A FM site by Genx + HarryGlos Whoa

[HarryGlos]

Hidey-Ho Fellow FileMaker-Ins,

We have something special for all FileMaker-Ins today. A new site built entirely on FileMaker and it’s just about as good as it gets. Some would call it shear perfection, while others have used such superlatives as Spectacular, Outstanding, Magnificent, Stupendous, and surly it was made by God himself!

Well close to God anyway… I built it! Ok Ok maybe I didn’t build all of it, now that I have God involved and all, I should at least be a little truthful. Hey, anyone can try something once right. Man you guys can be a tough crowd.

First of all the idea and brains behind the idea is a guy by the name of Steve Thompson. I must apologize in advance by telling you two things about Steve. He’s a Navy guy and a Texan. Kind of puts a whole new tilt on the expression “an officer and gentlemen” doesn’t it! Hey I was in the Army and understand maybe he couldn’t get into something that prestigious. But I’m sure he could have been a Marine! He has more business for me but I guess I can kiss that good bye! What a horrible time for my backspace button to go out… Oh no not the send key…

One thing I can tell you about Steve however is he’s no slouch when it comes to ideas! This may be the best I’ve ever seen because he just hit this one out of the ball-park. Him selecting me as the developer not withstanding!

I built the database with my new Australian friend Alex Babkov best known on the FileMaker forums as Genx. He performed the PHP side of the project. I new I needed help when a friend of mines wife kicked him out of the house and I found out PHP didn’t mean “Please Help Pack”! Alex did a fantast job which will be obvious to you when you see the site. Our client’s directive was a Straight forward, business like site. Where you can see both the bacon and the sizzle.

You may have guessed I tossed in the last part, but I came by it honestly. Genx was walking down the street in his home town of Melbourne, with a pig under his arm and these two ladies, Sheila’s as they call them in the Great Down Under, walked by and remarked “that is one filthy pig” and Genx said “It’s not a pig it’s a Hog” and the lady said “I was talking to the Hog”!

My point is. This is a great site that “pops up great every time or my name isn't Orville Redenboc”—Hmmmm sometimes I'm just so confused.

Look, everyone reading this knows one thing for certain about me and that is I am not prone to exaggeration. Embellishment maybe, but never exaggeration! So I can tell you this just amongst us girls… Alex isn’t listening in is he? No Ok, so I can tell you this in confidence. This Aussi knows a few things about PHP and FileMaker. If I was staked to an aunt hill with a million ants, honey poured over me with a Johnny Cash song playing in the background. I’d still tell you I’m proud to have partnered with him.

I’m also pleased to say he feels much the same way about me… Just the other day he was overheard saying “I’ll tell you this about Harry, As an American he makes me proud to be an Australian”! Maybe I’ll just send him a few Johnny Cash songs myself… Maybe “Burnin Ring of Fire”!

What the site does is provide the ability for Americans to participate in the legislative process daily, if desired, instead of once every 2, 4 and 6 years at election time. How you say? By allowing them to vote on literally every bill in congress! But the icing on the cake is the ability of every voting American to compare their elected official’s vote’s right alongside their own. What drives this site and maintains the data integrity you ask? You guessed it, good ol FileMaker!

FileMaker drives the site and I can tell you in all humbleness, humble being my middle name, is one of the, if not THE most technologically perfect solution ever devised by man! Do you hear a little Sweet Georgia Brown playing on yonder stereo?

I’m proud to be part of this with my friend Sir Alex of Genx… You done good and it has been my absolute pleasure to have worked with you. I know it just makes you want to tear up!

Here’s the site… http://e-votingbooth.com/ enjoy…

Live Long & Prosper and Remember Who Loves Ya,

Harry

[Genx]

Okay, so maybe the Pig part really happened... but it's a childhood memory of Harry's so you'll have to drill him about that one.

On to the cool stuff about this site...

A lot of people think that they are happy with IWP and that it really brings their database in to the world of the web… It doesn’t – It may have done 5 or 6 years ago, but today, the world has upgraded and FileMaker, at least to some, has seemingly been left behind. This is not the case Harry’s friends: While IWP may have become less and less able to fit the demands of today’s business world, the introduction of the PHP API will be able to do wonders. Take this new site as an example: www.e-votingbooth.com – does it look like a FileMaker site, does it behave like something driven by FileMaker? As Harry would say “Dahhhh”… no it doesn’t – and that’s the beauty.

Being able to present a website driven by FileMaker in a fashion that gives it scalability, usability and speed is what truly allows it to compete in an environment with the big boys. Please let us know what you think, and / or drop by the site and exercise your democratic right to vote!

[HarryGlos]

Ya what he said…

Lets face it you really have to pay attention when you’re talking a solution that will be served in the first place. There are so many things lurking to bite you that is of little concern on a desktop solution. Things like overall solution speed and sorting speed just to mention a couple. Now add on the web and things just multiply.

You have a whole new list to consider in your web based solution. I don’t mean to give a primmer here, because most of you know it and others can only sit so long. But you need to do your homework well in advance of development. This is not a place you can wing it and deal with it later because here it's either right or its just wrong. Little things like Dialog boxes don’t work on the web, scripts break, calculations that worked fine before just sit there and laugh at you. You also have a whole new set of privacy issues… In short, it's just so much fun. I was going to say "as much fun as you can have with your clothes on"! But I thought better of it with Genx being an Aussi and all.

Oh and while we’re on the subject lets talk “Relationship Graph”… The very first thing Genx said to me after receiving my solution was “Finely a solution where I could read the Relationship Graph!” Well OK, his first words were actually “you are like a FileMaker developer God” but hey, why mix metaphors! If my good friend Ender is lurking, metaphor means “small things you can eat with your hands” Ar-Ar-Ar.

And while we’re on the subject pay equal attention to sound data design conventions and descriptive naming! FQZpop may be great for now but what does it mean to someone else or even yourself 6 months from now? Why not just call it what it is “CityPop”. You can even thumb your nose at the minimalists in the group and type “CityPopulation”. One thing I know I don’t need to mention in this group is a sound and frequent backup plan. Look out Aunt Millie, this guy’s using the “B” word.

Genx said: Being able to present a website driven by FileMaker in a fashion that gives it the scalability, usability and speed is what truly allows it to compete in an environment with the big boys.

He’s good isn’t he! He may not know a Dingo from a Roo but he knows this FileMaker stuff doesn't he...

Live Long & Prosper and Remember Who Loves ya,

Harry

[mr_vodka]

Good jobs guys. Shall I go recommend it now to lots of people so we can test your web server with innodated traffic? :)

[Genx]

Please tell all your girlfriends John :)

[HarryGlos]

Hey John,

Now that I'm back in mens clothing I even send people... :)