[Fsfe-uk] Re: An ignorant question?

[Neil Darlow]

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Hi,

In response to Ian Lynch's statement that client-server and web browser are 
the way to go for e.g. an accountancy suite, I would offer the following in 
mitigation of a more dedicated solution.

1) A networked client/server model may be convenient but it is potentially 
less secure than a locally run solution.

2) Both KDE and Gnome feature object embedding technology that would permit 
accounts data to be embedded in spreadsheets, word processed documents etc. 
which a web browser based solution would have difficulty in emulating. I 
don't discount a more traditional X interface (please, no more X-windows, 
there is no such beast :) as provided by e.g. Lesstif.

3) Consider the case of an individual running SQL Ledger on a laptop with a 
wireless network interface. Not only does he need to have apache installed 
but he may also need to secure it for localhost-only access. Sensitive 
accounts may require him to run an HTTPS server with the additional setup 
that requires.

4) I accept that a SQL database is a good medium for accounts data storage but 
we should also consider technologies such as XML for data interchange and 
what about encryption of the data for sensitive applications? Just 
arbitrarily using a client/server database model might not be the most 
appropriate solution in this scenario.

Regards,
Neil Darlow M.Sc.
- -- 
ICQ: 135505456  E-Mail, Jabber and MSNM: <neil at darlow.co.uk>
Free Software and Open Standards Consultants - http://www.darlow.co.uk/
The Association of Free Software Professionals - http://www.afsp.org.uk/
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