[AccessD] Estimating Help

>>> I once read of a data-cleansing study in Framingham, MA where they
found the city name
"Boston" spelled 19 different ways! I'm not sure how that is
possible...<<<

I had to write a new program to track pistol permits for our County
Clerk, a couple of years ago, and there were, if I remember correctly,
17 different designations for New York...some of them "not so logical"
and some of them, because of the lack of authentication, were simply
spelling errors ("NY"; "N.Y."; "N Y"; "NY."; "Ny"; "New York";
"NewYork"; "N..Y.." (belive it or not); and several more that I can't
think of at the moment).

I am surprised at how many of my users fight me on
authentication...they want to control this via "policies", but what they
don't realize is that their constant "altering" of policies is half or
the problem (i.e. they'll decide six months down the road to re-title
something, and then again in six more months, etc.). I stick to my guns
on this issue though, because I will be the one having to fix it down
the road. And, this may be job security, but it always happens, when I
am trying to pump something new out. Unlike a independant, like many of
you, I get paid the same either way, so I'll opt for "no problems" way.

John W Clark