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THE ANTIQUES SOS (tm)
e-JOURNAL March 1999
Issue #1 Vol 1
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This publication is intended to provide you, the owner or
manager of an antique mall, craft mall or design center
with timely, usable information. We sincerely hope that it
serves this purpose well. Please let us know what articles or
columns would be of interest to you. We welcome qualified
subscribers and will be pleased to provide The Antiques SOS
(tm) e-Journal to them at no charge. Because the cost of
printing and mailing a publication are so great, regular delivery
of the Antiques SOS(tm) e-Journal will be by email only.
(C) Software Gallery, LLC 1999
David P. Cunningham, Editor
email: editor@antiques-sos.com
http://www.antiques-sos.com
subscribe by sending an email to:
subscribe_ASOS@antiques-sos.com
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We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. If you
received this publication in error or wish to receive no further
issues, email remove_ASOS@antiques-sos.com. You will be
promptly removed from the list. NOTE: Our subscriber list is
strictly private and is not made available to others for any
reason.
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IN THIS ISSUE.....
1. Year 2000/Y2K Issues
2. Marketing Tip
3. Sales Tip
4. Mall Operations Tip
5. Sue's Soapbox -- Backing Up Your Antiques SOS(tm) Data
6. Internet Neighborhood
7. Nerd's Revenge
8. A Little Light on Windows
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TOPIC OF THE MONTH
The Year 2000/Y2K Issue and the Antiques, Crafts
and Design Center Trade
by David P. Cunningham, P.E.
Copyright 1999
We're sure you've have already heard plenty about the Year
2000/Y2K issue. The subject certainly seems to pop up ad
nauseum. And, so much of the information is questionable. Our
intent is to provide a reasoned, understandable explanation
of what the real issues are with respect to the Year 2000/Y2K
problem. This article is not intended to be a problem solving
roadmap. Rather, it is intended to heighten your awareness
and provide information about where to look for answers.
Is it Real ?
The answer is yes, it is real. The Year 2000 (Y2K) is
coming
and there are long embedded problems to be overcome.
However, as with all problems, we expect that there will be
effects which will be neither nonexistent nor catastrophic.
The conclusion we reached is that unlike political promises,
dealers' vows to clean up their spaces and promises that "the
check is in the mail", the Year 2000/Y2K problem is real.
It is indisputable that the Year 2000 is coming. There are
significant date dependent problems more or less deeply embedded in the electronics
devices we all use in our daily lives. We absolutely agree with respected experts that you
should know about the Year 2000/Y2K problem and the issues surrounding it. You
should act promptly to mitigate its effect upon your business.
Our advice is to not ignore the problem but also not to panic.
What is the Issue With the Year 2000/Y2K Problem? I'll
discuss
the Year 2000/Y2K problem in generalities. The specifics
applicable to your business are unique and have to be addressed
accordingly.
We live in a society which has at its core an ever
increasing
level of interconnectedness and complexity. Computers, the
software which runs them, programmable logic controllers(PLC),
and other date dependent electronic equipment are pervasive.
Most are unseen and remote. But, they touch every aspect of our
collective lives in some way hundreds if not thousands of times
each day. Consider then the effect of their time and date
instructions suddenly going haywire. The devices would either
cease to function or begin to send erroneous information to the
equipment they control. The result could be chaos.
Clearly, the most interconnected networks and systems are
at
greatest risk. Among such systems are electric power generation
and distribution, telephone, natural gas,credit card transactions,
banking, air traffic control, intracity communications, etc. The
risk is less on a non-interconnected individual computer/small
network basis (that's most of us isn't it?). The effect would be
irritating and have significant complicating effects upon your
business. However, it would probably not be truly catastrophic.
So, you ask, is there a problem with device time and date
functions? Yes, there is. In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s too,
computer and PLC chip and processor memory were very expensive,
limited and had to be conserved. Therefore, chip and device
designers and programmers of the era developed clever ways of
making use of the available capacity of the devices they had
available to them.
However, as is often the case, few considered the long term
consequences of doing so! What consequences? Well, what happens
to date dependent logic devices when they are suddenly confronted
with 10/02/00 when the Year 2000/Y2K arrives? Is it 1900 or is it
2000? Is the date difference 1 year or -99 years? Just consider
the potential confusion --- and the unintended consequences! What
a truly nasty surprise as the confusion and failure of equipment
cascades through interconnected networks !
Why Should I Care?
Self interest, pure and simple! Remember self interest?
Confronting and solving your Year 2000/Y2K problem is great
public relations, smooths your operations and reduces your legal
exposure. So, lets get going!
