashdot/JonKatz/whoever isn't taking credit for your post but they are giving the ability for others to read it. They are the ones making the initiative to get posted and privately e-mailed stories & comments out to a larger % of the public (until everyone has a computer & net access).
You sound ignorant as to the way data works. If you can get at it so that it is useable, it can be re-distributed ANYWHERE. A dinky little button DOES NOT GUARANTEE JoeSchmoe isn't going to make a comment harvester and broadcast your stuff on another site. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to keep your comment on this site if it can be read.
Do you also foolishly think that any other copy protection scheme by the recording and movie industry will actually fly if you still have the ability to view the material on their proprietary box?
I guess you've already solved your problem: If you don't want it seen, don't post it.
Slightly used VHF/UHF signal jammer for sale (built 1975). Also cleans carpet and comes with handy stair attachment. Only $25
Dual purpose "just like new" VHF/UHF signal jammer for sale (built 1978). Comes with 1 cookbook and 4 components for mixing cake frosting, whipped cream, etc... Only $10.00
My mom ruined so many good Saturday morning "Looney Tunes" with those damn things.
W.A.V.E. Hat.......... $ 3.00 W.A.V.E. T-Shirt...... $ 2.00 Look on D00M players face as (s)he is cuffed and dragged out of school in front of "friends"............. Priceless!
or AC/DC blazing "Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap!"
--Clay
Royal Bank online banking (Canada/Jamaica/others?)
on
On Paying Bills Online
·
· Score: 1
I heard this morning that Royal Bank is doing a copy-cat of the "no charge" bill payments in the branch to stay competitive (i.e. keep customers). Bout time...thieving bastards.
Anyway, I've been using Royal's online banking for over 2 years now. I love it! With RB's online banking I can:
pay all of my bills (except for land taxes) such as:
phone (Telus)
cell (Can'Tel if its going to work or not)
cable/cablemodem (Shaw)
gas credit cards (Esso & Petro)
bay card
Canadian tire
and many many more that I don't have
transfer funds to/from accounts
check on my loans (including mortgage)
watch my mutual funds grow
schedule bill payments in advance
schedule re-occuring payments
download my history to quicken/quickbooks
pay my personal taxes to the Gov't
scroll through many previous transactions
I'm not sure if there is a charge or not but I get it free with the account I have.
My point (not very well illustrated) was that Linux isn't the only thing with these problems that was specified in the article as the author suggests.
Linux is not an end user operating system. Until it gets to the stage where I can give my brother in law a Linux CD, it installs itself, configures itself, allows my sister to write her thesis in Microsoft Word format, without having to learn a new interface, allows him to connect to an ISP *easily* without me having to do it for him and has an update mechanism which is as easy to use a windowsupdate.microsoft.com it's not going to make inroads into consumer space.
If you classify an "end user operating system" as one that self installs and configures itself perfectly then Windows isn't it either. The reason I am "picking" on windows is that it has a larger install base in the home and it's what I use most of the time.
Well, I thought I covered this where I put in [device] but I guess not. "Why doesn't my sound card/modem/cd-rom work" is another question I get asked BY people on the the Win* platforms. It is not just a Linux problem as the author implies. Perhaps USB/FireWire is the answer to all our current prayers - when any device can be plugged in by anyone and it is instantly diagnosed, recognized and operational. In either case, it sure beats loading punch cards;)
Anyway, I never said I didn't have these problems in Linux, I just wanted to say that Linux isn't the only OS with problems - "Why does WinNN lockup when searching for new devices and NOT find them even after following the installation instructions".
Going from app to app in the Microsoft world also requires you to learn and use a different interface. As I mentioned previously, anytime you change apps, be it from MSWord to WordPerfect, MSWorks to MSWord, MS Office vNN to MS Office vNN+1, MSNotepad to MSOutlook, etc... you are going to have a change in the interface and will need to learn again. They should be more consistent but they aren't - fact of life. These differences are NOT OS dependant as the author of the article suggested.
Incidentally, Thank God I had Linux installed a yr ago because WIN95 decided to send the wrong stuff to my vid card (after updating a driver of course - bad! bad driver!!) so I could still boot LInux and check my e-mail, surf in Nerdscape. How would Joe user in the WinNN world fix that?
HW/SW installation and setup difficulties are not just Linux!
