Each month in this Journal, our technical support staff addresses issues of interest to many CSI subscribers in a question-and-answer format. This month, they present questions about Unfair Advantage(UA), focusing primarily on premium services.

Notice:
  The views and information expressed in this document reflect the opinions and experience of the author Robert C. Pelletier.  Neither CSI nor the author undertake or intend to provide tax advice or trading advice in any market or endorse any outside individual or firm.  All recommendations are provided for their informational value only.  Readers should consult competent financial advisors or outside counsel before making any software purchase or investment decision.  CSI does not stand behind or endorse the products of any outside firms.

Copyright (c) 1998 Commodity Systems Inc. (CSI).  All rights are reserved.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Questions and Answers

Q.
   I received a new UA CD in the mail, but have not installed it.  Is this necessary?

A.
   We strongly recommend that anyone receiving a replacement CD from CSI install the new version at your earliest convenience.  Great reliability and stability are now being reported from the mass mailing of new CD-ROMs of UA version 1.71.5 that were sent to UA subscribers over the past month.  This release is our best effort yet.  Improvements have been made to the database design, the computed contract facility, and the error correction machinery.  Numerous bug fixes and conveniences have been installed making UA a very high quality commercial product.

Q.
   I am interested in developing a custom trading system with Unfair Advantage. Do you offer programs or documentation that might help with this effort?

A.
   Yes.  Unfair Advantage is available in an API/Developer Support version, which includes a sophisticated Application Programmers Interface (API).  The documentation for this version is on-line, allowing us to keep it updated whenever changes are made.  This version includes the full history and is available by annual subscription at regular rates. We originally contemplated this as a premium service, but have decided not to impose extra charges at this time. Please see CSI's Web Site (www.csidata.com ) or call for details

Q.
   My UA portfolio contains a wide range of commodities from around the world, including both normal and computed contracts. With all these contracts, the daily building of my portfolio can be quite time consuming.  Is there a faster way?

A.
   Not just yet, but within the next few weeks, we will release a UA version that appends (instead of rebuilds) many of the contracts in your portfolio.  Our alpha testing is producing lightning-fast portfolio maintenance. We are eager to pass this enhancement on to you.

  When our upcoming version 1.72 is installed on your computer, your normal daily files can be instantly appended. While file appending is the typical methodology in the industry, UA offers several features which others can not provide, and for which appending is not possible. Therefore, some files will still be rebuilt on a daily basis.  These include: Weekly and monthly files, as they cannot be accurately maintained through appending; Computed data series, when they roll or when the source data receives corrections; Certain ASCII files which lack the necessary date field in the first column; and any file in a format other than CSI, MetaStock or ASCII.
 

Q.
   I am opening a business and would like to use UA to service my clients. Does the UA license agreement allow for this?

A.
   That depends on what you mean by "service." In most cases, business use is not permitted.  As a non-corporate customer, you may not, for example, use CSI data to feed a web site where your clients get daily quotes, historical data or charts. Nor may you use the data on a network computer where multiple people have access to the figures.  Non-corporate customers are limited to personal use or business use that does not involve redistribution.  An allowable business application involves individual brokers and analysts using their own licensed copies of the software to develop recommendations. These may be passed on to their clients, so long as the broker does not redistribute the actual data.
Use of UA for purposes other than personal, private, single-CPU applications is permitted at premium rates. These rates are based on the scope of use, and are available upon request. For more information, please contact our marketing department.
 

Q.
   Where can I read previous issues of the CSI Technical Journal?

A.
   We are building an archive of Technical Journal issues on our new web site for viewing on-line. You can expect both new and older issues to be added on a regular basis. Printed back copies are available from CSI for $5.00 per issue.

Further Note

   To Australian, New Zealand, South African, South American and other Southern Hemisphere Users:

   As the Northern Hemisphere approaches the fall season of the year, we will be setting our clocks back an hour to preserve an extra hour of daylight. Coincidentally, you in the Southern Hemisphere will move your clocks forward an hour to accomplish the reverse. Data posting times will appear to be two hours later to you, simply because our respective governments toyed with our clocks. When you re-set your clocks, please begin calling for your data two hours later to continue to enjoy the same level of service. In six months, you can revert to the previous collection time.