Alpha Software Mobile Development Tools:   Alpha Anywhere    |   Alpha TransForm subscribe to our YouTube Channel  Follow Us on LinkedIn  Follow Us on Twitter  Follow Us on Facebook

Announcement

Collapse

The Alpha Software Forum Participation Guidelines

The Alpha Software Forum is a free forum created for Alpha Software Developer Community to ask for help, exchange ideas, and share solutions. Alpha Software strives to create an environment where all members of the community can feel safe to participate. In order to ensure the Alpha Software Forum is a place where all feel welcome, forum participants are expected to behave as follows:
  • Be professional in your conduct
  • Be kind to others
  • Be constructive when giving feedback
  • Be open to new ideas and suggestions
  • Stay on topic


Be sure all comments and threads you post are respectful. Posts that contain any of the following content will be considered a violation of your agreement as a member of the Alpha Software Forum Community and will be moderated:
  • Spam.
  • Vulgar language.
  • Quotes from private conversations without permission, including pricing and other sales related discussions.
  • Personal attacks, insults, or subtle put-downs.
  • Harassment, bullying, threatening, mocking, shaming, or deriding anyone.
  • Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or otherwise discriminatory jokes and language.
  • Sexually explicit or violent material, links, or language.
  • Pirated, hacked, or copyright-infringing material.
  • Encouraging of others to engage in the above behaviors.


If a thread or post is found to contain any of the content outlined above, a moderator may choose to take one of the following actions:
  • Remove the Post or Thread - the content is removed from the forum.
  • Place the User in Moderation - all posts and new threads must be approved by a moderator before they are posted.
  • Temporarily Ban the User - user is banned from forum for a period of time.
  • Permanently Ban the User - user is permanently banned from the forum.


Moderators may also rename posts and threads if they are too generic or do not property reflect the content.

Moderators may move threads if they have been posted in the incorrect forum.

Threads/Posts questioning specific moderator decisions or actions (such as "why was a user banned?") are not allowed and will be removed.

The owners of Alpha Software Corporation (Forum Owner) reserve the right to remove, edit, move, or close any thread for any reason; or ban any forum member without notice, reason, or explanation.

Community members are encouraged to click the "Report Post" icon in the lower left of a given post if they feel the post is in violation of the rules. This will alert the Moderators to take a look.

Alpha Software Corporation may amend the guidelines from time to time and may also vary the procedures it sets out where appropriate in a particular case. Your agreement to comply with the guidelines will be deemed agreement to any changes to it.



Bonus TIPS for Successful Posting

Try a Search First
It is highly recommended that a Search be done on your topic before posting, as many questions have been answered in prior posts. As with any search engine, the shorter the search term, the more "hits" will be returned, but the more specific the search term is, the greater the relevance of those "hits". Searching for "table" might well return every message on the board while "tablesum" would greatly restrict the number of messages returned.

When you do post
First, make sure you are posting your question in the correct forum. For example, if you post an issue regarding Desktop applications on the Mobile & Browser Applications board , not only will your question not be seen by the appropriate audience, it may also be removed or relocated.

The more detail you provide about your problem or question, the more likely someone is to understand your request and be able to help. A sample database with a minimum of records (and its support files, zipped together) will make it much easier to diagnose issues with your application. Screen shots of error messages are especially helpful.

When explaining how to reproduce your problem, please be as detailed as possible. Describe every step, click-by-click and keypress-by-keypress. Otherwise when others try to duplicate your problem, they may do something slightly different and end up with different results.

A note about attachments
You may only attach one file to each message. Attachment file size is limited to 2MB. If you need to include several files, you may do so by zipping them into a single archive.

If you forgot to attach your files to your post, please do NOT create a new thread. Instead, reply to your original message and attach the file there.

When attaching screen shots, it is best to attach an image file (.BMP, .JPG, .GIF, .PNG, etc.) or a zip file of several images, as opposed to a Word document containing the screen shots. Because Word documents are prone to viruses, many message board users will not open your Word file, therefore limiting their ability to help you.

