TrackMyTrains.com
has been designed as a complete inventory information warehouse
for model railroaders. Every effort has been made to make the system
straightforward and easy to use without sacrificing functionality.
The Customer FAQs are intended to address questions potential customers
frequently ask about the system. More information is also provided
in other parts of this Systems Overview section as well as in the
HELP section. We frequently update our site to reflect new information
and features our visitors request, so if you don't see your question
answered here, please send us an email. We will answer your question
within one business day and may choose to add it to this list for
the convenience of future visitors.
Please
choose the category that best describes your question:
About
how the system works
About
how the features work
About
computer equipment requirements
About
subscribing to the system
About
other concerns
|
| About
how the system works |
|
|
|
|
| About
how the features work |
|
|
|
|
| About
computer equipment requirements |
|
|
|
|
| |
| About
subscribing to the system |
|
|
|
|
| About
other concerns |
|
|
|
|
| |
| What
is meant by an Internet-based system? |
| An
Internet-based system is a set of programs and databases that reside
at a central site and are accessed using phone lines and a software
component called a web browser. With an Internet based system, all
sorts of data and programs can be accessed when needed by many different
end users in many different locations. |
|
|
| |
| How
is an Internet based system different from other systems? |
| With
a traditional computer system, all programs and data need to be installed
and maintained on the local computer where the user is located. With
an Internet based system, the programs and data are stored at a central
location - the web server. This eliminates your need to copy, store
or maintain these programs or data on the local computer and makes
the sharing of information easier regardless of location with no extra
work to copy or distribute data. |
|
|
| |
| What
are the advantages of an Internet-based system? |
| There
are many advantages with Internet based systems for many applications.
Because programs
and databases are maintained on the Web Server, the end user of
the system never has to worry about loading or maintaining programs
or files on their local systems. There is never a need to update
latest versions or protect data against loss with file backups.
Every time the host website is accessed, the most recent program
versions and data are available.
Another advantage
is that a user can access his data from any Internet-connected computer
without having to bring copies of the data with him. The Internet
also makes it easy to share information with others because all
the programs and data are available to any authorized person just
by signing on to the web site.
|
|
|
| |
| Can
others access my information? |
| With
TrackMyTrains.com, our design principle is to let subscribers share
as much information as they want with exactly the people they choose,
and nothing more.
Each subscriber's
data is encrypted and available only by signing onto the website
with the proper sign-on name and password. We do allow subscribers
to specify additional sign-on name and password combinations to
allow others to view selected information about their collections.
Currently there are three additional views of their collection information
subscribers can authorize to a visitor by name and password combination:
- A complete
view of their information with no update capability.
- Items that
are marked as "for sale"
- Items that
are marked "wish list" - a great way to suggest gift
ideas!
|
|
|
| |
| Are
you planning any further enhancements to the system? |
| Absolutely!
We have many activities underway that we expect to make the system
even more feature-packed. We are always interested in hearing ideas
from our subscribers and potential subscribers, so let us know what
you would like to see. We may already have it in the works!
And one more
thing - since we are Internet-based, new features will be made available
as soon as they are ready and you will have to do absolutely nothing
to update your programs or files. That's just another advantage
of the web-based design of TrackMyTrains.com!
|
|
|
| |
| What
is table driven field editing? |
| Table
driven field editing is a technique to make the data content of fields
easier to add and more consistent. TrackMyTrains.com table edits
many of its more important data fields.
Subscribers
set up edit tables for certain fields to contain the values they
consider valid and useful for their collections. When collection
records are being added or modified, the contents for the field
are selected from the edit table instead of typed.
The consistency
provided by table driven field editing is especially useful when
searching for items and running reports.
|
|
|
|
| What
is record cloning? How does it work? |
Record
cloning is a data entry technique that makes adding records easier
and provides greater overall consistency of data. With record cloning,
an item or inventory record (or combination) close to the new item
is selected. The option of "add copy" presents a new record
with all data fields already filled in. By simply changing those fields
that are different about the item being added, keystrokes are reduced
and consistency is enhanced.
TrackMyTrains.com features record cloning for report and download
request as well as cloning item and inventory records. This makes
the definition of custom reports and downloads especially easy. |
|
|
|
| What
are the capabilities for finding records in the database? |
TrackMyTrains.com
offers many options for finding and retrieving information from a
subscriber's database. A "Find List" page presents summary
information from records in a scrollable table. The data can be sorted
in any of seven ways to group similar items together. This "Find
List" display can be applied to the entire database or a selected
subset.
