Don Elliker
delliker at hotmail.com
Thu Aug 21 08:22:54 CDT 2003
Gotta beware when HR starts asking for an update of your resume. It's an easy way to create new job postings (we need a new guy who does exactly what this resume says, but for less money) Ever see "Office Space"?? Hoping it ain't so, _D "Things are only free to the extent that you don't pay for them".-Don Elliker >From: "Arthur Fuller" <artful at rogers.com> >Reply-To: Access Developers discussion and problem >solving<accessd at databaseadvisors.com> >To: "Access Developers discussion and problem >solving"<accessd at databaseadvisors.com> >Subject: RE: [AccessD] A "Real World Example" of Piss Poor >ProgrammingPractice Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 16:42:22 -0400 > >Write it in NotePad or NoteTab or whatever then paste the bits into the >appropriate controls. You're far too experienced to fall for this, Alan. >I've read lots of your posts and you are far from stupid. > >Always assume the worst. > >Arthur > >-----Original Message----- >From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com >[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Lawhon, Alan C >Contractor/Morgan Research >Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 3:43 PM >To: AccessD at databaseadvisors.com >Cc: 'Elam, Debbie' >Subject: [AccessD] A "Real World Example" of Piss Poor Programming >Practice > > >Several weeks ago the HR (Human Resources) Department in my company sent >out an email informing all of us that we had to enter our resumes into a >"new" HR database that they had developed. We were given a deadline >(this coming Friday) for entering the data and told how important it was >to complete this task. The HR Manager stated (in the email) that any >employee failing to meet the Friday deadline would be reported to his/her >immediate supervisor. > >So I spent two hours (yesterday afternoon) entering my data only to >experience the following calamity: > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Lawhon, Alan C Contractor/Morgan Research >[mailto:alan.lawhon at us.army.mil] >Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 9:40 AM >To: <addressee deleted to protect the guilty> >Subject: Problem With the Morgan HR Database ... > > >Dear HR Database Problem Fixer: > >I spent a considerable amount of time yesterday afternoon loading my >resume into Morgan's new HR database. I had completed "Step 11" of the >process, (loading Employment Information), when time ran out - I had to >vacate the building. In accordance with the printed instructions, I >clicked the "Save & Exit" button. The screen immediately went blank and >an error message: "HTTP 404 Termination" or "HTTP 403 error" (or some >similar wording) appeared in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. >As my heart sank, I immediately reentered the program and my worst fear >was confirmed: Not a single character of the entered data (not even the >blank spaces) was saved. :-((( > >I was VERY CAREFUL to follow the program instructions precisely and to NOT >exceed the 1,000 character limit - including spaces - in any of the fields. >(There were a few fields that I left blank as I did not know - or could not >remember - the information.) Obviously, I will have to reenter all the >data >and try again, but before I do that I have two questions. First, have you >had similar reports (from other users) of this problem with the program? >Since I was concentrating my effort almost exclusively on the information >I was entering, I didn't click the "Save & Exit" button until the very end >- >which may have been a mistake on my part. I guess my second question is as >follows: What assurance is there that this program will function properly >and actually save entered data? > >Alan C. Lawhon > >-------------- > >I received the following response to my inquiry. > >-----Original Message----- >From: Tim <a Support Tech with the Company that Developed This Kludge> >Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 10:47 AM >To: Lawhon, Alan C Contractor/Morgan Research; >Subject: RE: Problem With the Morgan HR Database ... > > >Alan, > >My apologies for your trouble, but you must click the "Save & Exit" buttons >to save each screen's data. This is clearly posted at the top of each >screen in red, stating: "If you do not click one of the "Save" buttons your >information will not be saved." > >Regarding the termination problem, the error you received indicates it was >not a problem with the software, but with your connection. Here is a note >from our lead programmer: > >"""If he had received an application error, it would have logged it to the >windows even log, sent us email, and forwarded him on to the Error.aspx >form >page for further feedback. As none of these things happened, then there >was >some error that was external (and out of our hands) to the B2Secure >application. It sounds like his internet connection dropped. > >Just for reference, the session time out is set to 90 minutes. Had he >exceeded this amount of time without clicking anything, he would have been >sent to the login page (without error) and his information would have been >lost as well.""" > >As for the integrity of the system functioning properly and saving data, we >have received no other complaints. > >Thanks, > >Tim > >------------- > >Following is my reply to "Tim" (and his "lead programmer" ...) > >Tim: > >I would be grateful if you relayed a brief message to your lead programmer. >In a well designed GUI interface, if you have not implemented a periodic >"auto backup" feature which executes seamlessly in the background, (let's >say once every ten minutes), you should design and implement a "warning" >dialogue box which displays a message to the user approximately five >minutes before any session timeout occurs. This dialogue should inform >the user that he/she must save their work immediately. Allowing a >session timeout to occur, with a subsequent loss of data, is indicative >of poor programming design and inadequate testing. > >As for your contention that "... the system is functioning properly and >we have received no other complaints," that does not jell with what I am >hearing. > >Alan C. Lawhon > > >Debbie Elam: I feel your pain! :-((( > > > > >_______________________________________________ >AccessD mailing list >AccessD at databaseadvisors.com >http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd >Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com >--- >Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >Version: 6.0.510 / Virus Database: 307 - Release Date: 8/14/2003 > >--- >Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >Version: 6.0.510 / Virus Database: 307 - Release Date: 8/14/2003 > >_______________________________________________ >AccessD mailing list >AccessD at databaseadvisors.com >http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd >Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com _________________________________________________________________ <b>Get MSN 8</b> and help protect your children with advanced parental controls. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/parental