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tirade about being a web browser

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git-svn-id: svn+ssh://svn.gnucash.org/repo/gnucash/trunk@2828 57a11ea4-9604-0410-9ed3-97b8803252fd
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Linas Vepstas 2000-09-12 00:23:59 +00:00
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@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
</p>
<ul>
<li>The current stable, production release is gnucash-1.4.0 and
<li>The current stable, production release is gnucash-1.4.6 and
is based on the <a href= "http://www.gnome.org">Gnome</a> / <a
href= "http://www.gtk.org">GTK</a> libraries.
</li>
@ -52,10 +52,11 @@
</li>
</ul>
<p>The latest version is available only via CVS. Occasionally,
<p>The latest version is available only via CVS.
Occasionally,
some of the more stable CVS versions are given a version number,
and packaged as a precompiled deb or RPM install package. Naive or
beginning users should probably stick to version gnucash-1.4.0.
beginning users should probably stick to version gnucash-1.4.6.
More adventurous users can try one of the 1.5.x releases, However,
keep in mind that they are in a state of constant change and will
often be unstable.
@ -212,6 +213,65 @@
"http://www.perl.org">Perl</a> interfaces, thanks to a <a href=
"http://starship.skyport.net/crew/beazley/swig.html">SWIG</a>
wrapper.
</p>
<h2>A Web Browser for Financial Data</h2>
<p>More and more finacial data is moving onto the web.
People shop on-line. They pay bills on-line. There are
even some promising online micro-payment systems. For GnuCash
to be relevent in this on-line world, it must be able to interact
with these systems. There are several steps that can be taken
aloing this path. First, it must be possible to simply and
transparently import financial data off the web. Click on a QIF
file, mime-type "application/x-qif"? Gnucash sucks it in without
burping. But, in a more distant future, can GnuCash originate
transactions? It should be able to!
</p>
<p>
GnuCash should become "The More Sophisticated Financial Web Browser".
Why? Because dyncamically-generated html and cgi-bins aren't
as pretty or easy to use (or as fast, responsive or sophisticated)
as what you can do with a custom client. Sure Java plugins can
provide a fancier interface than html forms, but a java plugins
that is sophisticated enough is also slow to download. No two
Java plugins are alike: every site has thier own: no standardization.
Wouldn't you rather use one GUI that you already kn ow for all your
on-line financial interactions? Never mind that many people have
Java disabled in thier browser due to security concerns (oh, tell me
again, you do financial things, and you're NOT concerned about security?)
Finally, no Java plugin provides you with monthly or quarterly
reports of your financial status. Maybe your credit card company
does this over the web, but what if you have <b>two</b> credit cards?
</p>
<p>
GnuCash can provide a centralized, trusted store for financial
data that no other application can provide. There's the convenience
factor: if you have trading accounts at e*trade and charles schwab,
then GnuCash can be the central place where you can oversee
<b>all</b> of your investments. There's the trust factor:
maybe you can trust your web bank. Maybe you can trust your web
stock account. But can you trust a single web entity with *all*
of your financial data? Someone who won't treat you as 'just
another consumer' and sell your 'consumer profile' to anyone who
cares to stalk (ahem, target) your financial activity (ahem,
purchasing) patterns? Didn't think so. Of course, you
*could* use some proprietary financial software. Assuming, of course,
that you trust it not to have any built-in covert channels:
nothing that might send back the make and model of your CPU and
the last ten transactions 'home to mommy' for 'diagnostic purposes'.
Because open source software, such as GnuCash, can be audited
it can be trusted in ways that no proprietary software can be.
In an increasingly net-connected world, the ability to build
trust through audits will be increasingly important.
GnuCash should be able
to act not only as a secure purse/wallet on the internet, but it
should infact be that trusted financial advisor that no other
technology is in a position to fill.
</p>
<hr>
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