Achieving Compliance---Repair, Replace or Upgrade?
Anything you use in your business that contains or depends
upon a
date function is suspect. That means, without being inclusive,
computers, computer software, networks and network software,and,
oh yes, burglar alarms, time clocks, vaults and so on. Assessing
the current status of your equipment, software and systems is
probably the most important part of the project.
The initial assessment you carry out will make it possible
to
determine what you actually need to do to achieve compliance.
Without the roadmap you create from the assessment you are at
risk of missing important Year 2000/Y2K issues. Further,the
roadmap you establish allows you to set up priorities,develop
a supporting budget and minimize your financial exposure. Just
remember! "Aim" before you fire! Otherwise the mess could be
significant --- and hard to clean up.
You will need to look for problems in four main areas:
· Application software whether purchased from major
vendors
as off the shelf, shrink wrapped products or by custom
application vendors
· Hardware such as computers or network hubs
· Operating systems sold with or purchased for specific
hardware
· Data including data in files, databases or spreadsheets
Many of these issues are deeply embedded and will be
difficult to
detect and fix. Specifically, application software Y2K problems
can stem from the fact that many programs perform time and date
calculations internally. Two digit date fields are in use in many
of them. Complicating matters is different versions of the same
software product may behave in different ways with respect to date
functions.
Hardware Y2K problems are generated by the BIOS(basic
input/output
system) and by the RTC (real time clock). Most pre 1997 BIOS are
not Y2K ready while most post 1997 BIOS are Y2K ready. The
operative word is "most". It is essential to check and be sure.
Many of the responsible computer manufacturers have excellent web
sites which offer advice about how to check the BIOS and RTC for
specific machines. They also offer software patches and updates
for noncompliant products.
Operating system software patches are available from most
of the
mainstream vendors. Although Windows 3.1 is not inherently Y2K
compliant applying the patch isn't overly complicated for a
reasonably knowledgeable technician. Later Windows products,
including Windows 95 and Windows 98 were shipped with inherent
Y2K compliance problems. Microsoft has provided a downloadable
patch for Windows 95. The problem with Windows 98 is far more
esoteric and is unlikely to present significant problems for the
casual user.
Data, including data in files, databases and spreadsheets
is a
potential nightmare because data related Y2K problems are so
difficult to identify and fix. Data which moves from one machine
to another presents special problems with Y2K compliance because
different machine may handle data in different ways. These data
issues may hide in spreadsheets or be spread by multiuser
databases, both within and exterior to your business.
No matter what, if any, manufacturer's information is
provided,it
is essential to do your own compliance testing or have it done for
you. Some products, including computers, manufactured and sold
even up to the mid 1990s are not Year 2000/Y2K compliant. Once
testing is complete you can then move to act upon what you have
determined to be problems. A decision must be made whether to
repair, replace or upgrade the products found to be
Year 2000/Y2K deficient.
Some of you will find it an irresistible challenge to
address your
own Year 2000/Y2K issues. Others, probably the majority, will find
it necessary to employ someone with skill, training and experience
to do it for you. Unless you are more than passingly conversant
with operating system level technology we recommend hiring a
professional. If you choose to address the Year 2000/Y2K issues
yourself there are software products available to help you. Look
at the reference sites at the end of this article for guidance in selecting one
appropriate to your needs.
Proceed with caution in selecting a consultant. Ask for
references
--- and check them. Above all, get started soon and do not wait
until the last minute. The deadline is immutable. Either you are
going to done in time, and having a relaxing holiday season, or
you are going to be sweating bullets. Really good, capable,
knowledgeable consultants are in short supply and they are very
busy.
We'll do our part and have Antiques SOS(tm) ready on time.
You
have your part to do and the sooner the better. The business
system you depend upon is only as strong as its weakest link! A
list of on line references and helpful information follows:
References
There are many web sites available and numerous articles
published
which are devoted to the Year 2000/Y2K problem. Of those we have
examined we can recommend those that follow. Our list is not meant
to be comprehensive but rather is a starting point for learning
more. We do not have the resources to comprehensively review all
sites (and their links) devoted to the subject. Therefore, the
absence of a particular web site from our list should not be taken
negatively.
PC Magazine: www.pcmag.com/y2k
Yahoo:
www.yahoo.com/computer_and_internet/year_2000_problem
Mitre/USAF: www.mitre.org/research/y2k
Ziff-Davis: www.zdnet.com
GSA: www.itpolicy-gsa.gov/mks/Year2000/Y2Khome.htm
SBA: www.sba.gov/y2k
And, for those of you inclined to be too cheerful look at
www.garynorth.com. Gary North provides a consummately pessimistic
view of the Year 2000/Y2K problem. There is a large number of
links to articles and papers which are less than sanguine about
the subject. No sweetness and light here!
