Spring Vedabase Upgrade Qualm

[Guest guest]

Obeisances. Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

I noticed on the Vedabase web page that there is an upgrade scheduled for

release springtime of next year. I would like to voice an important

complaint/request early. This is regarding the reconciling of Vedabase

shadow files.

 

When software is upgraded, it generally retains the capacity to read files

that were created on an older version of it. There are very few applications

on the market that don't allow for this, and no quality ones. Imagine if

every time you upgraded your word processor all files from an earlier

version of the program became obsolete! It is unheard of. It is ridiculous.

That is because it simply makes no sense.

 

Why even have the capacity for shadow files if every time the nfo file

changes (with an "upgrade") they are unusable? The Vedabase has amazing

study options - options that have revolutionized the way I study and teach -

but only with the use of shadow files. Without them, it remains a wonderful

search facility and database, but that's all.

 

The fact that no one has voiced the strangeness of this phenomenon before

now leads me believe that no one uses the Vedabase to its capacity.

Otherwise, I imagine that there are several saintly devotees that have

remained equipoised in mauna-vrata amidst the loss of many hours of valuable

work. [A side note regarding the encouragement to take advantage of the

Folio shell: how valuable would the shadow files of learned devotees be,

were we able to trade and share them? And what about functions that could

integrate two shadow files?]

 

I encountered the problem of discarded shadow files when I was beta-testing

for the first large upgrade (from password to hardlock). That summer I

worked on a shadow file for three months while teaching a VIHE course. Yet

much to my dismay, all of my links, notes, and other annotations were

totally lost because of the upgrade. Even the Archive techies could not

reserect my file. And that was only from beta to the final version!

 

I have personally sold at least six Vedabases just by showing people my

shadow file and how I use the program. Some of them got computers just to

get the Vedabase. I thoroughly support the project and am quite excited

about another addition of books for the Spring. However, if it is just a new

program with its own unique file system, and thus not truly an upgrade, I

will be very disappointed.

 

So the request: please work hard on retaining the foundational benefits of

the program and improving its quality and usability before upgrading to a

larger text-quanitity version. Create a function - a seperate application if

you must - to reconcile old shadow files with the upgraded nfo. Otherwise,

you will lose your truest supporters - those who actually utilize the

software's amazing capabilities. They will not want to upgrade for loss of

their earlier endeavors.

 

Your servant,

Vrndavana dasa Thakura dasa