Similarly, if you are uploading a zipped archive, you should simply create a .ZIP file and not a self-extracting .EXE as many users will not run your EXE file.
See more
See less

Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #31
    Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

    Hi Robin.

    Good for you for trying to find your answers. A slow learner is still trying to learn, and is making an effort from your side. I don't mind helping people who are trying, slow or fast. But I'm not going to do it for you either (unless it's something of interest for me!).

    I don't think anyone would put you in the abuser class at all.:)
    Regards,

    Ira J. Perlow
    Computer Systems Design


    CSDA A5 Products
    New - Free CSDA DiagInfo - v1.39, 30 Apr 2013
    CSDA Barcode Functions

    CSDA Code Utility
    CSDA Screen Capture


    Comment


      #32
      Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

      Robin,

      So how much time should one spend before adding a new post?
      This is perhaps the hardest question of all to answer!! I suppose it mostly depends on the individuals persistance. Personally I try various approaches and searches for alternatives on the messageboard, help files, learnAlpha, etc. for at least a few hours if not more (many times it ends up being 8, 12, or more!). But I am of the type who knows that it is not a waste of time to spend this amount effort for while I am searching for a specific answer to one question I also come across many other methods that aid me later on or solve other current unanswered questions. That and I refuse to try and have others write most of my code or to teach me everything when I can do it if given enough time (usually!!) and do not wish to ever abuse the generousity of all the members who contribute so much here by asking questions which I can find on my own---even when I know it may take me hours to find an answer that would take the more knowledgable but a few seconds of typing usually.

      Thanks again to all here who have helped me get this far...very much appreciated!!

      Mike
      Mike
      __________________________________________
      It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know.
      It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
      Henry David Thoreau
      __________________________________________



      Comment


        #33
        Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

        A lot of you are better programmers than I am, and I take my hat off to you. I purposely have not joined the Alpha Consultant Club because I don't have the time to help someone make a program and many of you depend on making those apps for your living. I make mine by selling. Alpha is a hobby and a means to make something to sell.

        I am well versed in sales and followup. That is what I learned, what I taught, What I do. When you get a lead, speed is next. You need to respond quickly, accurately and with sound explanations. The man who said you can never give enough detail was wrong!! Give enough to get excitement and then ask for a sale. Negatives are not allowed!

        I lovethis forum!

        Dave
        Dave Mason
        [email protected]
        Skype is dave.mason46

        Comment


          #34
          Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

          What is an abuser? Hmmm�
          I have been with Alpha since the start. Way back when DOS was still in its infancy. I�ve used Alpha and loved it. I�ve created Alpha databases that ran my company for 20 years. It kept track of all aspects of business down to the red cent. My last purchase (before V8) was desktop V4.

          Then the version 8 advertising emails and post cards started coming in. Touting its �ease of use,� �ease of implementation� etc. �Anyone can do it type marketing. My impression was that it was similar to the desktop side. (No one implied this that I�m aware of. It was simply my impression) I have an active job board that I currently run as a hobby and thought I would design my own, make it better than the canned jobboard software I purchased.

          So, I was captured. I purchased the Enterprise edition a couple of months ago. Then the time came to begin my web project. I was excited! Could not wait. After installation, I dug in.

          Ease of use? Maybe for those who know V7 and know xbasic pretty well. I know next to nothing about xbasic. Sure I can easily create the grids and html pages in V8. But sorting, filtering, variables, redirecting pages, etc. Way different than in the desktop.

          I�ve been working on this for the past 10 days now. Eight (or more) hours each day. my result so far? I think I�ve reached the completion of the NewUser dialog. Wow. Now I have to (re) learn all about the sorting, filtering, and linking. Functions that are (I think) completely different than in the desktop version.

          I don�t know how many times I�ve read a �solution� in the help, got excited thinking I found the answer only to realize it is for the desktop version only. I hope help sees improvements. If it weren�t for the forum gurus, mainly Steve Wood, I very likely would have given up by now and Alpha would have lost a future customer. I�m sure I�m not alone.

          I respect Alpha. I believe it is a great product. But I wonder how many customers purchased the software believing it would be �easy� only to find themselves working much harder than they thought they would. How many have given up? I believe someone asked, �I wonder what happened to those who only post 2 or 3 times?� Maybe it was the responses they received.