He failed to consider the Win95/Win98/NT PC's when comparing your ease of use MAC system to Linux. There is a larger X86 Joe User base.
99.9% of the time I'm on an M$ OS on an X86. I've had the (dis)pleasure of using Plug&Pray devices, manually configuring DIPs (I'll take that anyday), Trying to get DOOM ][ to work properly with my USR 14400 (stupid connection strings) etc..., Bloatware installing crap & breaking things (See DLL Hell @ M$) Umpteen servicepacks from M$, Hotfixes galore AND different behaviour between software packages on the WIN platform.
What regular Joe user can track all of that themselves? Why should they?? I am regularly approached by one non-techie friend in particular wondering why "I can't get my new [device]to work in Windows" or, "[device/software] won't work anymore".
You cannot tell me that changing from MS Office to Sun Office would be such a difficulty of immense proportion than going from vX of MS Office to vX+1 taking into consideration menu layout & features between MS Office versions as well as layout/feature differences in other S/W such as: IE4, IE5, Netscape, Outlook, Pegasus, etc... THEY ARE ALL INCONSISTENT. Sure, they each have a File menu and probably a Help menu but Some use HTML help while others use the.hlp format. In Notepad, "Alt-S, F" searches and finds text. If you do that in Outlook, You've just sent your e-mail to the boss before replacing "Dear PHB," with "Dear Sir,".
The jump from W95 to W98 for network was different (comparable to MS Office to Sun Office in your world). Within the first 15 minutes I couldn't get her system to see my W95 system (by setting up the devices, services & protocols the same) BUT I had NO problem getting Slackware to work with my NE2000 compatible NIC on the wave over 2 years ago in that same amount of time. I did something regular Joe users don't do: research & reading. You should know something about the system you are using. Only then will it actually be useful for you.
Anyway, lucky for me my GF is very smart and had the patience to travel down each winding path in the Windows help so that she could further config the networking and get it working. Also, The first attempt at installing it pooched her system & it couldn't boot. Tell me, how does JOE User fix that without taking it into the shop? They know nothing about boot disks, DOS based CD-ROM drivers, SYS C:, etc.....
Every 3 months I need to re-install W95 because it has become unbearably slow and choppy. How does Joe user fix that him/her self?
OH, and I must be the ONLY ONE that has had the Win95/98 auto HW finder lock my system(s) right? Ya, it is oh-so user friendly to Joe User to see that "If there is a long time of harddrive inactivity, press reset". Does Joe User know what the HDD is or what that randomly blinking light really does besides mess with the cats mind? Do they know what is a long period of inactivity?
As was previously mentioned, I REALLY doubt that Joe User sits down and spends HOURS learning an application. <SARCASM>None of us S/W geeks have ever been used as a helpdesk by our friends to answer questions...no...not ever.</SARCASM>
AND (also mentioned before) why must I conform my handwriting to a palm device? What makes industry so sure that is what people wanted? Sure they are selling, but that magical "device around the corner" he is so fond about is really what I wanted but all industry could offer me was a Palm pilot. I certainly don't want one. Personally, I want a cheaper, Open Source, patent free laptop-like device. I want a large screen and image projection so I can play life-size Quake with a (almost) full sized keyboard. I want that device to handle my wireless voice/LAN/Internet communication, my entertainment (movies, music, LAN GAMES), my GPS AND I want this ALL to fit in my pocket running whatever OS I choose WITHOUT the "Blue Screen of Death". I do not want some $700 electronic notepad with a crappy display where an "upgrade" means buying another one.
I am sick of being a victim of PHB's and "interests of Shareholder's". I want what is good for me (and my fellow consumer) and I want control of it. Will I get it? Not likely so I have to settle for what is offered. (ya, ya, I know, "so then why don't I go build it myself").
RHI Consulting produces a little booklet named "YYYY Salary Guide" (replace YYYY with the appropriate Y2K complaint year in base 10) which is currently at 1999 (2000 is due soon). The version which I have lists many IT & admin positions with suggested salary ranges from the previous year, the current year along with the % of increase in the U.S. and Canada. It also tells you what the % cost of living increase should be (on top of the listed salary) and also suggests % increase for knowing VB/C++/etc...
