I need direct contact with a Microsoft agent. I worked with software development companies and good programmers since DOS. I understand terms like ‘shake it up’ and others. I have debugged and am good at it. But why should I spend so much time dealing with online support stuff, I am too old for this. I know what to tell them quickly, and maybe we can find a quick solution, and quickly help others with these problems.
This is crazy! I do not know what to do. I just want to use Microsoft tools to save my clients time, and they are wasting so much of my time! I wonder if I have made the right choice. So many others tell me no, but stupid me, I need them only because all the business office tools dominate the business world, and that is what I want to do, help others by streamlining their task and process and give them better reporting or information. If it all works OK, then great. But I am crying while I laugh at the magic I see Microsoft do right in front of my eyes, or while I just look away (technically, pull up a site on a tab, go to another tab, go back, and magic, I have another version where I was just there.
I am 68 years old, have been a Director of Finance, implemented Financial/Accounting and Human Resources/Payroll software both as head of finance and as a professional financial systems consultant like Great Plains Dynamics, and settled in developing applications for people to help them save time. Internal Controls are important; I am an accountant. I love to use systems to build in controls that I use to have to write policies and procedures manually to do. This is something I knew I would see as computers were arriving in business. At that time everything was done manually, paper and pencil, not pen, unless you had to make it permanent. Most are small businesses. I was a master because written procedures were the only way to eliminate infighting and instill internal controls. And I hate to write and read. But controls save so much time, relations, and so many things to list.
First, I started with software development at the end of DOS days. I was the project manager of a new innovative Tax Software system used by CPA Firms, and we blew the market away. I had already started some development in Paradox, a database tool like Access. Then, Microsoft was giving away Excel, Word, and others just to get into the market. Many of Microsoft’s products were not even invented or were trash at this time. We used Novel network, Lotis 123, WordPerfect, etc. I watched Microsoft evolve. And while doing this Windows was coming out and as developers, we got an early version before 3.1, the real first version of Windows. We already had tools to use Alt-Tab to switch windows.
Then, the next very innovative software development company I worked for as the Director of Finance, windows 3.1 arrived and a former super good Siemens C++ programmer put 666 on our mailboxes in windows 3.1 in less than 2 hours. But these guys communicated with Microsoft and other major developers and knew the keyboard tricks to play games in applications. Things like packman of, if forgot which, eating the other, WordPerfect vs. Word. Both had hot keys to get you to a game that did something to the other.
At this company, I was developing in Paradox, but now in Paradox for Windows. Developed a jewelry manufacturer application in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and other apps. This is where I began developing an Accounting application in Paradox for Windows and received additional education at FAU, where I learned how to document or diagram relational databases. I then walked around in life building relational databases in my head for everything I saw, everywhere, and realized everything relates somehow, just now I am building primary keys and other keys in my head for all those relations. I did that in my head for a little while, and yes I stopped soon after, and sometimes still do.
After that, I left and started to complete that Accounting system I started and learned to build an application to keep track of my applications, bugs, improvements, etc. After, I found myself at multiple clients consulting, usually implementing financial software systems, finding little areas that the software I was implementing did not cover, so I was developing many small apps to streamline those business processes.
Somewhere along the way Microsoft finally started having new products that I was facing everywhere. NT servers mainly, but now everyone is using the free stuff like Excel and Word. I used to control users and groups in NT, loved the control, but NT evolved and when they added other stuff that I did not know, I needed to stop, felt I new was over my head. I could learn, but I have so much to do and learn, I am not going to be that kind of IT person. I only want to know enough to help others streamline business processes. Database platforms like Access and VBA were as high level I wanted to go to. Yes, I program, but do not profess to be a programmer. But my apps work.
I finally settled into Access, VBA, SQL, and stored procedures. Developed a lot, including another accounting application. I left that world and did the semi-retirement thing, but that is not me. I must stay busy, and I have to help others, and doing this is my passion.
Now, I am getting back to help others, excited how applications tie into web pages. But all I want to do is business analysis, develop databases, and develop applications. For now, I have to learn Power Pages to create my business web site. Doing this I have realized that I can do a few other things I always thought about, helping others with websites in other ways, also get out the truth about things. But those things are secondary, apps and databases are all I want to do.
Now, I am seeing some amazing things happen in Power Pages, I see Microsoft performing magic! If that is what you would call it. I now have a new term, “Microsoft Magic”, which means BUGS, amazing bugs, these are showstoppers. I just want to help others, and I hope others can help me. I am putting my full faith into Microsoft, and they are letting me down, mostly time, which is precious to old people like me, I have had 2 heart attacks, and I have a pacemaker, I do not need this stress.
Two major things right now. Saving? No, which version I was working on will appear every time I open a website I am working on. I now realized it is probably there, in the cloud somewhere, just how do I make sure I am accessing the latest version?
Second, but this seems to fix itself, maybe, Microsoft moves all pages except ‘Home’ to ‘Other pages’, but then one of the many times I open that website, things may return to normal. I never know which version I am working on, how can I work like this?
Help, someone!!!!!!!!!
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