FileMaker Options

Post date: Jul 21, 2014 12:15:34 PM

From: g_otto@comcast.net [mailto:g_otto@comcast.net]

Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2014 6:17 PM

To: Minstrel@FolkProject.org

Cc: George Otto; volunteers@folkproject.org; lorif10@yahoo.com; lwfalco@optonline.net; chrisriemer@verizon.net; MarkSchaffer100@gmail.com; jean.scully@verizon.net; ceciliazeimetz@yahoo.com; kugel@rci.rutgers.edu; joannelcronin@optonline.net

Subject: Re: Volunteer Schedule

Mike,

We are calling ourselves the Ad Hoc Technology Awareness Committee.

You should be aware that FileMaker can in fact drive a website where users can access and update data from their web browsers. When I was working a the Medical Missions for Children charity, I created a FileMaker database which was used to enter information from a browser about all the videos entered into our video library and allow the TV station program manager using a browser to create a playlist based on those videos which then drove the daily broadcast.

The issue, of course, is who provides the server. In the MMC case, everything was local (in the same building) and I provided the server from my desktop. In the case of the Folk Project, we would need to find a server to run FileMaker remotely to offer the website externally and allow someone to be the database admin. I don't know if our current FP website server company would be able or willing to provide this service. Of course, a separate copy of FileMaker would need to be bought and installed for the server. It should probably be FileMaker Pro 13 Advanced which would cost $549.

An alternative is that the current FileMaker database could be copied to an iPad and run via the FileMaker Go app, which would allow a user to update the database on the iPad immediately and the result could then be copied back from the iPad onto whoever's computer would control the data. FileMaker Go is free.

George Otto

(908) 604-4623

GeorgeOtto@mac.com