Thanks GNUCash

[Robert Heller]

  Erik Evenson <erikevenson at earthlink.net>,
  In a message on Sun, 22 May 2005 22:07:09 -0500 (GMT-05:00), wrote :

e> GNUCash Developers,
e> 
e> Thanks.
e> 
e> For some time now I have been a reasonably happy Quicken 2002 user.  The program was adequate and served my needs.  Then Intuit pulled the plug on downloading stock quotes in an effort to strong arm me into buying a new version.  Perfectly within their rights, but it tweaked me nonetheless.  Providing stock quotes doesn't cost them a dime.  So I trashed Quicken, the last application keeping me from using Linux full time.  I apt-get'ed GNUCash on my next Debian boot.
e> 
e> GNUCash is good and the price is right.  Without it, I'd have to buy Quicken 2005, which is loaded with ad-ware, perpetuates my need for proprietary software, and eventually will "sunset" itself.
e> 
e> What I like about GNUCash:
e> 
e> - It doesn't coddle me.  Strict double-entry accounting is appreciated by this MBA.  Keeps me from making mistakes.  There's a reason double-entry accounting has been used ever since those monks back in the 1300's invented it.
e> 
e> - It's interface is simple and direct -- appreciated by this Engineer.
e> 
e> - It will always be there -- GNUCash has no "sunset."  Quicken's biggest problem was that they completed the necessary features in the code years ago.  There was just nothing left to add and therefore upgrade to.

Which is why Intuit is playing the strong-arm games to get you to buy
the same code *again*.  Without fresh sales, Intuit will (eventually)
fail to cover its payroll and fail.  This is the main (inherit) problem
with all companies that are looking to 'sell' commodity software.  They
either have to add questionable 'features' (Microsoft) or use various
'strong-arm games' to force people to 'upgrade' (Intuit). 

e> 
e> What I don't like about GNUCash:
e> 
e> - I would never recommend this program to "normal" users.  First of all, they have to use Linux, which is not quite ready for the consumer desktop.  That, and neither is GNUCash's UI.  Don't get me wrong -- I love it.  But there needs to be (maybe) a fork that targets the consumer.
e> 

This will probably be cured in time...

e> - Flipside of the previous: it doesn't have a command line interface.  Gosh that would be nice when I'm ssh-ing into my Debian server box.
e> 

Yes, a quick CLI to just add transactions would be nice (eg one gets
home from 'shopping' with a pile of receipts - it would be nice to
quickly enter these transactions without having to fire up the whole
GUI. CLI access for various 'common' queries (current balances,
projected minimum, etc.) would also be nice.

e> - It doesn't run on Cygwin.  I know there is a good reason, but I don't know what it is.  If it did run on Cygwin, I could use GNUCash on my laptop, which is hopelessly locked into an MS OS.

You *could* make your laptop a dual boot box...

e> 
e> - A calendar display of balances like Quicken 2002 had.  Gosh, this was key to me managing my personal checking account.  I miss it.
e> 
e> Nevertheless, a big thank-you.  If I knew who you were, I'd buy you a beer.  I have great hopes for GNUCash's future.

Did you look in /usr/share/doc/gnucash-1.8.<mumble>/AUTHORS ?

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e>        

                                     \/
Robert Heller                        ||InterNet:   heller at cs.umass.edu
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