          I have been trying. I�m not a quitter. I�m frustrated. I hope I�m not considered an abuser. I hope I can learn and develop a great web system and give back to this board.

          Again, a big thanks to you forum gurus.
          Eric

          Alpha Five Websites
          longlivepuppies.com
          socialservicenetwork.com
          -------------------------------------------------
          socialservicenetwork.org

          Comment


            #35
            Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

            Hello Eric,

            Well, I sympathize with you. "Easy" like "beauty" is in the eye/mind of the beholder. Many, many of us have been there and here's how I got around the problem. I forgot about how I did it in DOS and stuck to one thing at a time. Often, when getting stuck, I would think back to how I did it in DOS and realloy get screwed up.

            Forget the past. It is behind us. press on to the mark, the completion of a simple database. Ask questions, Ask questions. That is the purpose of this board. Soon you'll be singing zip-a-de-do-da.

            kenn
            TYVM :) kenn

            Knowing what you can achieve will not become reality until you imagine and explore.

            Comment


              #36
              Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

              I do tend to get annoyed at people who can't seem to be bothered even to read the user agreement or basic instructions, and then expect others to solve the resulting problems or blame the problems on...

              But one thing I have learned over time is that there are three kinds of people, those for whom searches, help files and looking up information comes naturally, those who muddle along and make do if they have to, and those who are genuinely not able to make use of such facilities. It's easy to get annoyed but then it's difficult to put yourself in the shoes of someone who doesn't quite "tick" the same way...

              Comment


                #37
                Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

                Just thought I would drop a line to say:

                sa few months ago(August 07), i had my main app downloaded and had made contact with the people for hopefully a sale. Yesterday, after having been brushed off several times, I was contacted from the phone number on the main screen(mine). They have sent a check(they said) and wanted me to turn the timed program back on. it seems they were using it until it shut down on the 1st of January. It seems they tried to crack it and couldn't find a crack for it, so decided to purchase. I sent a temp fix for 10 days and if the check gets here and is good, I will send them a permanent fix and do the other setups they need.

                Most anyone here could have cracked most of it.

                how wonderful does it get?
                Dave Mason
                [email protected]
                Skype is dave.mason46

                Comment


                  #38
                  Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

                  I'm glad this one caught my eye. I hadn't considered hiring an expert. It will be in mind, though I'm one of those volunteer project workers. and a newbie. I am alert to reporting bugs, though

                  Comment


                    #39
                    Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

                    Originally posted by DaveM View Post
                    Just thought I would drop a line to say:

                    sa few months ago(August 07), i had my main app downloaded and had made contact with the people for hopefully a sale. Yesterday, after having been brushed off several times, I was contacted from the phone number on the main screen(mine). They have sent a check(they said) and wanted me to turn the timed program back on. it seems they were using it until it shut down on the 1st of January. It seems they tried to crack it and couldn't find a crack for it, so decided to purchase. I sent a temp fix for 10 days and if the check gets here and is good, I will send them a permanent fix and do the other setups they need.

                    Most anyone here could have cracked most of it.

                    how wonderful does it get?
                    Did check show up? Was it good?

                    Comment


                      #40
                      Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

                      Thought I would bump this thread.

                      I am in need of someone to help overhaul an inventory/ invoicing database for the textile industry so I can implement barcodes. And I have no clue how to set this up for my network.

                      Anybody near Los Angeles who wants to take a stab at it? I would also like to improve/ update my form design which I thought I might be able to do with some advice using ver 8.

                      I've been working on this since ver 4.5 and feel it is time to bite the bullet and pay for some help!
                      Robin

                      Discernment is not needed in things that differ, but in those things that appear to be the same. - Miles Sanford

                      Comment


                        #41
                        Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

                        Originally posted by Steve Wood View Post
                        p.s: I often wonder about the 60% that post one or two questions and are never seen again. What happens to those guys?
                        Like me? We learned enough to do what we needed. Usually after we have built what we wanted and needed, its not too hard to maintain or tweak it. But most I suppose are like me and still "lurk" in here reading stuff and trying their best to continue to learn.
                        I have started a new project though and may have to ask a question or two. I certainly hope that the small guys like us, with 'extreme' limited budgets don't get labeled abushers for asking the rare questions.

