Database details -- general reply

[Tim Conway <tpconway@ozemail.com.au>]

Hello all,

Thank you all very much for the interest you have shown, and for your 
sometimes excellent suggestions. Here is a general reply to your 
responses on the database details I was after. I apologise for its length 
-- if you're not really interested in the database you should probably 
skip this message. I also wish to assure all readers that I have done my 
best not to talk down, but I've had to assume that many interested 
f-minor people know little about computers and even less about databases. 
If you perceive any arrogance in -- or feel insulted by -- what I say 
below, that is certainly not my intention. My apologies in advance.

First, an  exposition on databases.