You can drop by your local office and get one (I did in Calgary, AB - CANADA) but you may want to call first to see if they have any (and so as not to swamp them with bodies). They were very friendly and if you have some experience they may offer to take you under their wing. The salaries listed in the booklet are for non-contract type positions. They have offices all over the U.S. and a few in Canada (Calgary, Mississauga, North York, Ottawa, Toronto), one in London and one in Paris.
I am not a spokesperson for them nor do I work with them but the guide they gave me was very well put together - easy to read and gives you the facts without a lot of dribble.
My pimp generated a salary treatment guide based upon this doc, the "Information Systems Compensation Survey, William M. Mercer ltd, 1997-98" and some unknown "Skills Matrix Workshop 04/99".
and the meter has expired looong ago and I also caught it speeding through one of my amoeba school zones....Mwahahahaha I'm gonna stick it to em for fines.
Time to pay up NASA!!
It almost looks as if my gf was driving the Pathfinder last kuz they couldn't parallel park worth a damn.
First, Thank you for the _clarrification_ & taking the time to try and soothe our tempers.
"Because, as a matter of law, you couldn't really have believed that you understood the patent (yes, our federal courts can be quite condescending), you will likely be found liable for triple damages if it turns out that you were wrong, and that you really are infringing the patent."
Having that said, how could a patent lawyer or person at the patent orifice possibly be competent or understanding enough (I mean no disrespect) to judge a h/w or s/w technology patent request if they do not have the qualificatinos to build a board or create an application or know the physics behind the technology?
My company tried Cognos and it seems to be a heavy hitter to satisfy the PHB's. It's got data mining/driling down, stored static cubes so you don't need to go back to the DB (makes it fast) and when you drill down till you are out of data, you can go into the DB off the cubes. You can run reports right off the cube data. Unfortunately I wasn't a part of that venture but from what my co-worker(developer) says, it was pretty slick... YOU DO PAY through the nose for it.
Crystal Reports: Very slick & easy to use. Almost idiot proof to run them off the web BUT the web engine is single threaded and you can only run one at a time on the web server (useless!). If your DB is slow and 5 people ask for a report each at the same time and they all take 5 minutes, the last person will be waiting 25 minutes...you know that by then they've already clicked refresh 15 gazillion times (or the default install of IE has given up). The ActiveX and JAVA controls that come with Crystal 7 that allow you to view reports through the browser are sweeeeet. You can export reports to RTF and a couple other formats right from the browser. Oh ya, it's also VERY easy to design reports and the COM interface makes it easy to work with. I demo'd CrystalInfo but select boxes confuse our users enough that we didn't want to give them the ability to create reports on a whim if they dont' understand the underlying tables. You can pay some comapny 10k U.S. for a multithreaded Crystal Print engine. Crystal7 is reasonably priced.
On the same lines, ActiveReports (and ActiveCube) by Datadynamics is quite a bit more useful although no where as easy to use as Crystal & doesn't come with the handy pre-built functions to manipulate/shape data (but I like doing stuff from scratch;). It is an ActiveX Designer plugin for VB. You crateall your reports in VB and then create a generic report object to wrap around those activeX designers. And the best thing of all was that you could run multiple reports simultaneously which beats the pants off of Crystal. The export controls aren't as full featured though and there aren't many export options but there are enough that you can get data into pretty much any app. Besides, too many options confuse users;) ActiveReports is reasonably priced.
Cyrberprise was another thing my company tried but I can't say much about it as our interest leaned more torwards COGNOS.
Anyway, currently we are using a crappy buggy 16-bit Helpdesk software by Applix (transitioning to a home-brew Oracle Forms app instead) and the reporting was buggy and useless..not to mention they save the users password in a text file in the root of the system drive...but I digress. This Oracle thing (started out on web...too flaky, going client/server unfortunately) needed web reporting so all the Crystal Reports we had suited it perfect to run via ASP (Active Server Pages). I designed a system that allowed me to put all sorts of dynamic web selection forms in front of the crystal engine and pretty much run any report we had. I can add options to the selection form just by inserting into the DB and it pops up on the web page. This allowed users to run pre-defined report templates against the system to extract the stuff the needed. All in all, it works great (except for the slow DB and single threaded Crystal report engine) and I'm in the midst of modifying it to be able to run Crystal and ActiveReports (so I can port everything to ActiveReports).
As was previously mentioned, you could use PHP script or PERL or C/C++ on Linux to do your stuff but that would require a lot of work.