Copyright Notice: Copyright 1999 David P. Cunningham, P.E.
Please note that this is an abridged article. The full
article is
available upon request by from our web site
http://www.antiques-sos.com by downloading a copy. Or, we'll email
a copy to you upon request.
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MARKETING TIP (A brief tip for creating a more
customer and
dealer desirable mall)
Your mall's "personality"
Your antique mall business depends upon both the dealers
who
occupy your booths and cases as well as the customers who shop at
your mall. They are interdependent and can't exist independently
in the long term. Despite the general nature of the antique mall
business, each mall tends to develop its own "personality". Each
and every one of the 160 malls which form our client base is
distinctly different from any other mall.
This "personality" is based upon the interests of
management,the
dealers and the customers who patronize your mall. It's in your
best interest to find out what your customers want and convey
that information to your dealers. When you determine what your
customers and potential customers want, you will then have the
information you need to seek the new dealers and merchandise you
need. It is important that your focus be strongly customer
centered.
This is the only way you can guide the development of the
"personality" of your mall to meet market conditions. Otherwise,
it will develop on its own and in a way which may not be to your
liking. Additionally, having this information will provide the
basis for better targeting of your advertising dollars.
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SALES TIP (A brief tip on selling more to customers
--local and remote, and increasing revenue)
Make buying easy
Some customers like to be "told and sold"; some
don't. Almost all
customers, however, like to buy as easily as possible. That is,
there are things you can do, usually at little or no cost, which
will facilitate sales. Some of these things are: comfort; clean
environment; clear, easy to read price tags; readily available
staff to open cases and answer questions; convenient payment
methods -- cash, check, credit cards, layaways, split pay; help
with handling and loading bulky purchases; easy check out for
regular customers; and yes, clean restrooms.
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MALL OPERATIONS TIP (A brief tip about improving
antique mall
operations)
Lets set the stage for future tips by talking antique malls
and
the operating costs associated with them. Yes, I know, your
dealers, and the public too, think you are making a mint from
renting space to them. Even if you are, your operating costs are
still important. By controlling them you can do other, much more
productive things with the money you save.
Mall operating costs
In many ways, although unique in some respects, antique
malls are
like other, more classic, retail sales operations. Although some
antique malls have a significant component of wholesale or dealer
oriented business, the sales model and physical facility more
closely represents a retail sales business. As such, the costs associated with the
operation of an antique mall may,depending upon circumstances be characterized as:
•Real estate related: rent, mortgage, taxes and
maintenance, etc.
•Labor: clerks, accounting, and janitorial, etc.
•Operating: electricity, gas, water, sewage, snow
removal,air
conditioning, heating, window washing, supplies,security,
insurance, licenses, etc.
•Advertising: print media, radio, TV, special
promotions, fliers,
brochures, etc.
•Management: manager, assistant manager
Most, if not all of these costs are necessary. However,
close
control of them directly affects your profits. Some offer more
opportunity for control than others, depending upon your location
and the way you operate your mall. Remember,however, that any
savings, no matter how small adds up to greater profit. I'll talk
next month about practical ways to reduce your energy costs.
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SUE'S SOAPBOX
by Susan M. Cunningham
Backing up Your SOS Data
Always use the SOS backup routine
We stress the importance of executing the SOS supplied
backup
routine at the close of every day. If you should happen to have
hardware or software problems that corrupt your data,you will have
the comfort of knowing that you have an exact copy of what your
data looked like yesterday, and the day before yesterday and the
previous Sunday. In 12 years of helping clients use Antiques
SOS(tm) we have on numerous occasions had to resort to restoring
some data from one of the sets of backup disks.
Recently, two of our newer clients had unusual problems
which
necessitated restoring their data. They had NOT being using the
SOS supplied backup routines. Instead, their local computer
consultants had installed automatic magnetic tape backup systems.
Since we were not familiar with their backup systems we could not
help them. And, when the consultant arrived to restore their data
from the magnetic tapes it was discovered that the tapes were
blank. No one had bothered to test the backup systems and they
failed.
Sadly, each client had to painstakingly reenter all of
their sales
for an entire month from their hard copy invoices. Needless to
say, that was a labor-intensive process and very frustrating. The moral of the story is to
always do your backup at the end of every day.
