Folks, that was a wonderful sentiment Daniel Nall shared Wednesday of how much Plum had helped solve a problem for him and his organization. If I may be so bold (and with no offense intended to Daniel at all), that called to mind a thought I'd like to share.
Plum is free, of course, yet it's clear that Adam and David have put tremendous blood, sweat, and tears into both building and now supporting it. It's wonderful that Plum can saves folks huge amounts of work (whether by reduced coding effort or the productivity enabled for the users of an app built with it). In the same regard, it's worth remembering that they do accept donations. :-) And it could be beyond the $79 suggested amount, of course. Now, again, please don't see this as calling Daniel or his organization on the carpet. I don't mean that at all. Heck, I don't know anything about the arrangement they may have with "the Churvii" and maybe he has or is already seeking some way to otherwise show his appreciation. I'm just using that wonderful experience as a talking point. In a world of open source solutions, we often tend to gratefully accept free solutions, but those who know Adam and David know the intensity with which they have built/supported this thing, entirely of their own funding and time/effort. (And yes, I know they're also looking for corporate sponsorships, and yes we're considering that ourselves as a show of support and to ease installing it on BD.) This is just a friendly suggestion that, especially if you're in an organization that usually would pay for such a solution, it's worth remembering that the savings did come at Adam and David's tremendous effort. Even if the "donation" model is somehow inappropriate to pursue when seeking to offer them compensation in a formal organizational funding process, I'm sure they could arrange some other more formal form of invoice--if nothing else, perhaps as a support agreement, http://www.productivityenhancement.com/support/PremiumSupport.cfm. :-) Just speaking up for the guys. Please, don't anyone feel I'm speaking to them individually. Each can do what their situation permits. Clearly, it's wonderful that they offer it for free, especially to allow folks to decide for themselves without pressure whether it works well for them. And it's totally ok to use it for free. That's the deal. Just want to put out a call that if the time comes that you do have great success and savings from it, you might give this some thought. Can I say it one more time? I'm NOT directing this to anyone, and do NOT expect anyone to speak up to defend if they're have not or cannot offer them some form of donation/compensation. It's just a friendly reminder of the opportunity to thank them in another way. :-) /charlie > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Nall Daniel A GS-09 336 TRSS/TSUD > Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 4:41 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: [plum] Edit Users > > Adam, > I wish that was possible but I am behind the Great Wall of > China here. > My production servers and client workstations do not have > connections to the cloud. I'm posting this from my email > machine which is completely separate from my production > network. If there is any other way I can help you to help me > I am open to questions and suggestions. > > BTW, I haven't been on the mailing list for quite awhile > because I've been so focused on the development and > deployment of my app. But now that the app is deployed > (testing phase) I think this is a good time to give you folks > a little background. If you will permit me to ramble on for a > bit, I assure you there is a point to all this. > > I was hired by the USAF Survival School as a temp > writer-editor for curriculum and courseware. My job was to > develop courseware material, both traditional paper-based and > electronic media (Flash CBTs). I have a degree in computer > science (AAS) and experience as an instructor of technical > training so I was a good fit. My AAS focused on programming > (C++, Java, etc) but I have never programmed anything outside > of macros and some scripting. In other words, I knew theory > well but practical application experience was next to nil. > > Just prior to my arrival, Student Administration was using > a MS Access app shared out on the network for student > tracking, instructor qualifications, reporting etc. The > gentleman who developed that database and front-end had long > since departed and when the database reached its breaking > point (thousands of student records and hundreds of > simultaneous users) it crashed hard and they lost everything. > > The boss knew of my background and, having seen some of my > work in MS Access, charged me with development of a new app. > This time he wanted it to be enterprise level, secure, and > (in addition to student > administration) he wanted an entire e-schoolhouse built. Oh > yes, he wanted it at the testing level within four months and > I was to be the only developer. This was one of those > "opportunity knocking at the door" moments. I could have > taken a pass because it was beyond my skills and not what I > was hired to do (in which case I would have finished my temp > employment and moved on), or I could dive right in and either > sink or swim. I chose the latter and while I'm not doing > Olympic swim times, I am well past dog-paddling. > > We decided on MS SQL 2003 as the back-end, Cold Fusion in > the middle and a web front-end powered by IIS. Oakely > Doakely, where to begin? I knew html so I started surfing the > net looking for information and tutorials on CF and MS SQL. > I bought some books (Database Design for Mere Mortals: > Michael Hernandez, and CFMX Web App Construction Kit: Ben > Forta), joined Macromedia's forums and signed on for MX > Developer's Journal. It was in MXDJ that I noticed an > article about PLUM. > > I was lucky in one respect. 