Sorry I couldn't give you any Linux info. Perhaps these companies have something coming down the pipe.
Slashdot Mirror
I have found the most frustrating thing about vb scripting under asp is the syntax. response.write "This is a line 1." & vblf _
& "This is line 2." & vblf _
& "This is the last line"
</sarcasm>
That's why they call it VerBoseScript
--Clay
I have found the most frustrating thing about vb scripting under asp is the syntax. response.write "This is a line 1." & vblf _ & "This is line 2." & vblf _ & "This is the last line" >/sarcasm&;tl
That's why they call it VerBoseScript
--Clay
not knowing how to use it
not explicitly destroying objects
storing single threaded objects in a session/application variable
poorly configured servers
running sketchy components in process with IIS & not through MTS
I'm not saying that some things haven't been flaky (0115 error, buffer overflow) but other products are continually being upgraded & fixed as well.
--Clay
If the script itself can't do something I can create a component and call it through ASP. I can also separate my display/data/logic layers that way.
One of the beauties of ASP is you can use vbScript, JavaScript, PerScript (more perlscript), etc...to develop with as well as COM object built in vb, C/C++, etc... There are also MANY good code snippets and help available without having to look hard.
Some good URL's:
ActiveServer pages.COM
4guys from Rolla
Abundance of helpful mailing lists & FAQ's
ASPToday
ASPHole(Under construction right now)
15 Seconds
and a whole slew of other good sites (they usually link back & forth to articles.
If you want a " in your string with vbscript you can stick in two " and it'll be escaped OR you can append the Chr() of it to the string.
So far the only limitation I have come across has nothing to do with ASP: HTML sucks for complex forms. Client side Javascript can do a lot but often you still need to split your forms up if you can't use ActiveX or Java.
Any other Q's?
--Clay
It could screw any other company wishing to provide upgrades for their software components automagically depending on the date enetered in the registry.
So, the workaround? store the VERSION number in the registry (unless someone has already patented).
Heh..this patent is almost as stupid as the M$ press release on Innovations Enhance Windows 2000. Hmm...can you say file links boyz & grlz? They are only umpteen years behind the times.
--Clay
BREATHE DEEP!
--Clay
They both create a product you can't physically hold with tools.
They are both distributed on the same media (CD, magnetic tape and files).
They are both a form of entertainment (although software can do more)
They both have versioning (different mixes / upgrades) that we pay for.
They can both be considered free speach
Code is art. Music is art.
When you purchase a CD, you are purchasing a license to listen to one copy of your song. When you purchase shrink wrap warez, you are purchasing 1 license to use it. You can purchase more than 1 license.
Just because it is law that doesn't mean it is just/correct. Times are changing faster than the gov't can can create laws to "protect" whatever it is they are supposed to.
It is revolting that the music industry feels it is being screwed after they have _forced_ us to buy CD's full of crap that we can't return and we couldn't try it first. Someone oughta report them to the better business bureau. Hell...that sounds like gambling. Isn't that illegal for minors to risk $$$ on chance? Hey...there we go - we can counter sue for corrupting our youth and causing problem gambling.
To top it all off, their profits increase and they have the gall to say their industry is being hurt. What a bunch of over rich whiners.
Since the MP3 "revolution" I have heard so many new songs (BY "popular" artists) that I have/will go out and purchase. The unfortunate part? I have to buy the whole freakin CD and pay my $20 for a bunch of crap I don't want. Heh...still sounds like software :)
--Clay
BTW, your comment on another thread contradicts what you mentioned in this thread:
<QUOTE>
I hat the facist way that the TV studios attack people who are just trying to enjoy the show. If I have some Simpson's sounds/ pictures on my web site, I'm not hurting anyone!
</QUOTE>
According to your Hellmouth comment the "intended medium" for the Simpson's sounds were TV, not your website in WAV or text. By your logic in the other thread, putting the anonymous stories in another medium (the book) isn't hurting anyone either. I guess what that really tells me is that your opinion (as mine) probably differs from the _law_(pending proof).
Besides, comments on here are (AFAIK) not copyrighted. Of course I haven't seen the book but the announcement of it the other day put it clear in my mind that the stories are not the words of the author(s) but of victims who are being kept anonymous to avoid reprocussions.