Subsets of the entire database can be selected based on the contents
of literally any field or set of fields in the database. Contents
can be searched and records can be selected based on a condition of
"equal to", "not equal to", "begins with",
"contains", or several others conditions. This is particularly
useful for users wanting to group records together in a variety of
ways, yet have them all retrieved as a group.
This same capability eases record selection for reports or downloads.
|
|
|
|
| How
can I share information about my collection with others? |
TrackMyTrains.com
offers many options for sharing selected information about your collection
with others you choose to share it with. Using its comprehensive reporting
and file download capabilities, a subscriber can extract precisely
the information they wish to share and send it (via snail-mail or
email) to whomever they choose.
What is truly unique to TrackMyTrains.com, however, is the ability
to share information via the Internet that is completely up to date.
A subscriber can create additional secure sign-on name and password
combinations and assign various view only capabilities to these. By
giving these name and passwords to those they choose, they can allow
others to peruse their entire collections, their "for sale"
items, their "wish list" items or any combination of these.
Future enhancements will provide even more capabilities of this kind. |
|
|
|
| Can
I buy or sell items at this website? |
The
primary purpose of TrackMyTrains.com is to provide a comprehensive
inventory system for private model railroad collectors. The system
does have the capability to mark items as "for sale" or
as "wish list" items. The subscriber can then authorize
selected visitors to view these items using additional sign-on names
and passwords.
We are considering a future option for subscribers to use the site
for general public posting of "for sale" or "wish list"
items.
We do not, at this time, intend to have the site handle actual bid
or sales transactions as we feel there are more established and robust
auction sites already available for this purpose. |
|
|
|
| What
kind of reports can I get about my collection? |
A
general-purpose report writer is a key feature included with TrackMyTrains.com.
Some "standard" report definition examples come with the
system and help make the report writer easy to learn. In addition
to these standard reports, the subscriber can create any number of
custom reports and save the report definitions on the site for use
at any time.
This report writer allows selection of records by virtually any field
content criteria. The subscriber can specify any sort sequence and
any report detail display fields. In addition, the subscriber can
also request record counts at different levels of the sort sequence
or the totaling of numeric fields such as cost or value.
These reports can be printed in a variety of font sizes or formats.
If desired, they can be stored on the subscriber's computer for later
access or emailed. |
|
|
| Can
I get information downloaded to my Palm Pilot device? |
| Yes.
TrackMyTrains.com includes a comprehensive file download capability.
A subscriber can specify criteria for files that are immediately downloaded
and available for transfer to PDA devices or other local computer
applications. |
|
|
|
| What
kind of computer do I need to use the system? |
| Almost
any PC or Apple Computer manufactured in the past several years and
equipped with a Web Browser can be used. If you have any concerns
about being able to use a particular computer, just log onto this
web site from it and select the Free Demo option. This will use the
regular programs just like a subscriber would to access demonstration
databases typical of real user databases. You may experience some
slowness initially while programs and files are downloaded to your
web browser but as you use the various functions, you should see more
typical response times. |
|
|
|
| Are
there any minimum speed or memory requirements? |
| As
with any application, TrackMyTrains.com will perform faster on computers
with higher speeds and memory availability. TrackMyTrains.com is
not a graphics or display intensive application, so its processor
and memory requirements are light compared to many other sites and
applications. Visiting the site and trying the demo will be an accurate
predictor of how your own databases will perform on your computer.
Please note that the first of any transaction type may process more
slowly than typical because the system is downloading the programs
on demand when the first transaction of any kind is executed. |
|
|
|
| Will
I need DSL or other high-speed Internet access line? |
| No,
any phone line connection will work, although, as with any Internet
technology, the higher speed the connection, the better. TrackMyTrains.com
is designed so that the majority of data transfer between the server
and the local computer is done primarily at sign-on time or when the
first of any transaction type is performed. This improves performance
during adding, maintaining, and retrieving information. The performance
advantage of a high-speed line such as DSL is most apparent during
initial loading of the application and data files at sign-in and when
large reports or file extracts are being produced. |
|
|
|
| How
do I sign up for the system? |
You
sign up for the system right on this website and can begin loading
your collection information today! Simply visit the "Enroll
New Member" page and follow the simple directions.
