In October 1998 we launched our Revelation Year 2000 Scan Software product, SCANY2K. This has now been run at many sites internationally and has assisted in the detection of code that requires checking for Year 2000 problems. For many organisations, the SCANY2K software has considerably reduced the time and effort that would otherwise be required for an effective Y2K problem assessment of Revelation applications.

* The SCANY2K software is registered free to non-profit organisations *

Many applications, irrespective of programming language, are expected to experience Year 2000 failures in 1999 and beyond. Financial systems in particular are affected. Failures range from the very minor to the very serious. Unless checked beforehand, there is no way of knowing the severity of the problems until they occur.

If you would like information on how Revelation applications can be affected by the Year 2000 problem, then please review the information available at our web site, URL:

http://www.ts.co.nz/~finsol/scan.htm

* On-line Assessment Service *

We are now able to offer an on-line Year 2000 assessment service. Further details, including pricing, are available at URL:

http://www.ts.co.nz/~finsol/assess.htm

For information on what problems can occur within programming languages in general, the following web site has several articles which may be of interest.

http://www.ts.co.nz/~finsol/y2k_articles.htm

Please contact me if you are interested in either our on-line assessment service, the SCANY2K product or if you would like a free copy of our comprehensive Y2K manual.

Regards

[email protected]

Jocelyn Amon

Financial Solutions Limited

Nelson, New Zealand

64-3-548 4442

http://www.ts.co.nz/~finsol

Eric Emu is pleased to announce that when you're drink-driving, you shouldn't try to open your pizza. In the car, a pizza box is the drunk man's Rubik's cube.

Eric now offers an on-line service to assess the Y2K compliance of pizza boxes, old beer cans, full ashtrays, and the annoying bits at the back of the glove compartment in your car.

You can rest assured that with Eric's timely intervention, these will remain Y2K compliant in hundreds of cars across the world.

There is a second compliance-testing website for people who eat pizzas on the wrong side of the road, or who like to live dangerously. This offer includes capricciosa, hawaiian, and for a limited time, the vegetarian supreme (extra bacon).

New Zealand is the only country where pizzas are not supported for Y2K compliance.

Eric

Your attempt at humour does not help in getting the message out that all applications, regardless of language used, needs to be considered when assessing Y2K applications.

You are obviously very sure about your abilities and your own applications and that there are no problems within them but for many, the year 2000 has never been a consideration, until very recently, when writing code. Some programmers are still oblivious as to the issues. My Y2K work with Revelation and my Y2k awareness work has provided much evidence of this.

I would like to encourage other developers in Revelation to share their experiences in remediating code with this discussion group. I know there is a reluctance to do this as it does no one any credit but it is obvious that there a programmers out there who still think this is a big joke and who need hard evidence.

As for New Zealand being more likely to have Y2K problems in Revelation this is not so. We now have very few Revelation applications in our little country. Most of the work I get is in the USA and Canada. Sites in Colorado and New York seem to have the most problems.

I would rather be doing high level consulting or Java programming and learning Linux but I feel that Revelation programming expertise is a rare skill these days and Y2K is more important than other work at this point in time.

Regards, Jocelyn

http://www.ts.co.nz/~finsol/

This seems to authenticate the reason that Emu's are a near extinct species. Their ability to generate hostility within their own communities and a general lack of advocacy groups.

Well …. that's all for the Emu's.

Now for the Gnu's and sports …….

In a spirit of sharing….

We have performed many RevSoft Y2K audits as part of due diligence exercises and we have yet to find anything that would bring a company to it's knees. The absolute worst so far was a system that would use the wrong file name when backing up financial data - easily fixed and even if not noticed, easily fixed by reference to good backups.

And as for the Emu's attempts at humour - well I actually find them successful. Now ask me about breachs of forum posting rules re: explicit advertising without written permission from RevSoft.

[email protected]

Sprezzatura Ltd

World Leaders in all things RevSoft

Thanks David,

You are right. Emus are annoying. And have a poor sense of humour. And are stubborn, stupid, aggressive and easily riled. Especially by endless touting for business.

I have a policy of giving away stuff for free to help others, in the hope others may do the same.

