<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Listmates:

Thank you for your responses and suggestions regarding my proposal
to create an online, updatable data base.  Unfortunately, I do
have some limitations that I feel I need to explain.  First of
all, I am not an expert programmer OR data base building.  I used
a program called ColdFusion to do a project for my graduate school
thesis.  ColdFusion allows remote web interaction with a data base
that sits on a special ColdFusion server.  The account I have with
my provider only allows me Access support for my data base.

Accounts that offer more are also more expensive.

I thought I could basically utilize the template I used to create
my site for my project (www.tech2learn.net/cf) to create a data
base for people on this list.  I have had a lot of questions about
the quality of the information.  The answer is that the
information will only be as good as we make it and that I cannot
offer garentees.  I will include the following fields of
information:

Food Categories
Baby Foods
Baking Products
Beverages
Candy
Cereals
Etc.

I will attempt to break these down into appropriate sub
categories ...making additions whenever necessary.

I will also include the following fields:

Date of submission
Information Source (company name, email, phone, address)
Verification Date:

Submitted by:  (your name) Email:  (Your email address) Region (state,
country) Lactose Status Misc Information - This may include a short
narritive with addition information about this product.  I loved
it...hated it, etc.


If you feel that I missed anything, please let me know and I'll
give it a try.  Keep in mind that I am ONLY providing the
structure.  YOU are providing the data.  My structure may be
rudimentry because I am not an experienced programmer but I think
it will help and hopefully, I can improve it over time.

A password will be required to update the database.  I will try
giving a new password to the list each month and see how this
works out.  People will have to notify me when information becomes
outdated and I will remove it from the data base.  I am not sure
how to go about providing that kind of access that would allow the
user to remove data or if it would be a good idea anyway.

I am an educator, finishing the school year right now so it will
take me a while to get this underway....please be patient.  Most
experienced Celiacs know that absolute food garentees are hard to
come by.  We do our best..hopefully without making ourselves and
the people around us TOO crazy.  I have been a diagnosed Celiac
for 6 years.  I guess my endorsement is that I'm still alive and
healthier then I've been in 20 years.  I feel that I wasted a good
part of my life feeling ill and I certainly don't want to go back
to living that way.

Again, thanks for your support and input.  Also...someone did ask
about downloading this to a Palm Pilot.  I'm not sure how this
would work but I have a Palm too so I hope we can figure it out.
Perhaps I could make the database itself available.  There is
software that will allow you to import and read ACCESS on your
Palm.  I welcome any ideas on this one!

Deb