--Clay
If it was a story published with false or no names and no distinguishing traits that could trace it to the victim it is just that: a story. Hell, it borderlines fiction. If they indeed ruled that it was a violation of privacy all the fiction authors could be in real trouble :)
Just the facts please.
BTW, I have no Xperience in law so this is of course IMHO.
--Clay
FPhlyer has posted 1 comments (this only counts the last few weeks)
Do you honestly think that my comments or yours would really be missed? If you are submitting a comment to a public forum for ALL to read you are contradicting yourself.
Sure, the comment is owned by the poster but you've voluntarily responded to a public forum being published on the net. Publishing in a book is just another means of distribution. By posting, you signified intent that you want your opinions to be shared. What does the medium have to do with it? Instead of being locked forever in 1's and 0's, your comment would be locked forever in paper.
Do you realize that at this very moment your words are not only sitting on Slashdot but in hundreds/thousands of other netizens browser cache (or perhaps only the moderators and mine)? Perhaps multiple times? Did you intend this to happen? What if they link to your comment off another site. Are you going to get uppity over that because you didn't intend it?
Slashdot/JonKatz/whoever isn't taking credit for your post but they are giving the ability for others to read it. They are the ones making the initiative to get posted and privately e-mailed stories & comments out to a larger % of the public (until everyone has a computer & net access).
You sound ignorant as to the way data works. If you can get at it so that it is useable, it can be re-distributed ANYWHERE. A dinky little button DOES NOT GUARANTEE JoeSchmoe isn't going to make a comment harvester and broadcast your stuff on another site. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to keep your comment on this site if it can be read.
Do you also foolishly think that any other copy protection scheme by the recording and movie industry will actually fly if you still have the ability to view the material on their proprietary box?
I guess you've already solved your problem: If you don't want it seen, don't post it.
Then again, perhaps you just wanted Karma.
--Clay
Slightly used VHF/UHF signal jammer for sale (built 1975). Also cleans carpet and comes with handy stair attachment. Only $25
Dual purpose "just like new" VHF/UHF signal jammer for sale (built 1978). Comes with 1 cookbook and 4 components for mixing cake frosting, whipped cream, etc... Only $10.00
My mom ruined so many good Saturday morning "Looney Tunes" with those damn things.
--Clay
W.A.V.E. T-Shirt
Look on D00M
players face as
(s)he is cuffed
and dragged out
of school in front
of "friends"
or AC/DC blazing "Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap!"
--Clay
Anyway, I've been using Royal's online banking for over 2 years now. I love it!
With RB's online banking I can:
I'm not sure if there is a charge or not but I get it free with the account I have.
--Clay
Linux is not an end user operating system. Until it gets to the stage where I can give my brother in law a Linux CD, it installs itself, configures itself, allows my sister to write her thesis in Microsoft Word format, without having to learn a new interface, allows him to connect to an ISP *easily* without me having to do it for him and has an update mechanism which is as easy to use a windowsupdate.microsoft.com it's not going to make inroads into consumer space.
If you classify an "end user operating system" as one that self installs and configures itself perfectly then Windows isn't it either. The reason I am "picking" on windows is that it has a larger install base in the home and it's what I use most of the time.
Well, I thought I covered this where I put in [device] but I guess not. "Why doesn't my sound card/modem/cd-rom work" is another question I get asked BY people on the the Win* platforms. It is not just a Linux problem as the author implies. Perhaps USB/FireWire is the answer to all our current prayers - when any device can be plugged in by anyone and it is instantly diagnosed, recognized and operational. ;)
In either case, it sure beats loading punch cards
Anyway, I never said I didn't have these problems in Linux, I just wanted to say that Linux isn't the only OS with problems - "Why does WinNN lockup when searching for new devices and NOT find them even after following the installation instructions".
Going from app to app in the Microsoft world also requires you to learn and use a different interface. As I mentioned previously, anytime you change apps, be it from MSWord to WordPerfect, MSWorks to MSWord, MS Office vNN to MS Office vNN+1, MSNotepad to MSOutlook, etc... you are going to have a change in the interface and will need to learn again. They should be more consistent but they aren't - fact of life. These differences are NOT OS dependant as the author of the article suggested.
