When a volunteer wanted to learn how to do data entry for the association, he first had to learn how a computer worked (he was retired and had never used a computer). His only experience with databases had been with a master file composed of index cards.

We showed him how to open and read a file in the database, how to make changes to a file, how to add a file, and how to delete a file (he was directed to never delete a file).

He said there appeared to be much more work involved on the front end of these tasks than there was in managing an index card file. He wondered if it was really necessary.

We told him the front-end work was definitely necessary so that the database could perform countless tasks that would have been impossible with index cards. Taking short cuts at the beginning would limit the effectiveness of these tasks and just create more work later.

Wes Trochlil observed association personnel taking shortcuts on the front end of databasing tasks, apparently unconcerned about how that would affect projects at a later stage.

"Maybe sometimes it's better to do more work now, so you can do less work later," he rightly stated.