This week, Stephen Ibaraki, I.S.P., has an
exclusive interview with Jesse Feiler.
Jesse is the author of a number of books on
Mac OS X, FileMaker, the Web-based enterprise, the Y2K problem, and home
offices. His most recent book is Sams Teach Yourself FileMaker 7 in 24 Hours.
A member of the FileMaker Solutions
Alliance, he regularly consults on FileMaker and develops FileMaker solutions
for small business, non-profits, art, retail point-of-sale, publishing,
marketing, and other markets. He has specialized in �rehabs��updates to
existing FileMaker solutions including FileMaker 7 conversions.
He has worked as a developer and manager
for companies such as the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (monetary policy and
bank supervision), Prodigy (early Web browser), Apple (information systems),
New York State Department of Health (rabies and lead poisoning), The Johnson
Company (office management), and Young & Rubicam (media planning and new
product development).
He is Software Director of Philmont
Software Mill (www.philmontmill.com).
Discussion:
Q: Jesse, we appreciate you taking the time
to do this interview�thank you.
A: My pleasure.
Q: What led you into this field?
A: First of all, we need to define what
�this field� is. I always say that everything I do relates to understanding
complexity and then organizing it into a coherent form. That applies to writing
a book about technology as well as to consulting. So I consider myself an
organizer and synthesizer. What led me into this field was curiosity and an
innate desire to find the underlying patterns in complexity.
Q: Please share a few of your most
surprising or amazing experiences?
A: To me it�s rather surprising that there
are so few real surprises in the technology arena. There are major advances,
but very rarely do we see something that is truly unexpected. I can remember
when I was first starting out being introduced to database technology on
mainframes as well as learning about how operating systems worked. It�s only
taken two decades, but we now have that power on the desktop. And from here, the
sky�s the limit.
Q: Do you have any humorous stories to
share?
A: As a consultant, I was struck by the
fact that every new project I took on started with a very serious lecture by
the client to the effect that I had never worked on a project like this. The
legal/media/education/whatever world was unique, I would be told. Nothing
approached its idiosyncracies or complexities. It took me a while to learn just
to nod and agree quietly. The fact is that every project has a set of unique
issues�but while they may be unique (and they often are not), the mere fact of
unique issues is not in and of itself unique. That is why so many small
businesses turn to consultants to develop solutions. So we agree that no one in
the history of the world has ever had the issues that they are confronting, and
then take our experience to solve those issues.
Q: Tell us more about �Geek Cruises� Mac
Mania Cruises� to Alaska and the Caribbean.
A: Neil Bauman, at Geek Cruises, has
developed a great idea: cruises that incorporate high-end training. The third
Mac Mania cruise will be to the Caribbean this fall (www.geekcruises.com). There are the standard
ports of call, but during the days at sea there will be seminars led by a
variety of people. I�ll be doing two sessions on FileMaker 7, and I�m looking
forward to it immensely.
Q: You were the first author of a technical
book to be published in both paper and e-book format. Any comments?
A: In the late 1990s, e-books seemed a
wonderful opportunity for readers and publishers. A variety of hand-held
devices were developed that were very easy to use and to read. In addition, PDF
(and other) files for personal computers and a variety of formats for PDAs were
developed. Publishers were very leery of electronic versions�largely because of
copyright issues and the possibility of pirated versions. I convinced the
publisher of �Finding and Fixing Your Y2K Problem� that we should experiment
with it�if ever there were a book that had a limited shelf life, that was it. I
typeset the book for the paper edition, and I later did the transformation to
the Rocket Ebook. It was a great experience, and it was good to see how the
technology could evolve. For now, e-books seem to be on hold, but I think
they�ll be back. My prediction is that e-books are going to have a major role
eventually in newspapers and magazines. People often remark that they like the
physical sensation of reading a good book, but I don�t know too many people who
like the physical sensation of reading a newspaper�folding the pages, getting
ink on your hands, and so forth. And then there�s the issue of taking all those
magazines and newspapers to the recycling center! People save books, but they
don�t often save newspapers and magazines. Here�s a technology that is mature
and just waiting for the right circumstances to reemerge.
Q: Share your work with the Virtual
Training Company (www.vtc.com) which publishes your 8-hour video training
courses on FileMaker 7, Mac OS X, and AppleScript Studio.
A: VTC produces training videos that
provide voice-over narration to accompany onscreen videos and demonstrations.