You will be guided through a three-step process in which you will
provide some account profile information, review and accept our simple
service agreement, and select an enrollment plan (subscription length)
and payment option. If you are still unsure, one option is to try
the system absolutely free for one month without any payment requirement.
|
|
|
|
| Can
I purchase the software rather than subscribe to the service? |
| No,
because TrackMyTrains.com is Internet based, we do not sell the system
as stand alone software. It is only available on a subscription basis.
Enrollment options offered are 6 month, 1 year, or 2 years, with discounts
offered for the longer enrollment periods. Your subscription includes
all the advantages of an Internet based system including updates as
soon as they become available, automated database back-up, and extensive
information sharing capabilities. |
|
|
|
| How
much does it cost? |
The
subscription price for TrackMyTrains.com is about the same as a hobby
magazine subscription. A 1-year subscription is $30; a 2-year subscription
is $55; and a 3-year subscription is $75. For a limited time, we are
offering a promotional incentive of additional free months with a
paid subscription.
If your use of the system helps you avoid buying one duplicate train
car or engine, it could pay for itself! |
|
|
|
| Can
I pay by any way other than credit card? |
We
strongly prefer accepting payment by credit card for convenience and
accuracy. It is currently the only payment option we offer through
the website.
However, we do have a very eager and friendly customer service department
that has been known to accept payment by check or money order. So,
if you really want to subscribe to the system but have an insurmountable
aversion to credit cards, we suggest you email customer service (See
Contact Us in the Community section of this website) and make special
arrangement for an off system payment. In the meantime, you can still
sign up and begin using the system today by taking the free one-month
trial option in the enrollment section of this site. |
|
|
|
| Is
there any maximum number of records that can be stored? |
The
system design has no limitation on the number of records that can
be stored for a particular subscriber other than an item-numbering
scheme limiting the size of any collection to 99,999,999 items. Currently
we allow a maximum of 5000 items or 10,000 total records (item records
and inventory records combined) and a maximum of 300 visits per month
for non-commercial users. This should accommodate the needs of any
individual user. If you need to exceed either of these limits, please
contact our Help Desk to discuss special arrangements.
We do license commercial users on an individual basis at negotiated
subscription prices with higher limits to the number of records stored
and the number of visits permitted per month. |
|
|
|
| How
can I be sure my data is secure? |
TrackMyTrains.com
ensures the security of your data in a number of ways.
Because our website is located on a professionally managed commercial
class server, regular file back-ups are standard procedure. This is
very unlike the way most PC users manage and backup their data. No
matter what might ever happen to your personal computer, your information
is always available at TrackMyTrains.com.
In addition, your data is encrypted and only accessible using your
private authorized sign-on and password. You control any additional
authorization for people you select to access your information and
can change these access authorizations at any time. |
|
|
| |
| What
if I discontinue my subscription? How can I get my collection information
off your website and onto my computer? |
You
will have full access to your collection information as long as you
are a current subscriber. We provide regular renewal reminders via
email and at the time you sign in to the website when you are nearing
the end of your subscription period to alert you in advance.
Should your subscription lapse due to non-payment, we will maintain
your information for an additional 60 days as a courtesy, although
you will need to become a current subscriber to regain access to your
data.
As a current subscriber, you can access and download your information
at any time using the file download feature of TrackMyTrains.com.
This capability lets you select the exact records and data fields
you wish and download your information to any computer you choose
to work from. |
|
|
|
| Do
you extract or sell information about your customers to others? |
We
extract information about our customers and their collections for
our own internal purposes. Examples of this include solicitation of
input ideas for new system features, informational announcements,
and activities we believe will allow us to improve the service we
provide to our customers. We routinely collect statistics on access
patterns, data patterns, and other information that will help us better
manage system performance.
Subscribers are given the option of whether we will share other contact
information about them with third parties we think may have information
of interest to them. We get this information from the subscriber's
self-maintained profile and follow these individual customer elections
strictly.
For more information on this topic, please also see our Privacy Policy
page on this website. |
|
|
|
| If
you upgrade or change the system, what will happen to my data? |
| Our
commitment to our subscribers is to maintain their information as
they have provided it. A big advantage of our Internet based approach
is that when we introduce new features, we can centrally make changes
in programs and data structures without disruption or inconvenience
to our subscribers. |
|
|
