An Interview with George L. Thurston III

Genealogist, Professional Writer and Volunteer in Amateur Radio Groups

Reprinted with Permission

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askSam: Which askSam products do you use?

GEORGE THURSTON: I use askSam for DOS mostly, and askSam for Windows sometimes.

askSam: Can you tell me how you use askSam?

GEORGE THURSTON: My applications for askSam include the following:

(1)  A real-time quick reference source for phone numbers and organizational data in a 2300-member volunteer organization, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (Northern Florida Section) of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL).

(2)  A reference source for on-line information like email addresses and websites that I am interested in plus tips on many aspects of computing.

(3)  A raw-data repository for genealogical research data.  Several files, for example, named for families, contain abstracts of obits, cemetery grave-stone inscriptions, birth data (name, gender, date, place, parents, etc), death data (similar to births), marriage data and children, military records.

(4) I often use it to generate mailing labels, which I use either en masse in mailings of a few hundred, or a few at a time to save printing individual envelopes or hand-writing addresses I frequently use.

(5) askSam has a couple of features that I find useful.  askSam's ability to generate an ASCII text file and export it for use in a word-processing document is a feature that I use on a fairly regular basis, though not every day.   Also, I use the auto-dialer to save wear and tear on my forefinger. Sam's ability to display a phone number on the screen, then dial it is one of its most helpful capabilities -- saves keeping phone numbers in separate lists where I have to fumble through them to get the number and then dial it myself, or switch to a dedicated autodialer like the one offered in Win-95, which does nothing BUT dial phone numbers and keep addresses.  

I use my "fone.ask" program as a repository not only for phone numbers, but also for info on tradesmen, stores and others from whom I purchase goods or services. When I put the "Podunk Paint Plant" into the file, with phone numbers and names of contact people and workers, I also note the quality of the work, the promptitude of the response, the willingness (if any) to fix minor errors that show up after the job, the prices charged, and anything else relating to the quality of their goods and/or services. Next time I need a paint job, or a plumber, or roofer, or pest control person, guess where I look for info that enables me to avoid the cheats and klutzes?

askSam: How has askSam made your job any easier, or faster or more efficient?

GEORGE THURSTON: Ignoring the fact that I'm pretending to be retired, at 71, all the

uses mentioned above suggest the uses I make/made of it as a working  journalist. The nature of the files differed only in the subject matter -- not in the organization, content or application.

askSam: Can you tell me about what kind of customer support you have received as a user?

GEORGE THURSTON: I have received very good support. I have never had to suffer a wait on my nickel for someone in tech support to reply. Sometimes the tech supporter needed a little support from other staff, but the outcome of requests for help has been very good.  The staff never gets impatient with repeated call-backs. Responses to email requests are prompt but often must be followed up by a phone call.

askSam: Would you recommend askSam and Why?

GEORGE THURSTON:  I would - and frequently do -- for all the reasons given above.

This is no ordinary database! Its ability to handle text and un-structured data along with structured info is maybe not unique, but I know of no other program that can do what Sam does as well as it does, and as fast as it does, as easily as it does!

askSam: What applications do you plan for askSam in the future?

GEORGE THURSTON: My applications won't change in their nature, though I'll create many new files, I suspect. I don't think any of the new ones will differ in  their uses, structure or management from what I already do.

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George L. Thurston III