Bill System Questions

[David T.]

Des, Derek and Elizabeth--

I appreciate all the assistance. I will strive to understand these features better. Posting the invoices will (obviously) help a great deal. It's too bad I didn't see the section on posting invoices in the Concept Guide, or the button on the toolbar; my eyes stayed within the Edit Bill window.

Derek, I take exception to your comments with regard to "stupid users" and "idiots." Your comments are rude, and do a disservice to the Gnucash community. Many software developers consider the input of their user base (even the "stupid" ones) to be a valuable asset, and use these inputs to gain insight on how their software is received by that user base. This feedback can serve to improve the software. I have seen over the years, however, that you frequently consider users to be annoyances best dealt with by insulting them, as you have done here.

I recognize that you have made great contributions to this software package, and I am sincerely grateful for both the software and your ongoing support for it. 

In anticipation of your hackneyed response that "patches are always welcome," I will reiterate that I am not a programmer, and have done my best to help this software and this community in the ways I know how. 

David

--- On Mon, 3/23/09, Derek Atkins <warlord at MIT.EDU> wrote:

> From: Derek Atkins <warlord at MIT.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Bill System Questions
> To: "Des Dougan" <des at douganconsulting.com>
> Cc: sunfish62 at yahoo.com, "Users Gnucash" <gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
> Date: Monday, March 23, 2009, 11:21 PM
> HI,
> 
[snip]
> >> 7) When searching for a bill to pay from the
> Process Payment window,
> >> the search results window re-uses the general
> results window.
> >> Unfortunately, this window includes a Process
> Payment button, which
> >> leads the unsuspecting stupid user (me) into a
> foggy haze trying to
> >> figure out where they are in the Process Payment
> process.
> >
> > If you use the Payables Aging report (and Receivables
> Aging for your
> > invoices), you can select the sum owed, click on the
> Bill link to see
> > the bill you created, then select Business, Pay
> Invoice. To me, it's a
> > cleaner process.
> 
> Either way, stupid users can shoot themselves in the foot. 
> There just
> aren't that many safety measures in the world to
> protect an idiot.  If
> you don't understand the tools you're using you can
> still drill a hole
> in your head.  I'm sorry, but I'm of the opinion
> that the drill maker
> is NOT responsible for you putting the bit to your skull
> and you pulling
> the trigger.   You get what you deserve.
> 
> >> Please remember to CC this list on all your
> replies.
> >> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or
> Reply-All.
> 
> -derek
> 
> -- 
>        Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT
> Media Laboratory
>        Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board 
> (SIPB)
>        URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA    
> N1NWH
>        warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key
> available