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Yeah, sure. Whatever. Eric -----Original Message----- Dear Eric, Thanks for your input! I'm still in
favor of developing a Windows version of PostGreSQL. But I don't think
that intelligent people are going to want to use any version of Windows
(especially since the news of DRMOS and TCPA included in Windows XP and soon to
be implemented in all future releases of Windows 2000 Server) to host their
own website via their DSL line. Another few reasons for this choice
are the constant crashes of ALL versions of Windows and the increasing lack of
responsiveness to fix bugs or admit to "less than advertised"
limitations. Also, people who don't appreciate the far
less than honest approach to Access users that MS has taken, are not about to
spend thousands of dollars on MS SQL Server. At least not at a time when
all signs point to abandoning Windows in favor of Linux, as a
"necessary" step, albeit painful. "Necessary" because
of the improved security that is possible, with sufficient Linux expertise
and because of the lowered risk of being at only one company's mercy...as
pointed out by the senator from Peru and many others since. Allowing MS to continue a 90 + percent
market share (by remaining blissfully ignorant) until TCPA is fully implemented
in all supported versions of Windows is nothing short of total insanity.
I believe that most Americans are intelligent enough to realize this and avoid
that scenario by making the switch to Linux. I don't believe that we
Americans are stupid enough to let a company like MS take away almost every
freedom that now exists in the field of technological development! If we
are, then we will shortly lose our other freedoms as well...through ignorance
and apathy. I believe that we will see many mfgs of
motherboards that don't include the "Fritz chip" that are designed for
those who vote for Linux and make the switch to an unfamiliar OS...primarily
due to their discovery of the TCPA/MS agenda. Am I sure about this?
Yes! Look at the intense interest shown by other countries in Linux
application development for the GUI desktop. Do you think they will
abandon their investment? I don't think so. Especially not in
Taiwan or China where flexible and compatible "hard Real Time"
versions of Linux are a primary development focus...to be marketed here in the
US! (Examples: http://www.redsonic.com and China
Soft...their website link can be found at the Redsonic website....hope you can
read Chinese!) Redsonic's toolset will beat WinCE in
the near future...without any doubt. The performance improvement and user
friendliness of their tools far exceed any version of WinCE. And Redsonic isn't the only "Real
Time" competitor. There are many, many others...and a steady flow of
new ones. If we as Americans don't make the switch
to Linux instead of Windows, including end users at home, then I can think of
one Biblical phrase that fits, "Don't cast your pearls before swine, lest
they turn and rend you". In other words, "send back your PC to
the store"...we're too stupid and self absorbed to have the privilege of
using them or to enjoy our current freedoms. Switching to Linux is
currently a "pain" to be sure...but it is less painful than what will
surely follow if the MS plan works. "A word to the wise is sufficient".
And it won't be long until it is much less painful to make the switch. Sincerely, Arthur Baldwin I’m afraid that I don’t hold
as much faith as you that Linux will become the “defacto standard”
toolset for all website servers. MS, despite its major shortcomings, is fairly
slow and steady when it comes to improvements to its OS. That said, Access is crap because no one uses it for what it was
built to be used for. And I would imagine that MS would rather spend their
time/money on SQL Server development. I agree with you that pgsql
needs a more powerful, GUI interface. The QBE interface in Access is nice.
However, I don’t agree that it is unimportant to have a Windows version.
Point being, that Linux users are used to – and sadly often expect
– poor interfaces with the programs they use. Windows users are far less
forgiving. If, what you are talking about, is truly wide spread use for
PC’s and small-time web-servers then a Windows interface is damn near
necessary. Eric -----Original Message----- I'm pleased to see some renewed interest in pg_access.
It seems obvious to me that MS Access is not currently...and probably never
will be able to handle data in a robust and reliable fashion. MS Access'
apparent success is due to the user interface quality and "ease of
use" for "non-programmers". The "Relationships
View" window, for example, is one of the best and most useful features
ever invented for any database toolset. In reality PostGreSQL is in a "strong position" to
fill the "reliability void" left by MS Access. However,
the general public doesn't know much about the short comings of Access,
due to MS advertising and sales efforts. It seems clear to me that the
best way to "promote" the use of PostGreSQL is to offer more
"ease of use" GUI interfaces for changing table structures, indexes,
relationships, and upgrading older versions of files. Although it would
be nice to have a native Windows version of PostGreSQL, as well as a Linux
version, I expect Linux to replace Windows on a large number of PCs in the near
future. I think that "having a Windows version" will not be a
significant issue at that point. However, GUI based "ease of
use" features WILL be an extremely important issue and will increase in
importance for the rest of the forseeable future. Using a "browser"
to implement the GUI toolset is a good start, but it probably won't support the
same degree of user friendliness that is seen in the "Relationships
View" window of MS Access, where a relationship can be instantly
"drawn" with a mouse, and fields added to the Table with a simple
"right click" on the Table header. If we do a good job of providing GUI based tools,
similar to MS Access, as well as conversion tools from Access to PostGreSQL for
existing data, then PostGreSQL and Linux should quickly become the
"defacto standard" toolset for all website servers. It seems to
me like PostGreSQL is already on this pathway, "like it or not", and
that focussing on the GUI toolset is essential to maintaining a good
relationship with those who are new to the Linux world. Whether you realize
it or not, there is a humongous tidal wave of MS Access users currently
gathering enough database theory expertise to "realize" the MS
"snow job" they've been given about its reliability. They will
be forced into finding another solution and chances are VERY good they won't
opt for MS SQL Server or Oracle. If we are ready to give a
solution to them...great....sorry MS, but they seem to "like us
better". If we are not ready, then our future won't have anything
to do with MS, only our own lack of vision. At our current level of GUI tools, we can't expect any
positive response even from fairly talented self taught computer programmers
who have been interested in Linux since 1998 or later. Soon, there will
be many Windows IT Specialists who will be seriously investigating the Linux OS
and the "best database tools" available for it. Add to this
list "end users" who are fed up with daily Windows crashes and are
experimenting with hosting their own DSL based website servers....and
well...there's your tidal wave! Ready or not....the wave is directly
behind us....time to "paddle" for all we're worth! Sincerely, Arthur Baldwin |
- Re: [HACKERS] pg_access [EMAIL PROTECTED]
- Re: [HACKERS] pg_access Eric Redmond
- Re: [HACKERS] pg_access Michael J. Ditto
- Re: [HACKERS] pg_access [EMAIL PROTECTED]
- Re: [HACKERS] pg_access Eric Redmond
- Re: [HACKERS] pg_access Nicolas Bazin
- Re: [HACKERS] pg_access Christopher Kings-Lynne
