[AccessD] Secured vs. Unsecured FEs

I have distributed mdb FEs but definitely prefer mde FEs for all of the
reasons previously stated here by other listers. Not all of us have clients
like Andy(lucky). I stipulate in my contracts that I own the code. I
verbally inform the other party that they may purchase the code for 3 times
the cost of the original contract. They don't seem to want to do that :o)

The reason I do this is because I reuse my applications for a number of
clients and make modifications for each. I know my clients and their
employees quite well. My clients are a cheap bunch. Although my contacts
wouldn't do it, their employees would take my unprotected code and "lend" it
to other people in their field of work without much thought. I wrote an app
once which my "clientele" was demanding out of the state government. I was
assured by my regular govt. clients that their cohorts would snap it up. It
was a stand alone (runtime) app which replaced a DOS based program the state
had given them to do a certain task. I showed the app at a state convention
of employees and actually got a rousing applause (and much interest). It
returned a time savings on an average of 58% for the task at hand. I
originally offered the state agency distributing the DOS app. complete
rights to app. for distribution to anyone for $10k. The couldn't "afford"
it, budget crunch and the like. I marketed it directly to the potential
clients for $240, I actually included a DEMO on CD. I had 12 of the 64
potential clients buy it! The others tried to do emulate it on their own in
Excel, Access, etc. That was three years ago. None of them were successful
in emulating it. The state has a new point of contact for this program and
recently asked me to market my product to the people not using it! Needless
to say I didn't make any money on it. I had put < $4k into the development
and marketing (it wasn't a complicated app by any means). The one redeeming
issue (and the reason I bore you with this story) is that no one
successfully stole my code. But they did try! I haf vays of making zem
talk }~)

I still support this app but it doesn't call for much. I actually have a new
customer for it this year! I had almost forgotten about the darn thing!
Whew-hoo. $240 richer - break out the champagne ;o)


I had one application out for the last year or so where I couldn't use an
mde because I did direct mail merges with Word 2k and it was an A97 db. W2k
can't read an A97 mde so I had to lock that bugger down hard. (With Brett
Barabash's help, I set it up to dump the merge data to a text file for Word.
Thanks again Brett!) Now that app is an mde! That's 200 less employees that
can give my application away :o)

JB



-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Stephen Bond
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 5:04 PM
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: [AccessD] Secured vs. Unsecured FEs


How many independent contractors in the group
provide the Access FE to their customers
either as an MDE, or, as a secured MDB, so
  (a) changes can't be made, and,
  (b) the VBA is password protected?

I have my reasons for doing so,
(fixing some amateur's efforts to
 add an enhancement; protecting
 my not small investment in
 training and upskilling; these two
 will do to start)

and of course there are arguments against.

Can I have some input please.  Both sides
of the argument are welcome.

TIA


Stephen Bond
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