Backup May Take More Than Three Disks
We designed the SOS backup routine to put data onto three
different disks: a history disk; a customer disk; and a "all other
data" miscellaneous disk. For some clients, the backup routine
will call for an additional disk for the history or miscellaneous
data. We have never known of the customer data taking more than
one disk.
Antiques SOS(tm) provides for archival of some of your
older data
onto floppy disks or ZIP disks to cut down on the size of your
backup data. The archieval process will copy an entire year's
worth of sales onto floppy disk(s) and then erase the sales from
your computer. We advise malls to wait until at least May before
removing the prior year's sales. Why ? Because dealers will come
to you through April asking for sales history information as they
prepare their income tax returns.
Backup Disks Can Go Bad
Occasionally a backup disk, which has been working well,
will "go
bad". They do get damaged or wear out. When this happens, you'll
probably get a message from your computer's operating system
interrupting the SOS backup routine with a message like "Error
reading drive A" or "General reading drive A"and another message
asking you to "Abort, Retry, or Fail".
When this happens, you'll need to exit from the SOS backup
routine, usually by pressing the letter "F" for fail, and then
pressing the Enter key. Then, you'll need to get a new, unused
pre formatted floppy disk of the same type as you are using for
backup. Label the new disk the same as the old disk was labeled.
Then restart your backup routine. The very first time a new disk
is used,the SOS system will question you about whether you are
using the correct disk. This is because it is looking to erase
the previous backup data and when it can't find it (because its a
brand new disk with nothing on it) the SOS system becomes
suspicious that you don't have the correct disk. Just reply to SOS
that its OK to go ahead and continue the backup. The next time you
do the backup onto that disk, you won't be bothered with the
question.
You may wonder why a disk "goes bad". Sometimes
they just wear out
after having been used for an extended period of time. And, some
disks aren't as well made as others. Then too, disks are easily
damaged by proximity to magnets or heat. And, if your environment
contains dust, smoke or abrasive particles this will accelerate
wear. Spilling coffee,tea or soft drinks on them doesn't help
either.
Keep Spare Disks on Hand
You should always keep a box of 10 or more fresh, unused
floppy
disks on hand in case you need them during your backup routine.
We've had good luck with Maxell, Verbatim, and Memorex brand
disks. Imation brand disks have recently been a horrific disaster
for us with high failure rates both in house and in the field. The
type of floppy disks you need are high density, IBM formatted.
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THE STUFF THAT PAYS THE RENT
Antiques SOS (tm) and Antiques SOS Lite (tm) are Software
Galley,
LLC software products which serve the Antique Mall trade. Our
products are installed in over 150 antique malls in 35 states and
Canada. Antiques SOS (tm) was first installed in 1987 and Antiques
SOS Lite (tm) was introduced in 1998 to satisfy a need for
computer software for smaller malls. Both products are now fully
Year 2000/Y2K compliant. Please refer to complete information
which is posted on our Antiques SOS (tm) web site --
http://www.antiques-sos.com
Dealer SOS (tm) and Collector SOS (tm) are under
development and
will be ready for introduction later this Spring. Both will offer
exceptional functionality and the quality you have come to expect
from Software Gallery's products, and an opportunity for you to
make some significant money.
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INTERNET NEIGHBORHOOD
Cool sites
www.yahoo.com is still one of my personal
favorites. Yahoo!!
offers an ultra broad portal to the world, including some very
interesting antique related sites. Yahoo!! is a directory rather
than a search engine. What this means is that Yahoo!! personnel
have evaluated each web site included for quality and
acceptability.
www.maineantiquedigest.com is an
exceptional web site by any
measure. Sam Pennington's Maine Antique Digest sets the standard
by which all other monthly publications are measured. There is a
tremendous variety of in-depth information available and the ads
are great as well. We have every issue of the magazine ever
published. Highly recommended.
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NERD'S Corner
(A light approach for non-techies concerning need to know
issues)
Modems
A modem is a very important piece of electronic equipment
which
permits your computer to connect to your telephone line so you can
communicate with your internet service provider. Software,
installed on your computer's hard drive, is required to control
the modem and facilitate communication.
A modem translates the digital bits generated by the
computer into
analog tone signals which can be transmitted over the telephone
lines currently in use. On the other end of the telephone line is
another modem which translates the analog signal back into digital
bits for the receiving computer system. The word modem comes from
the two words MOdulation/DEModulation.
The software required to control the modem can be supplied
by the
modem vendor or by a third party. The software controls the modem
and its operation. It also provides protocols to tell the sending
modem how to communicate with the receiving modem. A really good
modem should work with virtually any available high quality
software.
