sharplittleteeth

We use Lotus Notes at work. We're looking to move away from it. Mostly because a) management hate it and b) we can't afford to hire a new developer, should our current one leave.

Email and calendaring alternatives are easy.

But we also run a lot of Notes database applications, some of which are mission-critical. Unfortunately, I've been in this same environment for nearly a decade, and I don't have a good idea of the alternatives.

We need a platform we can build small but robust multi-user applications in - things like job tracking systems, membership sign-up forms, and equipment booking systems.

It needs to be:

• cheap
• quick to learn
• easy to develop in
• easy to maintain
• web-enabled
• secure enough to process credit card transactions, or store people's personal details

The university have suggested FileMaker Pro.

LAMP is another option, which obviously fits the cheap requirement. But how easy is it to build working applications? And how easy is it for complete strangers to maintain such apps, should the original programmer move on to greener pastures?

Maybe I need something like Ruby on Rails?

Any suggestions?

Work still insists on asking me to write items for the staff newsletter. And so I keep writing things like this:

IT SERVICES

Scientists at Bath University in the UK recently demonstrated a self-replicating machine – a robot capable of making a perfect copy of itself. (see http://reprap.org)

It’s one small step from this to swarms of robotic killing machines laying waste to the Earth, enslaving humanity and turning us into (literal) battery farms a la The Matrix.

Helping IT Services in their battle against such computer-mediated doom is our new Server and Network Administrator, M------ D------. He started work here on August the 18th, and he’s fitting in nicely.

A Server and Network Administrator looks after all the “background” parts of our computer systems – the networking equipment and the mysterious boxes locked away in our server room.

But M------- will also be doing plenty of desktop computer support as well. So say hello when you see him. And thank him for his small part in staving off the techno-apocalypse.

David Witteveen,
IT Manager.

Doing a budget?

It's basically the same thing as character generation.

(Your bottom line is your Hit Points)