Eric

—————————–70502476031201–

Jocelyn has given away more working copies of the Y2K scan program than she's charged for, having run across many clients using her software. Plus she does followup progress checks.

Possible because nobody is crazy enough to run a truly mission critical application under ARev.

As for forum rules, I've notice that Jocelyn has never been censured by RTI where as others have in the past.

Besides, isn't including company logos and links to commercial websites in postings a form of advertising?

Ermmm no. To quote Merriam Webster advertising is "to call public attention to especially by emphasizing desirable qualities so as to arouse a desire to buy or patronize ".

What I am doing is called promotion which is not explicitly forbidden in the forum rules - they state Do not post unauthorized advertising. This includes soliciting other members to buy or sell any products or services without the prior written consent of Revelation Software..

Very droll choice of name by the way.

Oh yes, lest I forget, your posting also breaches forum rules, to quote Do not submit anything that is libelous, abusive, hateful, an invasion of privacy, harmful to other users or harmful to the business interests of Revelation Software.. Claiming that you can't write mission critical apps on RevSoft products would seem to be exactly that.

[email protected]

Sprezzatura Group

World Leaders in all things RevSoft

Yes, Jocelyn gives away copies of her Y2K program. The demo copy I saw was crippled to check a maximum of 150 programs.

And she does follow up. Again and again and again, in the newsgroups, in the forums, via email. Unsolicited.

Eric.

Hey, leave me out of this. I'm an innocent victim, besides, I wasn't even there at the time. Though, we are sorta wild beasts.

[email protected]

Plus, if you act now, we'll throw in a set of Y2K compliant ginsu knives free! It slices, it dices, it makes millennium fries.

[email protected]

God,

I love this place.

Discussion groups are so stimulating.

Yup Tom, reminds me of the good old Compuserve days!

[email protected]

Sprezzatura Ltd

World Leaders in all things RevSoft

Eric

The scan program is not crippled in any way! I don't know where you got the 150 program limit from. The initial phase will size the application and indicate if there are any missing components but then will require registration to continue further.

The non-profits who receive my program get the full version.

The software is also supplied free of charge for smaller applications which allows smaller organisations (which usually have less complex requirements) to run it for free and larger organisations to assess its worth before purchasing the software for their larger applications.

I do have a mission to raise awareness as regards Y2K, not just for the Revelation language. However, Revelation programming is my particular strength and so I'm concentrating on that for the foreseeable future as far as programming is concerned.

Why would you expect me not to charge for my services and products? I can't see how bankrupting myself would serve my clients.

If anyone does require a free Y2K program there was one advertised in this discussion group and I'm waiting for permission from the author to promote (not market!) it for him. I've run it and it is very good. I would strongly recommend anyone who has so far done nothing regarding checking their applications for Y2K to at least run this software over their programs.

Jocelyn

Jocelyn,

This forum (and the Compuserve forum before it) is intended for a community of developers to help each other, so that together we can either do business (privately) by email, or offer support as intellectual barter publicly here. That way, the community feels more confident with the product, the product pool gets better, the work opportunities improve for fixing legacy applications, the upgrade path to OI flourishes.

The likes of Andrew, Aaron, Carl, Jonathan, Don, David, Larry, and a host of others come here to help, for free. Have done so for years. It's a friendly place, and the non-commerciality of it is what makes it attractive to many.

So when you arrive late, pull up a chair, and start flogging your wares, you turn a self-help group into your very own party plan. And that spoils it for everyone, no matter how good or how worthy your product is.

Perhaps you hadn't noticed that some of the people here are talented enough to do a Y2K test themselves.

This forum is one of the few free assistance forums on the internet with brilliant people here to help. Appreciate it.

And you wanna turn this forum into your shopfront?

Perhaps try the alt. newsgroups, where it's de rigeur.

Eric

Here here ……

Hear hear ……

I have noticed many organizations willing to help with Y2K problems. The willing part is nice. the actual important thing is to point out the flaws and the action to take to correct them.

When a company or person simply states… be worried about a Y2K bug… I definately find that to be a (well to be very very nice) nasty way to cause panic.

If you are so concerned… then i would be very interested in the exact Y2K bug that revelation has.