                        All that being said, I do get most of my questions answered through search; even if I have to keep rewording my search to finally get better results. So us 60 percenters are ninja lurkers, we slip in, read posts and slip out, even when we don't need answers specifically; hmmm, guess by the OP I'm an abusher then? eep

                        And yes I know this is an old post, however this is just to show how deep guys like me dig, ;)

                        Comment


                          #42
                          Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

                          Originally posted by cbbankz View Post

                          And yes I know this is an old post, however this is just to show how deep guys like me dig, ;)
                          Thank you for the feedback. It's good to know that people use the system as designed.

                          In my opinion you have shown that searching and finding answers is not only possible but actually used. That's what a knowledge base is for.

                          I've noticed on some other places, the user is asked if this answered the question. That shows which topics are looked at and used. It would be good to know that info, but is it worth the cost?

                          Asking questions that have been repeatedly answered is more of the annoyance that has been mentioned here..
                          Al Buchholz
                          Bookwood Systems, LTD
                          Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

                          Occam's Razor - KISS
                          Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
                          Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
                          When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
                          "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
                          Albert Einstein

                          http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

                          Comment


                            #43
                            Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

                            Received the email stating someone had responded to this thread. Going back and reading what I felt in post #34 in 2008 brought back a lot of memories, some maybe not so good.

                            I�m now on my 3rd Alpha web project. Nothing complicated like the Alpha masters here but nonetheless successful projects. I also continue to lurk here, use the search and still find solutions. If it weren�t for the willingness of those who take (took) the time to answer so many questions here in this forum, I most likely would have given up long ago.
                            Eric

                            Alpha Five Websites
                            longlivepuppies.com
                            socialservicenetwork.com
                            -------------------------------------------------
                            socialservicenetwork.org

                            Comment


                              #44
                              Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

                              Long time ago.

                              Did check show up? Was it good?
                              yes it did and yes it was.



                              .
                              Dave Mason
                              [email protected]
                              Skype is dave.mason46

                              Comment


                                #45
                                Re: Are you a Forum User or Abuser?

                                Good morning!

                                I'm a newbie. I'm one of those "guru" users on another site (Chief Architect), so I know exactly what you're talking about.

                                I passed on helping someone recently who didn't just want pointers, didn't want to try and then post again when he got stuck - but actually wanted someone to do a video of how to do his exact roof condition, and do it for free and then "sell it on the internet"! (I hope that qualifies for the "humor" Steve mentioned, I certainly laughed my way right off my chair!

                                I'm trying to come back here when I get something solved to be a responsible consumer of advice. I've only been able to do that on a couple so far, because many are still in progress (final will be worked out in my paid training sessions.)

                                I did want to throw in some things in defense of "dumb, didn't search" newbie questions. It can be amazingly difficult to find what words to search! A newbie doesn't know the lingo. It's a problem searching through the A5 help also - which is nothing sort of dreadful. It won't even narrow results to listings that have ALL the words! I've been banging my head against the wall trying 8 gazillion combinations of words.

                                In some cases the best answer might be just to point out the correct section in the A5 reference material or which video as a start. Between the "What's New in Alpha Five" group and the new advanced ones that you buy, it's a lot of videos - and you can't word search for what's inside a video!

                                And - searching here yells at me for words that are critical to the query - like "to". The Chief Architect message board uses the same software as this one - Jelsoft - yet doesn't have that restriction.

                                And - watching all the videos is great. But it can be total information overload when you're new - to the point where you think you saw something you didn't see, or know you saw it but can't remember where or find it again.

                                So maybe don't think too harshly of the struggling newbie just based on question quality. Not coming back to say "thanks" or post an update? Absolutely, that's just rude.
                                Wendy Welton
                                Architect
                                past & future Alphaholic - deliberately falling off the wagon!

                                http://www.artformhomeplans.com/

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X