Real World Access (38)

One of a series of articles about where Microsoft Office Access applications have found a real-world niche.

 Branislav Mihaljev's SMS Messaging

One of the customers asked me if I can build a database program in Microsoft Access which he will use to send single or mass SMS text messages.

Basically it is a simple task, as SMS messages will be sent through a SMS Gateway, and VB code is already provided by the SMS Gateway provider. With small modification this code can be easily adapted to work in Access.

Wherever the base of a program is a small or mid sized database, Access can be used to build a program around it, so we both agreed to continue with Access.

There were lots of things to consider for this application. The buyer maintains several lists in Excel database-like format, so I needed to write a custom import module to import all these data. As most of the worksheets do not have the same field names, there was a need to give the user the option to "connect" fields from a database table to Excel columns. In some worksheets, the columns are not in the same order, which complicated the programming a bit, but in the end a custom import wizard (reusable for other programs) worked well!

Usually, even for a single user, I split a database into backend and frontend parts. At least there is one advantage: when the backend is completed I can work on the user interface (frontend) without interfering with the user's actual data.

Furthermore this program should maintain different types of message recipients, where each type can belong to one of four groups. In other words, the user has five attributes to define each recipient group. So we have decided to use different backends (one for police, one for fire brigade, one for army, etc). Also there was a need for the option to create a new backend database.

The main screen overall looks simple. It allows the user to select the user type, and using four filters choose a group of recipients. The user can select one or unlimited number of recipients and send the same SMS message to each one.

The SMS screen does not allow more than 160 characters to be entered (it has a counter of the number of typed characters), and it can schedule sending for any date/time in the future.

Sending generic messages is not always user friendly, so we thought we could use "smart tags" in the SMS message. Here is a sample message with "smart tags" in:

Dear <Name> we have a meeting at <Company> tomorrow at 9AM.

When the program generates the SMS messages it will replace <Name> with the real name and <Company> with the name of the company where the recipient works.

As well as being user friendly, "smart tags" appear to be useful in many other ways. "Smart tags" are managed in an option screen, where the user can create a limited number of new "smart tags".

The program checks for the number of SMS Gateway credits available, and if the number drops below a specified number, it generates an e-mail to the SMS Gateway provider asking for additional credits, providing all necessary payment details. Actually the program interacts with the SMS Gateway, pulling all the information needed: credits spent, credits remaining, number of messages sent, etc.

Finally, since we have lists of people in the database, we modified the program to be used as contact management as well, and I have added an option to send e-mails instead of SMS messages. In the end we have a program which can send message information to recipients in different ways.

Imagine if there is a large fire and they need to inform in shortest possible time as many off-duty fire fighters as possible? Using a mobile phone it can take some time, whereas using this Access program they can send one or hundreds of messages in just a couple of seconds.

Technorati tags: Microsoft+Access, Microsoft+MVP, software+development, SMS, text+messaging

Shonky Operator

Beware of Roger Hamilton and XL Results Foundation

I recently received an invitation to a presentation in Wellington by Roger Hamilton from XL Results Foundation.

The topics of the meeting included personal profiling, wealth creation, and business success.  I figure I always have something to learn.

He does this all around the world.

I attended the evening event, and also the follow-up breakfast meeting the following morning.  What I witnessed was quite disturbing - to the extent that I am moved to comment on it, as well as to alert the organisation that promoted it to me.

Roger Hamilton is an interesting and entertaining presenter.  Give credit where credit is due.  He is a clever guy, he shared some good ideas, and I learnt something for sure.

However, his core purpose is not to inform.  The whole thing is a sales process.

Well, in business there's sales and there's sales.  I am not qualified to comment on legalities, but I am surprised that what he is doing does not cross over the boundary into being classified in New Zealand as an illegal pyramid scheme.

Either way, he certainly crosses the boundary of ethics and honesty, very skillfully using psychological techniques to deceive and manipulate.

As a result, I saw a large number of people part with a large amount of money, for a product which is not worth a small fraction of what they paid, in response to vague and misleading information and straight out lies.

Sure, they signed their names voluntarily, and people have a right to make their own impulsive decisions, and to pay money without doing due diligence if they so choose.  So that's all accepted.

But it's still a nasty scam.

In researching about it afterwards, I found a number of web sites and blogs where others have similar concerns.  On one of those, the author asks "How you feel when you hear about people being swindled in the same way - do you let it happen, ignore or speak out?"  I think I will speak out at any opportunity.

Having said that, I need to try and be succinct.  So, what was for sale? Life Membership of Mr Hamilton's little club.  What is the price? $NZ14,500 per person if paid on the spot, or $NZ17,500 if paid in instalments over 12 months.  Is there an opportunity to review any hard information before making a commitment?  No.

Here's a brief overview of the sales process:

• The man with the gift of the gab gets everyone real hyped up.
• Those who "resonate" with the hype have to fill in the application form.
• After that you get told the price.
• After that, you compete to be one of the 5 who will be accepted (except that after the first 5, they keep accepting people anyway - there were 10 who took the plunge when I was there).
• After that, you have to give your credit card details, and sign the form which states no refunds.
• After that, you get some specific details about what you get for the money.

Well, that last point is a tad unfair, I admit.  During the course of the talk, you do get some snippets of information, in very emotive and general terms, about Life Membership.  But certainly not enough to base a rational decision on.

Pretty much what it comes down to is:

• Subscription to a monthly magazine - lots of advertising and the occasional interesting article.
• Potential benefits of social networking with other members. Sort of like a private LinkedIn.
• The opportunity to contribute to charities, in some undefined way.
• An income opportunity by getting a percentage cut of the membership fee of people you refer (this was not mentioned at the meeting, I found out about it later).
• Attendance at a whiz-bang function.
• Access to life/business coaching.

$14,500??  C'mon!

On the face of it, the coaching aspect sounds like the most meaty of the offerings.  But then, if I'm going to get coaching, I need to find a coach I can "click" with.

I have no idea, of course, about any of the coaches within that organisation.  There was one of them at the meeting I attended, and I sure wouldn't have "clicked" with him.

But you would have to assume that the coaches are all people who at some stage have been through the same process I observed.  That means they are not representative.  It means they are people who are able to be swayed by excitement.  It means they are people who have demonstrated their willingness to invest large amounts of cash without proper consideration.  It means they do not have a well-developed ability to detect unethical behaviour.  It means they are not for me.

So that's the value for money aspect.  But in the end, it is primarily the snake-oil tactics that I am upset about.

Something just really got to me about this.  Because I saw it first-hand, I suppose.  It was certainly amazing to see the vulnerability of some folks, and to reinforce my belief in the concept of consumer protection.

Which is simply my point... Watch out!

Technorati tags: scam, wealth+creation, social+networking, consumer+protection