Incidentally, Thank God I had Linux installed a yr ago because WIN95 decided to send the wrong stuff to my vid card (after updating a driver of course - bad! bad driver!!) so I could still boot LInux and check my e-mail, surf in Nerdscape. How would Joe user in the WinNN world fix that?
--Clay
He failed to consider the Win95/Win98/NT PC's when comparing your ease of use MAC system to Linux. There is a larger X86 Joe User base.
99.9% of the time I'm on an M$ OS on an X86. I've had the (dis)pleasure of using Plug&Pray devices, manually configuring DIPs (I'll take that anyday), Trying to get DOOM ][ to work properly with my USR 14400 (stupid connection strings) etc..., Bloatware installing crap & breaking things (See DLL Hell @ M$) Umpteen servicepacks from M$, Hotfixes galore AND different behaviour between software packages on the WIN platform.
What regular Joe user can track all of that themselves? Why should they?? I am regularly approached by one non-techie friend in particular wondering why "I can't get my new [device]to work in Windows" or, "[device/software] won't work anymore".
You cannot tell me that changing from MS Office to Sun Office would be such a difficulty of immense proportion than going from vX of MS Office to vX+1 taking into consideration menu layout & features between MS Office versions as well as layout/feature differences in other S/W such as: IE4, IE5, Netscape, Outlook, Pegasus, etc... THEY ARE ALL INCONSISTENT. Sure, they each have a File menu and probably a Help menu but Some use HTML help while others use the .hlp format. In Notepad, "Alt-S, F" searches and finds text. If you do that in Outlook, You've just sent your e-mail to the boss before replacing "Dear PHB," with "Dear Sir,".
The jump from W95 to W98 for network was different (comparable to MS Office to Sun Office in your world). Within the first 15 minutes I couldn't get her system to see my W95 system (by setting up the devices, services & protocols the same) BUT I had NO problem getting Slackware to work with my NE2000 compatible NIC on the wave over 2 years ago in that same amount of time. I did something regular Joe users don't do: research & reading. You should know something about the system you are using. Only then will it actually be useful for you.
Anyway, lucky for me my GF is very smart and had the patience to travel down each winding path in the Windows help so that she could further config the networking and get it working.
Also, The first attempt at installing it pooched her system & it couldn't boot. Tell me, how does JOE User fix that without taking it into the shop? They know nothing about boot disks, DOS based CD-ROM drivers, SYS C:, etc.....
Every 3 months I need to re-install W95 because it has become unbearably slow and choppy. How does Joe user fix that him/her self?
OH, and I must be the ONLY ONE that has had the Win95/98 auto HW finder lock my system(s) right? Ya, it is oh-so user friendly to Joe User to see that "If there is a long time of harddrive inactivity, press reset". Does Joe User know what the HDD is or what that randomly blinking light really does besides mess with the cats mind? Do they know what is a long period of inactivity?
As was previously mentioned, I REALLY doubt that Joe User sits down and spends HOURS learning an application. <SARCASM>None of us S/W geeks have ever been used as a helpdesk by our friends to answer questions ...no...not ever.</SARCASM>
AND (also mentioned before) why must I conform my handwriting to a palm device? What makes industry so sure that is what people wanted? Sure they are selling, but that magical "device around the corner" he is so fond about is really what I wanted but all industry could offer me was a Palm pilot. I certainly don't want one. Personally, I want a cheaper, Open Source, patent free laptop-like device. I want a large screen and image projection so I can play life-size Quake with a (almost) full sized keyboard. I want that device to handle my wireless voice/LAN/Internet communication, my entertainment (movies, music, LAN GAMES), my GPS AND I want this ALL to fit in my pocket running whatever OS I choose WITHOUT the "Blue Screen of Death". I do not want some $700 electronic notepad with a crappy display where an "upgrade" means buying another one.
I am sick of being a victim of PHB's and "interests of Shareholder's". I want what is good for me (and my fellow consumer) and I want control of it. Will I get it? Not likely so I have to settle for what is offered. (ya, ya, I know, "so then why don't I go build it myself").
--Clay
--Clay
You can drop by your local office and get one (I did in Calgary, AB - CANADA) but you may want to call first to see if they have any (and so as not to swamp them with bodies). They were very friendly and if you have some experience they may offer to take you under their wing. The salaries listed in the booklet are for non-contract type positions. They have offices all over the U.S. and a few in Canada (Calgary, Mississauga, North York, Ottawa, Toronto), one in London and one in Paris.
