About this Web Site

All of the programming behind our site is written in-house by Jim O'Neil and Hiroyuki Tanoue using Apple Macintosh computers. Actual product descriptions and other content are written by myself, Ardith Carlton and a few other staff members from time-to-time. All of our staff use Macs for their personal productivity. Our accounting system uses a Microsoft Access interface, requiring a server running Windows 2000 (which all the Macs can log into using Remote Desktop Connection software from Microsoft), but all other systems (firewalls, mail servers, etc.) are Linux. If you are a Windows user, you're really missing a lot, despite what Bill Gates would have you believe. Trust me -- I've used both Windows and Mac systems extensively!

Behind the scenes, a large database managed with SQL handles the HLJ catalog. Other applications that feature prominently are BBEdit, for editing raw HTML when necessary, and of course Adobe Photoshop. A version of an accounting package called Traverse (customized by the good people at Bal-Tech, Inc.) balances HLJ's books and keeps track of everybody's orders. Customized programs written in-house by Jim O'Neil handle the transmission of e-mail notices to customers. Jim also built our entire Account Maintenance System from the ground up.

Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions, comments or bug reports about the site.

Scott T. Hards
President