I�ve done three for them now. I enjoy working with the people at VTC, and I�ve
settled into a convenient way of creating the videos. Often, they are
accompaniments to books that I�ve done. I find that organizing the information
for a book helps me get a handle on it, but then when I look at the information
from the standpoint of a video, I need to reorganize it. First of all, as in
any visual medium, demonstrations and visuals are primary. Also, I�ve found
that the examples I use for a book generally need to be modified or even
replaced for the video. On the video, I can use color and more detail than I
can in the illustrations for a book. All in all, it�s a great opportunity to be
able to work both on the printed page and on video.
Q: Give us five tips each on FileMaker and
Mac OS.
Aa: 1) �With FileMaker 7, everyone is a beginner. The
new database paradigm is exciting and powerful.
2) �Most
of the challenge of FileMaker 7 is using the new features--removing code that
is no longer necessary and not implementing work-around that no longer are
required.
3) �Non-equi-join
relationships are your friends. No longer do you have to match on a key (such as
customer ID). You can now match on a key as well as on a relationship that is
not equality: all invoices less than this one, for example.
4) �Use
self-joins and non-equi-join relationships to implement edits of data. Instead
of testing to see if a condition applies, define a relationship and simply
count how many (if any) records fall into that condition. Usually you want 0 or
1.
5) �Explore
the new unified security model. Use it to implement field-level security.
Ab: 1) (This applies to all operating systems.)
If you�re not ready to handle a total crash of your hard disk, get ready today.
Start doing regular backups using Backup, iSync, or a third-party product such
as Retrospect. (You can also do manual backups by burning files to CDs or DVDs
or copying them to removable media.)
2) If you�re going to need to transfer
files to another computer or another person, or if you�re going to need to use
another computer during a vacation or other trip, make sure you do a test run
before it�s critical.
3) Check out Disk Utility. If you�ve used
Mac OS X for a while, you�ll find significant changes and improvements.
4) For apparently random misbehavior, use
Repair Permissions in Disk Utility.
5) If you�ve been saving copies of files,
have a housecleaning session. Burn them all to CDs or DVDs and rescue some disk
space.
Q: What five tips can you share from your
most recent book, Sams Teach Yourself FileMaker 7 in 24 Hours?
A: 1) Use script parameters: you�ll reduce
the number of scripts in your solution dramatically.
2) Use non-equi-joins. By defining
relationships in this way, you�ll have information at your fingertips without
having to execute Find steps during your solution.
3) Group related tables together in a
single database file.
4) For erratic updating behavior in
scripts, check that you�ve used the Commit script step where necessary.
5) Double-click relationship icons in the
Define Relationships dialog to allow creation/deletion of records based on a
relationship.
Q: What are the ten most compelling issues facing
technology professionals today and in the future? How can they be resolved?
A: 1) Understanding users� needs. As we
have the ability to customize solutions more and more, it�s critical to
approach technology from the user�s point of view.
2) �Keeping
pace with technology--not bleeding edge, not lagging behind. Knowing where to
position yourself with regard to technology changes requires knowing what�s
going on and what you and your users need.
3) �Security.
I�ve mentioned it before, and it�s not going away in this age of terrorism and
identity theft.
4) �The
drag of the installed base. We have decades-old software and system designs in
place. Often users want to move forward incrementally--how do you do this
without a drastic rewrite of everything all at once?
5) �Synchronization
of data across networks and different types of devices. Fortunately, this area
has been pretty much codified on the mainframe side, and we can learn from
their best practices.
6) �Choosing where to process and store data. Now
that we�ve got choices ranging from Internet to mainframes to iPods (not to
mention personal computers), the choices and combinations are almost infinite.
The solution must hinge around the users� needs, their capabilities, and the
resources available.
7) �It
is less and less common to build a system from scratch. We�re modifying
systems, doing �rehabs,� and working with legacy systems. Integrating new ideas
and new architectures in this environment is a challenge, since the developer
needs to understand both the old and new technologies.
8) �Helping
users to adapt to new technologies and leave behind their old ways of working
that are often no longer needed.
9) �Integrating components using technologies such
as Web Services, the Web in general, Java, and the various Microsoft offerings.
We think we�ve got a good set of connectivity tools, but we still have a few
years to go before we can rely on their being able to work consistently with
all of the major products.
10) �Understanding users� needs. Yes, this is the
same as the first item. It�s the beginning and end of challenges for
developers. As a group, we�re pretty good at understanding technology, but
people and their needs are much more complex (and infinitely more interesting).
Q: List the 10 best resources for
technology and business professionals.
A: 1) �The New York Times (Business and Circuits
sections particularly).
2) �CNet
(news.com).
3) �The
Design of Everyday Things (Donald A. Norman)
4) �Original
documentation (RFCs for standards, for example)
5) �Trade
associations for the areas in which you work. They�re a unique resource for
seeing what�s up and coming on the business side. (ISBNs are changing from 10
to 13 digits. UPCs in the US are changing. These are business decisions that
will affect technology.)