I am not a spokesperson for them nor do I work with them but the guide they gave me was very well put together - easy to read and gives you the facts without a lot of dribble.
My pimp generated a salary treatment guide based upon this doc, the "Information Systems Compensation Survey, William M. Mercer ltd, 1997-98" and some unknown "Skills Matrix Workshop 04/99".
--Clay
Time to pay up NASA!!
It almost looks as if my gf was driving the Pathfinder last kuz they couldn't parallel park worth a damn.
--Clay
"Because, as a matter of law, you couldn't really have believed that you understood the patent (yes, our federal courts can be quite condescending), you will likely be found liable for triple damages if it turns out that you were wrong, and that you really are infringing the patent."
Having that said, how could a patent lawyer or person at the patent orifice possibly be competent or understanding enough (I mean no disrespect) to judge a h/w or s/w technology patent request if they do not have the qualificatinos to build a board or create an application or know the physics behind the technology?
--Clay
Some OLAP (On-Line Analytical Processing - i.e. reporting) stuff off the top of my head that I've had contact with:
Cognos
CrystalReports/Info
ActiveReports/ActiveCube by DataDynamics
Cyberprise
My company tried Cognos and it seems to be a heavy hitter to satisfy the PHB's. It's got data mining/driling down, stored static cubes so you don't need to go back to the DB (makes it fast) and when you drill down till you are out of data, you can go into the DB off the cubes. You can run reports right off the cube data. Unfortunately I wasn't a part of that venture but from what my co-worker(developer) says, it was pretty slick... YOU DO PAY through the nose for it.
Crystal Reports: Very slick & easy to use. Almost idiot proof to run them off the web BUT the web engine is single threaded and you can only run one at a time on the web server (useless!). If your DB is slow and 5 people ask for a report each at the same time and they all take 5 minutes, the last person will be waiting 25 minutes...you know that by then they've already clicked refresh 15 gazillion times (or the default install of IE has given up). The ActiveX and JAVA controls that come with Crystal 7 that allow you to view reports through the browser are sweeeeet. You can export reports to RTF and a couple other formats right from the browser. Oh ya, it's also VERY easy to design reports and the COM interface makes it easy to work with. I demo'd CrystalInfo but select boxes confuse our users enough that we didn't want to give them the ability to create reports on a whim if they dont' understand the underlying tables. You can pay some comapny 10k U.S. for a multithreaded Crystal Print engine. Crystal7 is reasonably priced.
On the same lines, ActiveReports (and ActiveCube) by Datadynamics is quite a bit more useful although no where as easy to use as Crystal & doesn't come with the handy pre-built functions to manipulate/shape data (but I like doing stuff from scratch ;). It is an ActiveX Designer plugin for VB. You crateall your reports in VB and then create a generic report object to wrap around those activeX designers. And the best thing of all was that you could run multiple reports simultaneously which beats the pants off of Crystal. The export controls aren't as full featured though and there aren't many export options but there are enough that you can get data into pretty much any app. Besides, too many options confuse users ;) ActiveReports is reasonably priced.
Cyrberprise was another thing my company tried but I can't say much about it as our interest leaned more torwards COGNOS.
Anyway, currently we are using a crappy buggy 16-bit Helpdesk software by Applix (transitioning to a home-brew Oracle Forms app instead) and the reporting was buggy and useless..not to mention they save the users password in a text file in the root of the system drive...but I digress.
This Oracle thing (started out on web...too flaky, going client/server unfortunately) needed web reporting so all the Crystal Reports we had suited it perfect to run via ASP (Active Server Pages). I designed a system that allowed me to put all sorts of dynamic web selection forms in front of the crystal engine and pretty much run any report we had. I can add options to the selection form just by inserting into the DB and it pops up on the web page.
This allowed users to run pre-defined report templates against the system to extract the stuff the needed. All in all, it works great (except for the slow DB and single threaded Crystal report engine) and I'm in the midst of modifying it to be able to run Crystal and ActiveReports (so I can port everything to ActiveReports).
As was previously mentioned, you could use PHP script or PERL or C/C++ on Linux to do your stuff but that would require a lot of work.
Sorry I couldn't give you any Linux info. Perhaps these companies have something coming down the pipe.
--Clay
--Clay