Here are some notes compiled by a law student concerning software and databases. Other legal matters relating to databases.
If you are interested in allowing others to search through web pages on your web server try this Perl Script.
Data Warehousing
A data warehouse is a copy of transaction data specifically structured for querying and reporting. This is the sort of information held about you by credit card companies, banks, supermarkets with 'loyalty' cards etc. This site contains some educational resources concerning data warehousing.
Making an online database.
You may have decided that the type of database you want is going to be most useful online so that others can either view or enter data remotely. To accomplish this you will need to learn another database package that runs on a UNIX machine. I have found a free database to download, but I have not tried it myself.
For this you will need an ISP that will allow you to run software on their computer as well as hold your web pages.
PGSQL is a free SQL compatible database to run on linux and redhat systems
SQLweb is free software to allow you to build a website for yourself that allows others to search an Oracle Database (or other SQL compatible database) running on your UNIX server
This software will not run on a Windows system. Its purpose is to run on the machine where your web pages are served from, usually a UNIX machine. Using SQLweb you can produce data entry forms for your website and make your website interactive. There is a demonstration of data entry and summary forms that were designed with SQLweb.
You can download a database free that is SQL compatible
(mySQL)and runs under Windows
from here.
Guidance on the use of Databases
In many businesses today, databases are used widely as a means of communicating with clients, applicants and potential clients or applicants. There are codes of practice affecting their use, namely the British codes of advertising and sales promotion administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
There is one particular aspect of the codes of practice which is relevant to database owners, namely the suppression of the names and addresses of people who do not wish to receive direct mail and as such have registered with the Mailing Preference Service (MPS).
It is a requirement of the codes of practice that list owners and users ensure that all non-customer consumer lists are checked against the MPS consumer file to make sure that the names of those who do not wish to receive mailing direct are omitted. Therefore if you buy or rent a mailing list from a company that adheres to the codes of practice the list should already have been checked against the MPS list. It is your responsibility as the user of the mailing list to ask the question of the list owner.
Certain lists known as public domain information e.g. electoral lists are not checked against the MPS consumer file so it becomes your responsibility to do this.
Databases that you prepare in-house using individuals or companies that have registered with you to receive information about property do not have to be checked against the MPS list providing the database is for your own use. If you sell, rent or lend the database to a third party then it would have to be checked.
Should you offend against the codes of advertising, you risk being reported to the ASA. Its usual response is to request that the code be adhered to in future although sanctions d exist for continued breaches.
The cost of licensing with the MPS is £100 plus VAT per annum.
Source : CSM September 1997
Glossary of terms
Internet Service Provider: this is the company that gives you access to the world wide web. Your web pages are held on one of their UNIX machines and served out to those who request them.
SQL: this is structured query language. SQL is an essential tool if you are planning to have an online database that others can search.
UNIX machines run a totally different
type of software to that which runs in Windows (Microsoft) environments.
An online UNIX tutorial
is available here