6) �Gripe
and feedback sessions at conferences. See what irks people. Often there are big
irks arising from issues that can easily be solved on the technology side.
7) �LA Times (unbeatable for media/film issues)
8) �One
international news site--pick one, preferably from a country you know. You�ll
find a vastly different perspective on all news, including technology.
9) �Developer support groups for products you�re
interested in. For FileMaker, FileMaker Solutions Alliance (available through
filemaker.com) is essential.
10) �(have
to say it, my books if I�ve written on the topic)
Q: What future books can we expect from
you?
A: There�s a very exciting book in the
works. Unfortunately, until it gets just a little bit further along in the
development cycle, we can�t talk about it. I can say that it will be something
totally different and very exciting.
Q: What do you consider to be the most
important trends to watch, and please provide some recommendations?
A: 1) Wireless, wireless, wireless. Keyboards,
Internet, LANs, WiFi. Wireless technology doesn�t just get rid of the cables:
it can let us totally redesign and recreate the places in which we use
computers as well as the shapes of computers themselves.
2) �Security.
Corporate users with IT support staffs have mostly got this licked, but
individuals, home users, and small businesses are scandalously vulnerable to
everything from viruses and trojan horses to accidental or malicious damage to
their data from within. This is a global problem, and it�s not totally the
fault of the users. Vendors have not treated security with the respect it
deserves. Routers and other network equipment (not to mention computers) should
be shipped with security turned on�most often, it is shipped with no security
enabled to make the �up-and-running� experience as easy as possible.
3) �More and more customization for small
business. For core functionality--what distinguishes one company from
another--more and more FileMaker solutions as opposed to generic, shrink-wrapped
solutions.
4) �Synchronization.
Gradually a move away from desktop supremacy and server supremacy. My data will
be my data wherever I store it, and all of my appliances and computers will be
able to synchronize and retrieve the data.
5) �Automation
of automation. Just as we no longer set dip switches on modems for baud rates,
more and more configuration will be automatic.
Q: What kind of computer setup do you have?
A: Desktop and laptop Macintosh computers
on a wireless network.
Q: If you were doing this interview, what
five questions would you ask of someone in your position and what would be your
answers?
A: Q1: As a consultant, how do you charge?
A1: This is actually one of the most
frequently asked questions, and my answer has changed in the last few years.
For development work, clients and I are usually happiest working on a project
basis, not an hourly basis. It gives everyone a better idea of the costs that
are coming up. The problem, though, is how to handle changes in the project as
it goes along. What I now do is to quote a range. After we get into the project
and have the first draft of the software, I can refine the range pretty
accurately. Everyone seems to like this. (If you do this, be sure to honestly
pick a range. If you�re always coming in at the maximum value, you�re not doing
it right.)
Q2: FileMaker 7 has been a major change.
When is the next one due?
A2: There will be updates to FileMaker 7
both to correct issues, to account for new hardware, and to implement new
functionality. But the basic paradigm of FileMaker 7 is likely to stay around
for a very long time. Arguably, it is either the biggest change since the first
FileMaker or since FileMaker 3, which introduced relational features. I�d give
this architecture a good ten years before a new paradigm appears, and perhaps
double that before we go through a shift as big as the transition to FileMaker
7.
Q3: If FileMaker 7 is so different, is it worth converting from earlier
versions? Why not start over?
A3: FileMaker 7 is mightily different, but
it�s similar in providing FileMaker�s unique combination of power and
development simplicity. The graphical user interface (and the way in which you
customize it) are little changed. The automatic conversion process often
converts existing solutions will minimal fuss.
Q4: You say �often.� What sorts of problems
arise? What doesn�t convert easily?
A4: It�s not always the big FileMaker
solutions that have conversion problems. Some of the issues that I�ve noticed
arise from solutions that themselves have bugs or that use complex file
structures (that is, files that are all over a network, rather than in a single
folder). Other things to watch out for are the new Commit script step (which
you may have to add to get proper updating).
Q5: Automatic conversion is designed to
make pre-FileMaker 7 solutions work. It cannot add new features. Are there any
new features you should consider manually adding?
A5: First, remember that once the solution
is converted, you can do this on an ongoing basis as you make other changes.
One thing I do is to adopt script parameters as soon as possible. This
generally means that one script can do the work of many (in one case more than
20). That�s the biggest bang-for-the-buck tip that I know of.
Q: Do you have any more comments to add?
A: There�s a free 30-day trial of FileMaker
at filemaker.com. Try it!
Q: Jesse, thank you again for your time,
and consideration in doing this interview.
A: My pleasure.