I must tell you this… The way revelation handles dates is definately a non "MICROSOFT" (and many others too) method.

I have a clear belief that you are not knowledgeable on the method that "DATES" are handled with revelation.

If you were then you would know that there is a year 9999 problem. And like well that is like 7000 years away.

So given that… all i can think of is to laugh and make jokes.

It reminds me of this phone company calling me and asking if my business phone system is Y2K. My first thought was well since the phone system is from their company geesss you tell me! And second hmmmm… um on 12/31/99 at 11:59:59 if i call the east coast are you saying my phone call wont make it there till 100 years later???

Sorry i just had to add one more joke to the list.

In Jocelyn's defence she does actually know whereof she speaks. Her software is very thorough and her knowledge of Y2K based issues is excellent. What is being objected to (in an initially humorous way but now more directly) is that she is abusing the forum. The majority of contributors to this forum have services/goods they could advertise but they decline out of mutual respect.

This is also not to suggest that Jocelyn does not contribute, on the contrary she has made at least 3 non-self serving postings over the past couple of years. But this contrasts sharply with the 25+ adverts and 15+ requests for help. Her posting pattern is similar on Comp.Databases.Revelation et al but that is not contrary to the FAQ there so she is not flamed for it.

[email protected]

Sprezzatura Group

World Leaders in all things RevSoft

Beautifully put Mr Emu sir.

[email protected]

Sprezzatura Group

World Leaders in all things RevSoft

Apologies to all those I've offended with my postings. I do agree that it is refeshing to find a non-commercial site like this and I am sorry I abused the privilege of using it.

I have attempted to have products listed on the Developer Network page but so far have had no response. I will persevere with this and will no longer use this forum to promote services and products.

I would like to add though that there is still a sinificant number of programmers who are unaware that Y2K is an issue which they need to consider seriously.

Again, apologies

Jocelyn

Jocelyn

Whilst not claiming to represent anything other than my own company, I personally welcome your message. Having had more than one occasion in the past where I needed to apologise to the community for my lack of thought I know that it is not easy!

From conversations historically with Revelation, forum rules notwithstanding, they have indicated that if a user has a specific need and posts regarding this need, they are unlikely to object to a "commercial" posting designed to help the user. So please bear this in mind if you see anybody in this forum asking for Y2K help.

In the meantime, the next issue of SENL is under preparation. Perhaps you'd like to forward via email another article on the whole issue, perhaps with case histories etc and a large plug for your services. With 6 months to go it can't hurt to remind everybody again via a commercial vehicle! We'll gladly include it.

In the meantime Email Jennifer Scheers with a request for inclusion in the 3rd party tools section of the web site, she's always looking for new things.

Regards

[email protected]

Sprezzatura Ltd

World Leaders in all things RevSoft

I have attempted to have products listed on the Developer Network page but so far have had no response.

There is an application form on the Developer Network for having your Revelation applications or tools/utilities included in the section. If you fill out the order form and fax it back to us at (978) 247-8900, we will add your tool right away.

I have already faxed an application form - as well as emailed a follow up message last week asking for confirmation.

I will do so again, however.

Regards

Jocelyn

Unfortunately I have received neither your fax nor your email (did you send it to [email protected]?). Would you please fax the application again, marked Attention: Jennifer?

I do apologize and will make sure we get your information up as soon as possible.

To get back on topic, while Arev itself may be Y2K ok, anybody's Arev app is bound to have at least one Y2k 'bug'. Ours has 18 items (programs, dictionary items, windows, popups etc) that have a Y2K 'bug', out of 10,626 items. (And yes we are crazy, it's a large mission critical application with 1,000,000+ record tables and 30 to 50 simultaneous users in Colorado no less).

While our Y2k bugs won't bring our application to it's knees, it would be embarassing to have our clients and users find these 'bugs' for us!

We used Jocelyn's Y2k scan product and there is NO way I could have found 18 out of 10,000 had I done the scan myself even with code. We then further filtered the 'flagged' items from her scan product and examined the remaining 400 items manually to find the 18 problems. It took a total of 6 hours.

Thanks Jocelyn it was money well spent.

Ralph

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