[vox-tech] collaborative data storage (of excel files)

[Dylan Beaudette]

On Wednesday 16 January 2008 02:44:41 pm Gandalf Parker wrote:
> On Wed, 16 Jan 2008, Bryan Richter wrote:
> > On Jan 16, 2008 1:30 PM, Dylan Beaudette <dylan.beaudette at gmail.com> 
wrote:
> >> They work exclusively with Excel.
> >
> > The big cheese couldn't understand that they needed a database
> > application! We're talking terabytes of data over the life of the
> > project, and they're trying to get Sue to whip something together all
> > by herself because of their complete unfamiliarity with the concept.
>
> In the computer classes I taught the military I had to broach that
> subject. I would say "yes you CAN do it in a spreadsheet, or in Word
> tables, or a presentation, etc etc. But why ignore what they do best?
> Basically its like this. If its going to be read, then Word does it best.
> If its going to be presented, then a presentation is best. If you are
> going to do mathematical things with numbers, then a spreadsheet will do
> it best. If you are doing things with words like sort and search then a
> database is best.

Ok, this is a practical stance dealing with the symptoms of a lack in data 
management training. What would be really nice is a required data management 
course - possibly coupled with technical writing - to alleviate the 
fundamental problems.

>
> If you start a project in the wrong application then somewhere down the
> line you will want it to do something and you will spend alot of extra
> time trying to get that application to do it. After all you can haul
> freight in a car but if you know the job is hauling freight then why
> would you ask for a car?"
>
> Gandalf  Parker


all in all a fun discussion!

Dylan