[ic] Accolades to the IC Developers...

[Andrew Lietzow]

Dear IC Wizards,

Just thought I'd take a moment to share a great feeling, especially since I 
know these feelings can be short-iterations, dumping to the subroutine of 
reality entirely too quickly... :-)  My comments are simply accolades, so 
if you're wanting to help someone out today, this is not the message to 
read.  And it's long, so delete or skip if not interested...

First, to the developers.  What an assume product.  I haven't even 
scratched the scratch of the potential and I am already thrilled.  I've 
sold, serviced and supported multi-user accounting systems for nearly 20 
years.  (I've also installed other e-commerce systems).  The accounting 
systems have ranged from single-user systems on an Apple III to 128 -user 
systems on a fairly robust IBM RS/6000 (with branches all over the 
place).  They all bring a certain level of headache with them and there is 
an intensive learning curve.  Even today, I have a software vendor whom I 
represent wanting to "test me", to see if I should be certified to 
represent their product.  16 years of working with them and they want to 
know if  "I" know what I'm doing with their latest release.  Half their 
staff doesn't know and yet they want to test me?  IMO, they have lost touch 
with their customer base and in 5 years, they, like K-Mart, will wonder 
what happened.  Great will be the fall.  I know of another company due for 
a little set back over the next three years.  Got any question as to whom 
that might be?

At least one-half of the world is moving to GNU and both the RedHat Linux 
port, and the RH Interchange product are just two examples of why this will 
happen. Both are awesomely powerful, fairly simple to install, and with 
occasional help, can be made to work with minimal investment.  What more 
can you ask of a software system?

Secondly, to the people on this list who provide help--to the newbies like 
me, the more advanced users and sometimes to those who seem *very* 
knowledgeable indeed.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.   You tolerate the 
rants and yet keep coming back to dispense for aid to the forlorn and 
lame.  While I have a long way to go, today is a watershed day because all 
of the basic elements are in place--and functional!

These elements include a very powerful back-end database in mySQL 
(including thousands of records beyond what comes with IC), a decent 
semi-GUI administration tool called mySQLMan, an excellent server platform 
in the Linux distro from RedHat, version 7.0 (and another that will remain 
unnamed), Apache server versions 1.3.14 & 2.0.35, mod_ssl, Perl, openSSL, 
sendmail 8.11, a firewall from Robert Ziegler that, since I installed it, 
has rather effectively managed to kept the creeps out... and on and on... 
ALL are working and I couldn't be prouder, or happier.

The baby is born and it is a beauty!

Finally, the coupe de grace--the icing on the cake--is RH Interchange 
4.8.3.  I may not feel this way tomorrow, so I wanted to get this out while 
I am top of the world.  The feeling is exhilarating because what I had 
envisioned is beginning to be within my grasp.  I know it CAN be done, with 
patience and perseverance.  I want to tip my hat and pay homage to the 
developers because any review of this product that does not conclude with a 
rating of *at least* a 9 on a scale of 1-10 is from someone that has not 
done his/her homework.

While not for the novice, or those who don't enjoy a steep learning curve, 
what I know today is that the back end to this product is even more well 
thought out than the front end.  Many, many people have gone before me and 
paid the price, lost sleep and sweated until the wee hours of the morning 
under pressure; sacrificed time with their families or other leisure time 
so that "I" could very quickly install something of value; and at minimal 
cost.  I haven't had error #1 since I got over the two-server hurdle and 
within a couple of days, I expect to have a half decent online store with 
anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand items (and be back here, 
probably whining for help!).  Until then, I know of lots of systems that 
cost 1,000's of dollars of which I cannot say that about.  All reviews to 
the contrary notwithstanding, this is an awesome piece of work, Mike Heins 
and associates.  Ten at-a-boys and a big THANK YOU!

So, for those who have any question, let me tell you that purchasing the 
documentation is well worth it, and so is the effort to hang in there until 
it's going.  The Developer's Guide was worth the price and I know the 
Reference Guide will be as well.  It's the NOT for dummies version, 
unfortunately and I wish I had time to write the "For Dummies" version 
because I could have used it--and I'd make a fortune.  But I'm not a 
publisher, I'm a Hosta nut, a computer hacker, and wannabe molecular 
biologist... Someone else will have to reduce it to the basics...

Now, I'd better go sell something so that I can put something in the "tip 
jar"---it's time.

God Bless you and --- THANK YOU!

Andrew Lietzow, MBA
A newer member of the GNU Generation
The ACL Group, Inc.