[Bulk] Re: new user of Gnucash - questions

[Diann]

Well, it seems this has been an active topic!  I certainly do appreciate all
comments, and truly, your input is great and I'm learning...  Our law firm
is little - one attorney and one employee.  Ever hear of such a thing?!
Last year we had a major computer crash and the backup DVDs did not work.
Our computer tech was able to restore a good bit of data from the damaged
hard drive.  I was able to finish out the year with our accounting program
at that time - PCLaw Accounting for Attorneys.  There were some hiccups,
though, one of which was that I lost the ability to close out at "end of
month", and therefore was unable to close out the accounting year.  We have
lost confidence in that accounting program and in searching for something
more update and perhaps with more friendly user ability, I chose Gnucash
(through our tech's searching and downloading it onto my office desktop).  I
like it, and do want to continue using it.  I just may have to get use to
doing things differently, such as no more close outs.  I do the bookkeeping
and record keeping throughout the year, including payroll, and then we turn
over our business records to an accountant for end of year journal entries,
and for tax preparations.

Diann I. Hayes
Legal Assistant
Horne Law Firm, PLLC
2315 Market Street
Wilmington, NC 28403
Tel:  910.254.7901   Fax: 910.254.7903
 
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-----Original Message-----
From: gnucash-user-bounces+dhayes=hornelaw.us at gnucash.org
[mailto:gnucash-user-bounces+dhayes=hornelaw.us at gnucash.org] On Behalf Of
Mike or Penny Novack
Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2011 7:55 AM
To: Elizabeth Dodd
Cc: gnucash-user at gnucash.org
Subject: Re: [Bulk] Re: new user of Gnucash - questions


>  
>
>>The point raised in the lists here historically is that, from a legal
>>perspective, it is very difficult (if not impossible) to guarantee in
>>an electronic environment that a given data set has maintained its
>>integrity. As Derek hinted, the only true guarantee is to create an
>>immutable copy on CD. 
>>    
>>
>which my accountant then prints out and keeps that paper copy....
>
>so that the copy on which they prepared my returns is in a particular
>form in their office.
>  
>
In my case (for the organizations for which I am responsible) I burn
multiple copies and distribute some out of my control. This is a reasonable
guarantee that the data has not been altered as if that is ever in question,
these can be compared.

Things like system dates placed on data? It's SOFTWARE that does that. So
no, we who design/write programs need not alter the computer's machine date
to fake dates, just use our own version of a CD burning program that instead
of placing the current machine date there places whatever date we desire.

Like I used to tell folks in the shop ---- the data on files indicating when
last changed and by whom? I could make that "you" and "yesterday" (not what
it actually was) with the so called system security being simply ignorance
-- very few in the shop knew how to take control of "label" writing
routines. 

Michael D Novack, FLMI

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