Product temporary pulled...read why here...to be re-released as shareware last week of December

Principles of operation
Why monitor web pages for changes
Methods of monitoring pages
Questions
Why not use a free service for Y2K rollover
Why not manually monitor web pages
Why not hire a paid service
Ordering information

Why monitor web pages for changes?

It is no surprise that the rollover weekend is coming for Y2K.   What is surprising is how manufacturers are notifying their users of last minute updates, patches and workarounds over the first weekend of the new century.  Most are posting any required support information to their own web pages and expecting you to be aware of the new information there.  This might be an acceptable solution if there were only one manufacturer that supplied all of the software and only one page to check.  The problem is that most companies have several hundred suppliers of software and there is no time to manually check each vendors web page continuously for the latest information.

Methods of monitoring web pages

There are several methods available to monitor for changes.   Here is a brief list:

  1. Download the directory containing the page.  Monitor for changes in date/time stamps at the directory level.
  2. Download the web page, calculate a checksum (or CRC).   Monitor for changes in the checksum.
  3. Download the web page and store the complete web page on the local hard drive.  Monitor for changes by comparing the local copy with newly downloaded copies.

Our new tool WebCompare solves the problem by allowing you to load a list of web pages into its Access database, specify the frequency to visit pages (the minimum is every 2 hours or you can manually active the cycle as often as you like).   WebCompare will then compare all the pages in your list and notify you of any which have changed.  Once you have confirmed the change, it loads a fresh baseline of that page and continues monitoring for the next change.

Questions

Why not use a free service for Y2K rollover
The short answer is that it will not give you what you need.   The longer answer is that you have no control over when your page is scanned (it is done at most once every 24 hours) and the email notification may be lost or delayed.   During the Y2K rollover those are unacceptable.  You will probably want to coordinate the scan to be completed shortly before systems are brought up and every few hours thereafter.
Why not manually monitor web pages
Actually, manual monitoring is ideal, if it were not for the fatigue and speed factors.  Machines are much more likely to continue in their deligence, if there are no problem reported in the first couple of hours after the rollover.
Why not hire a paid service
The cost and the schedule.  A paid service will not be coordinated with your rollover schedule.  Most of all, a paid service will be very expensive.

DateWise WebCompare is quick, easy and effective.  Best of all, the tool is only $490 for an unlimited quantity of URLs.

For technical information, contact Vic.  To order, see our ordering page or contact sales@dateWise.com.