Your involvement

[Bud Henschen]

TO: Mark and All

I learned long ago that nothing is accomplished by arguing, berating, or 
beating on people; therefore, I don't spend my time on the fplist..  There 
is a saying that, "if you keep putting wood on the fire, that ultimately 
you'll get burnt" and I'm not here to feed the fire nor will I in the 
future.

Even though you don't agree with me and make various comments, I will read 
and try to lesson to what you have to say.  Mark, in our phone conversation 
last year or prior year, you informed me that there were customers:
1)     that required more automatic indexes and 5.6  now has 26 automatic 
indexes,
2)     needed the UNC or they would need to leave filePro. UNC is now in 
5.6.
3)     we needed to get rid of the 80 X 24 screen.  It will be addressed in 
a future release.
4)     did not like the concurrent user count so 5.6 now has a per session 
count.  In-order to
        accomplish this we had to develop a License Manager that counts 
sessions and lessens
        your user counts. (It may not be a per seat as some requested, but 
the per session is closer to
        what was requested).  The License Manager will also allow you to 
"try" a full released
        product for "free" for xx days and if you like it, purchase it or if 
you don't like it to simply
        let it expire.  There will be no 30/60/120 refund since the product 
is "free".  You can simply
        download from the website and hopefully this will attract new VARs 
or developers..

We/I have listened and are about to deliver three (3) of the four (4) items 
we discussed.  The 80 X 24 was just to involved to deliver at this time, but 
it will come.  Wish list items will be included along with major features 
when time permits and resources are available.

Sockets we feel will open new opportunities for development and sales to 
increase your business.  We hope to release an XML version of filePro this 
year which can be used with the sockets.  The sockets and XML should give 
you the ability to communicate with various databases and platforms.

Maybe not every feature is included in this release of 5.6, but with the 
many platforms and markets supported by filePro, we are trying to meet your 
needs.  Mark, we even discussed doing partial releases and rolling into a 
major release; therefore, I am surprised at some comment concerning features 
and pre-release versions. We are trying to provide the features required for 
you all to stay competitive and catch up with technology.

Jose,  I recall you asking (begging) us for help so that your company didn't 
have to go to Oracle and we responded with the 64-bit I/O feature to allow 
you to go beyond the 2GB limit.  This is now a feature of 5.6. and according 
to my sources your company is still using filePro, because we listened. .

Be assured that most of the features of 5.6 were not proposed for Bud, as 
indicated in the prior emails, but were requests of the filePro community. 
As far as a Developer owned company, that is always a possibility.  Anyone 
wishing to pursue this, please feel free to contact me. Remember, fP Tech 
was about to go under when I entered the picture and we have made tremendous 
strides to reduce the debt, control expenditures, offer new products, and 
continue to support the filePro community.  I believe in and depend on 
filePro just like all of you and not used it for my gain but what is/was 
best for the filePro community.  If you find yourself in a situation where 
you need a feature or will have to leave filePro, please email me directly 
at mgmt at fptech.com and we will do everything possible to make it a priority.

In closing, I ask that each of you to consider upgrading your current 
customer base from the 3.0, 4.1, 4.5, 4.8 and 5.0 product line which would 
allow us to hire a new programmer or two and address the concerns you have. 
We hope to release 5.6 soon, so check it out on the web www.fptech.com  or 
as always we will send out an announcement.

Thanks for your time.

Bud L  Henschen and Staff
fP Technologies, Inc.

================================================

>>> > Q. Why after nearly two weeks of this and similar threads have we not
>>> > heard one peep out of the filePro owners/spokespeople/TPTB?
>>> [...]
>>>
>>> Perhaps because no one has actually asked TPTB, but rather only asked
>>> other members of this list?
>>
>> Either Bud takes an interest in the products for which he's responsible, 
>> or
>> he does not.
>>
>> Ignorance is no excuse.  IMNSHO, if he -really- gave a damn, he'd be
>> reading the list daily, just like the rest of us.  Kind of falls under
>> "Market Research".  Now he can delegate that task, or he can do it 
>> himself,
>> but -nobody- is going to convince me he's not -aware- of what's going on 
>> to
>> at least some degree already.
>>
>> And "taking it private" is simply another way to dodge the public to 
>> which
>> he (or the product, if you prefer) must inevitably answer.  It's a 
>> cop-out.
>> Not answering because it wasn't asked in private where you have an "out" 
>> if
>> you don't like the way things go is just childish, period.
>>
>> Consider it a public entity then:  THE LIST is asking.  And if needs be,
>> one of us can forward all the relevant email to fP-Tech under that guise,
>> and he can respond to "THE LIST".
>>
>> That shouldn't be necessary because your assertion is kind of flawed
>> anyway.  John's petition was CC'd to an address at fP-Tech, as were 
>> several
>> of the "Yea" votes, including mine, which were group replies.  No 
>> offense.
>> Check the archives.  At least one other person CC'd them as well.  So
>> that's John, me, and at least one other person.  Possibly more.  I know
>> I've gotten diddly privately, and not seen a word here.
>>
>> mark->
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>> http://mailman.celestial.com/mailman/listinfo/filepro-list
>>
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