When modems first communicate they automatically establish,
through electronic questioning, the rate at which they are going
to communicate. All of this approximates a series of tones,
whistles and chirps which occur so quickly that they defy human
comprehension. This way modems resolve differences in speed with
the slowest modem controlling the transfer. Error correcting
protocols are also employed in modem to modem communication. These
protocols are standardized by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers)and provide the means to compensate for
static, poor quality telephone lines and other sources of errors.
The modems auto negotiate the highest available common protocol
level for error correction.
Shopping for a Modem
Before you actually go shopping for a modem it pays to do
several
things. First, refer to a trusted third party source for current
information about available modems. I particularly like PC
Magazine because of its complete, unbiased and thorough testing.
The current rated minimum transfer speed in kilobytes/second (kbs)
for new modems is 33.6. The current typical rated transfer speed
is 56 kbs. Note that the rated transfer speeds are just that --
rated. The actual transfer speeds are considerably less and depend
upon many factors some of which may not be user addressable.
The current minimum acceptable modem transfer rate is 28.8
kbs for
regular analog telephone lines, sometimes referred to as POTS. All
lower transfer speeds are unacceptable for current internet
applications. Most new computers come equipped with 56 kbs V.90
modems which should be compatible with virtually any internet
service provider.
This Month's Software Pick
Quarterdeck's Clean Sweep is one of the most useful
software
utilities on my Windows desktop. If you have a computer on which
you use several different software applications, we highly
recommend that you buy, install and use Clean Sweep. It will help
you manage the many Windows related tasks which could otherwise
make life miserable. Its an excellent uninstaller, safely removes
unneeded files, helps with removing those internet "cookies" and
cleans up temporary files. Clean Sweep is easier to use than the
Windows uninstaller and is virtually goof proof.
Duplicate and redundant files can be identified and safely
and
easily removed. It also provides for the identification and
removal of invalid and unused entries from the Windows registry --
a daunting task I would never attempt on my own. Clean Sweep makes
dealing with Windows and its quirks much easier and a lot safer. Highly recommended.
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A LITTLE LIGHT ON WINDOWS
Microsoft Windows(R), the dominant
operating system on new PCs, is
a very complex software product. It is sometimes obstinate and
frequently cranky and quirky. And, its not always Window's fault.
With some computers, especially those in which cheap nonstandard
motherboards and components are used, the problems become almost
irresolvable. Packard Bell computers are a notable example of
this. If yours works OK, consider yourself fortunate. Note that up
to 30% failure rates are being reported for unbranded motherboards.
Overall though, with newer versions of Windows 95 and now
Windows
98 some measure of stability has been achieved. Our clients are
reporting good success using these products. As with any products,
however, they do have some quirks. Some are interesting and some
are irritating. In forthcoming issues of Antiques SOS(tm)
e-Journal I'll identify some of the more irritating quirks and
offer some suggestions for getting around them.
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Dave Cunningham is one of the principals of Software
Gallery,LLC
the developer and owner of Antiques SOS (tm) and Antiques SOS Lite
(tm). He specializes in technical issues which affect the Software
Gallery client base. Dave's special interests are Year 200/Y2K
issues; e-commerce and appropriate use; and time saving aspects of
technology. He has accumulated a assortment of wallpaper from a
number of fine institutions of higher learning as well as The
University of Life. The foregoing qualifies him to issue profound
mutterings, occasionally stumble into solutions to user problems
and, when necessary, cook dinner.
Sue Cunningham is also one of the principals of Software
Gallery,
LLC. She's been writing computer software professionally since
1964 and has been an antiques dealer since 1967. She's a self
proclaimed "nerd" who even had "FOXPRO" on her Pennsylvania
license plate.
Software Gallery, LLC is the latest business venture of The
Cunninghams. Long active in the antiques world as dealers and in
software development, Sue and Dave Cunningham live and work in
Laramie, Wyoming after having been located in Denver, PA for many
years. More information about Software Gallery, LLC and its
products can be found at
http://www.softwaregallery.com
To subscribe email to: subscribe_ASOS@antiques-sos.com
To unsubscribe email to: remove_ASOS@antiques-sos.com
_________________________________________
(C) 1999 Software Gallery, LLC
We encourage you to forward a copy of this issue (w/ all
copyright
notices intact) to as many antique, craft or design mall owners or
managers as you wish. This information may not be altered,
transmitted or transferred; electronically or otherwise for any
other purpose without written permission from Software Gallery,
LLC. All rights reserved
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