2. If they were inaccurate to a material extent, it would be VERY EASY for the company to disavow them, right here on this site.

3. Therefore, anybody who seriously entertains the possibility at this point that my comments are not substantially accurate isn’t thinking straight.

4. You are incorrect about libel law. I have no duty to persuade the “average reader”. I merely have the duty to say things that are not unfounded. (Yeah, a double negative. At least when it comes to writing style, the law is an ass.) It is also helpful if I give some clue as to what the basis of my opinions is and if I generally try not to leave myself open to wild misinterpretation, and I think I’ve gone beyond the call of duty in meeting those standards.

5. To repeat — what I wrote is correct, and I am confident the company is in essential agreement. Maybe they wish I’d used different phrasing, but if they do feel that way, they — unlike you and Chris — are professional enough not whine about it, let alone to make baseless accusations. Indeed, I don’t even KNOW whether they wish I’d used different phrasing, since they haven’t expressed that opinion to me in our brief discussions of what I wrote.

6. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, OK?

CAM

Refusing to offer a sensible rebuttal of Chris’ comments to _me_ seems lazy; and the “I won’t respond to what I consider to be personal attacks on my integrity” is a response I have seen littered throughout your posts, usually when you are being asked to justify claims you have made.

I am a particular fan of this website, and up until now, I have let most of these go under the bridge, but this one takes the biscuit, and I don’t think I’ll be coming back.

It was fun while it lasted.

Pretend to be a client trying to fulfill a business need and set up a request for quotation for some kind of interesting custom application (for 500 or less users) and I will devise a basic specification, cost estimate, and schedule for the application using FileMaker products (including the cost of consulting, hardware and software licenses). I can almost guarantee that I can offer the same or additional functionality in the application than those other technologies as well as being much cheaper, faster to build, and easier to use. And it will meet all of your DBA, IT Dept and security/integrity requirements, too.

Let’s set aside theoretical discussions for a moment and talk about a real-world solution and see how it shakes out. This is really the only way for you and your readers to see the versatility and power of FileMaker-based solutions. Game, anyone?

CAM

“But I really do want to know where you got the “facts” you posted exactly. Let’s start with “But the limited amount of serious application development work being done on FileMaker”. Where’d you get that from? Or is it just your opinion/hunch stated as fact? I’m not accusing you of anything. But your source would shed much light.

There is absolutely no way someone at FileMaker, Inc. said that FileMaker wasn’t being used seriously by anyone. This has to have come from somewhere else. So where? If not you, then where?

If the company thinks I mis-paraphrased them, they’re welcome to post here and correct me.

Since you seem so sure I did that, maybe you should urge them to correct my errors.

CAM

Well I didn’t mean for it to come across that way. I certainly wasn’t feeling “attack”-y, just a bit perplexed at your claims.

But I really do want to know where you got the “facts” you posted exactly. Let’s start with “But the limited amount of serious application development work being done on FileMaker”. Where’d you get that from? Or is it just your opinion/hunch stated as fact? I’m not accusing you of anything. But your source would shed much light. Thanks for your continued replies.

Your attack on my professional integrity is uncalled for. I have no intention of dignifying it with further response.

CAM

Curt, with all due respect, you don’t really understand FileMaker software. For example, in your last comment you said “But the limited amount of serious application development work being done on FileMaker”. Where are you getting this from? Did you make it up? FileMaker is in use at just about every government agency, almost all of the Fortune 500 and many other vast, international companies and agencies. It is also the hands-down favorite app of small to medium non-profits, schools and small business, at least in my 11 years of experience/street knowledge. What other application-building software can claim such a range as this?

See http://filemaker.com/solutions/customers/index.html.

No, FileMaker’s software is not being used when you call 555-1212 to look up someone’s phone number. But FileMaker, Inc. just isn’t in that market right now. Right now, they fill the void of “workgroup-sized” applications. Since there are gads of these at almost any place people work in this world, there’s plenty of room for growth.

Maybe the bottom line for you (you tell me, though) is that you are interested only in “Databases” with a capital “D” using, if I may say, the “old school” or “academic” definition of “database.” What I’m (and FileMaker, I think) are talking about is something completely new…a powerful, scalable, platform-independent, inexpensive, average-person-understandable, flexible, open-standards-embracing, rapid-application-development environment.

Thanks for allowing contrary opinions here. I do try to be fair in my responses.