90% of the requirements package > had been documented by the previous developer. So I could > start mapping out my database while investigating PLUM. I > downloaded it and ran it against the tutorial databases that > come with MS SQL. I also went through the Plum tutorials. > Wow, what a powerful way to develop apps quickly. This was > last January and the timing was perfect. I get tasked and > the tool I need just appears at the right time; like I have > geek angels looking out for me. > > Within a month I had laid out the database, run Plum against > it and began developing pages. By the end of April I had > almost three thousand pages in my site, a custom menuing > system based on user roles, and an app that does complete > student administration, serves up CBTs, a student chat room > (Flash Com server), student testing and test analysis, > digital library, gallery, video library, tracks student's > progress through six different courses, prints all of their > forms, certificates, and reports in PDF (There's those geek > angels again -- CF MX7 right on time), and it's pretty too. > Management estimates we are saving over 100 man-hours per > week previously spent on paperwork and data (hand scribed) analysis. > > > Now we are in the testing phase for the next month or so > and training the beast to behave in a civilized manner. Not > too many bugs, none serious. The biggest challenge seems to > be seeing how users screw things up and taking steps to > prevent it. User feedback is very positive. Several other > offices have caught a glimpse and now they want a piece as > well. I have a long list of additions to the app and two > other side projects to begin developing. I have secured a > permanent position at higher pay and the boss' boss wants to > take the app out from behind the Great Wall and push it to the masses. > > So what's the point of this? None of this would have been > possible in such a short time frame (perhaps not at all) > without Plum, the incredible support from the Churvis family > as well as the community on this mailing list (a special > thanks to Jeff Fleitz). Along the way I have gone from > letting Plum generate my pages and handle all code to > handcrafting my own pages and customizing code to fit. I've > learned a great deal about database design, CF application > design, and good coding practices. I still may not be the > gurus you folks are but Like I said > -- I aint dog paddling no more. > > Thank you just doesn't seem to cut it. I am finally doing > what I love to do, getting paid for it and you folks are to blame. > > Most Respectfully, > > Daniel Nall > > PS We are thinking of doing V2 with Flex -- wish me luck. > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Adam Churvis > Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 8:48 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [plum] Edit Users > > Daniel, > > Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a time when we > can remote desktop together so I can see exactly what's > happening and perhaps try a thing or two on your machine. > > By the way, this new support feature is *tremendously* > helpful in debugging issues like this. Thanks again to > Charlie Arehart for the tip! :) > > Respectfully, > > Adam Phillip Churvis > Member of Team Macromedia > http://www.ProductivityEnhancement.com > > Download Plum and other cool development tools, and get > advanced intensive Master-level training: > > * C# & ASP.NET for ColdFusion Developers > * ColdFusion MX Master Class > * Advanced Development with CFMX and SQL Server 2000 > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Nall Daniel A GS-09 336 TRSS/TSUD" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 11:32 AM > Subject: RE: [plum] Edit Users > > > Well now I feel special. I managed to break Plum so bad the creator > doesn't even know how this could happen. LOL I have no idea what led > to this. It worked one day and not the next without any corresponding > change in code. The admin's email and password are > pre-populating their > respective fields while the user's information fills out the rest. > Weird eh? If I figure this out I will definitely post the solution. > > Respectfully, > Dan Nall > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Adam > Churvis > Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 3:58 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [plum] Edit Users > > Never. I just checked again a number of ways with a number > of preceding > manipulations and it works just fine. > > The password is never shown in the edit form, though. It's only there > so > you can change the password. It's a security feature. > > Respectfully, > > Adam Phillip Churvis > Member of Team Macromedia > http://www.ProductivityEnhancement.com > > Download Plum and other cool development tools, > and get advanced intensive Master-level training: > > * C# & ASP.NET for ColdFusion Developers > * ColdFusion MX Master Class > * Advanced Development with CFMX and SQL Server 2000 > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Nall Daniel A GS-09 336 TRSS/TSUD" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 3:05 PM > Subject: [plum] Edit Users > > > Here's an odd one: While logged in as an Admin and editing a user > (PlumUserEditForm) the form gives me the user's particulars except for > email and password. Those fields are populated with my > particulars (or > whoever is logged in as admin). Of course this makes the save button > inoperative. Before I shotgun this, does anyone have any > suggestions? > > > > Respectfully, > > > > Dan Nall > > > > ********************************************************************** > You can subscribe to and unsubscribe from lists, and you can change > your subscriptions between normal and digest modes here: > > http://www.productivityenhancement.com/support/DiscussionListsForm.cfm > ********************************************************************** > > > ********************************************************************** > You can subscribe to and unsubscribe from lists, and you can change > your subscriptions between normal and digest modes here: > > http://www.productivityenhancement.com/support/DiscussionListsForm.cfm > ********************************************************************** > > > ********************************************************************** > You can subscribe to and unsubscribe from lists, and you can change > your subscriptions between normal and digest modes here: > > http://www.productivityenhancement.com/support/DiscussionListsForm.cfm > ********************************************************************** > > > ********************************************************************** > You can subscribe to and unsubscribe from lists, and you can change > your subscriptions between normal and digest modes here: > > http://www.productivityenhancement.com/support/DiscussionListsForm.cfm > ********************************************************************** > ********************************************************************** You can subscribe to and unsubscribe from lists, and you can change your subscriptions between normal and digest modes here: http://www.productivityenhancement.com/support/DiscussionListsForm.cfm **********************************************************************
