In this article, we delve into the trials and tribulations of dealing with an antiquated database system. The author shares his experience of struggling with a 1996 database version and Microsoft Access 2000, and how he eventually found a solution. This story serves as a valuable lesson for anyone dealing with outdated technology or struggling to manage their customer database effectively.
The author's ordeal began when he needed to send emails to a list of individuals who had signed up to resell his product, "The Amazing Formula That Sells Products Like Crazy." However, he was faced with a significant problem - his list was riddled with duplicates. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't find a way to remove these duplicates, which was crucial to avoid sending multiple emails to the same person.
The author's list was in a simple format: a number followed by the first name, last name, and email. Despite its simplicity, he found it impossible to manipulate the data in Excel or remove duplicates using his text editor, Boxer 99. Even his email program, which was supposed to remove duplicate records, failed him.
In desperation, he turned to Microsoft Access, hoping that this robust database program would solve his problem. However, removing duplicates in Access proved to be a Herculean task, even with the help of a "find duplicates" query. The author found himself lost in a maze of complicated steps that ultimately led nowhere.
Just when all hope seemed lost, a friend suggested trying Lotus Approach, promising that it could accomplish the task in a single click. Although he initially faced difficulties in acquiring the software, the author eventually managed to install an old 1996 version he had on CD.
To his delight, Lotus Approach imported the names effortlessly and removed the duplicates instantly. He was then able to export the list in a pipe-delimited format, ready for mailing. This was a stark contrast to his experience with Access and other databases he had tried.
Despite his victory, the author still had a few issues to resolve, such as cleaning up his list of associates and moving data from one field to another. He also wished for a feature to convert all records in a column into caps and lower case, which would have been useful for dealing with individuals who typed their names in capital letters.
In conclusion, the author's experience serves as a reminder of the challenges that can arise when dealing with outdated technology. It also highlights the importance of finding the right tools for the job, even if they might not be the most recent or popular ones. For more discussions on this topic, visit this discussion board.
