[grib@linuxdevel.com: Survey results?]

[fleet@teachout.org]

On Thu, 12 Jul 2001, Linas Vepstas wrote:

>
> Prelim survey results are now online, see main website.
> --linas

Very interesting!

> Business Accounting: support invoicing/billing, accounts-payable,
> receivable. However, the results are sort of bizarre: users are not that
> interested in an integrated address-book/contact manager/to-do list. I
> find this is bizarre, since things like billing/invoicing/checkprinting
> is almost useless if you don't have adresses and phone numbers to go
> with your invoice system. And accounts-payable is basically a fancy
> to-do-list, rendered all-the-more useless withough good checkprinting
> (i.e. print address on check) support. So I'm tempted to conclude that
> respondants have little/no actual experience in using a small-business
> accounting package. Indeed, we should filter results for those who have
> actually used peachtree/quickbooks or other business pacakge.

I have a *VERY* small business.  I'm just getting into Accts Rec. in a
more "standardized" way.  I only have three regular bills, so Accts. Pay.
is not all that important for me.  Therefore when I reached the
"integrated address-book/contact manager/to-do list" question I kinda went
"Huh?"  Certainly, for invoicing/billing/checkprinting purposes there's a
need to have customer contact information available to the computer (but
not necessarily in human readable form). It would never dawn on me to look
for a customer's address or phone number in my accounting package.  I
would look for it in an address-book/contact manager/to-do list software
designed for keeping this information; which also would keep this
information for my mechanic, bookkeeper, family members, social contacts,
emergency numbers, etc.  In addition to "do the dang invoices!" and "Meet
with Mr. Client" entries, the to-do list would include things like "get
oil change," "get a haircut," "take dog to vet," etc.  So, yes, I *would*
like an "integrated address-book/contact manager/to-do list" - I just
don't think I'd like it as part of GnuCash.  (BTW, if anyone knows of a
GOOD PIM for Linux, drop me a private e-mail.  I haven't found one yet.
I'm currently grepping a text file.)

				- fleet -