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This letter should have been out over a week ago, but I decided to postpone its publication until ready to make an announcement promised in last month’s letter.  As I stated in my last letter, “The program is written and fully functional and will be distributed after addition of a few more features and completion of the help files.”  Well, that was true, I thought.  In my enthusiasm, however, I neglected to heed the law of computer development time.  There is “normal” time, where an hour is an hour, a day, a day, etc., and then there is time as measured by those working in the computer  world, where is day is almost certainly equal to two, three or more “normal” days.  An hour is almost certainly equal to the rest of the work day and perhaps well into the night.  OK, I made my point.

If something is difficult or cumbersome or a “pain” to some lower body part to do, eventually, in my experience, it will not be done, no matter how beneficial.  Such was the recent structure for downloading the historical composite / breadth datafiles from the MasterDATA web site.  In the past, subscribers had two options.  Manually download a self-extracting zip file and go through the tedious process of unwinding it or visit the web site and manually download one file at a time.  A surprisingly large number of subscribers were able to tolerate this daily task and, most definitely, there efforts are appreciated, and, I assume (hope), well rewarded.  Trying to keep myself in the loop, I attempt, as best I can, to duplicate MasterDATA’s subscriber experience.  I download every day just like them.  It wasn’t long before this daily task slipped into the background.  What would happen, I thought, if the entire process could be automated and completed entirely in the background?  What if the datafiles were already there when subscribers wanted to do their work?

We proudly announce MasterDATAlink.  After a very simple configuration by subscribers, historical composite / breadth datafiles can be updated with a mouse click or two or, better yet, totally automated using Windows Task Scheduler.  One, a few, or all 544 datafiles can be downloaded, ready and waiting for your analysis work.  The program is highly configurable and can effortlessly download and update several different download lists throughout the trade day, all as scheduled by you (our daily datafiles are updated hourly throughout the trade session).

Its a two step process.  First, when the market is closed, run a full download (generally, at least several hours after the U.S. market close or overnight, its your decision).  This download retrieves the entire start to finish datafile for every MasterDATA compiled index and ETF.  The reason for this is to insure that your historical data is as accurate as possible.  These “full” downloads may take as long as a half hour (depending on your internet connection speed).  This is normal and, because markets are closed, downloads are not really time sensitive.  You should automate the process anyway, right?

Next, when markets are open for trading, run the updates you have configured.  These updates occurring during the trade session generally take less than a minute for all datafiles and just a few seconds or less if you only want a select number of updated daily datafiles (again, depending on your internet connection speed).  In other words, when time counts, update time is very minimal.

See the above….
I have worked on little else since the last letter.

With One Major Exception….
The new MasterDATACSV web site will replace the two web sites previously provided, one for subscribers and one for non-subscribers, for downloading historical composite /breadth datafiles in .csv text format.  The previously provided self-extracting zip file containing all composite / breadth datafiles is being phased out in favor of the new MasterDATAlink program.  The zip file will remain available through month end while existing subscribers transition their download process to the new downloader program.

Subscribers:  Please start using the new MasterDATACSV.com web site and download, install, and use the new MasterDATAlink downloader program for retrieving and updating your .csv datafiles.  The old web sites will be discontinued and zip files phased out at month end, March 31, 2007.

By the way, non-subscribers can download using the MasterDATAlink program also, but only the Dow Jones Industrial Average historical datafiles.  Data will be current so they can get a truer picture of the value of the data.  Forgive us, we do have to do some marketing.

Numerous enhancements, refinements, corrections and outright additions are now in place throughout the MasterDATA web sites.  Visit our “Milestones” page for more information.

The past few years of compiling, providing and delivering composite / breadth data have definitely been a learning experience.  Although as much forethought as possible is given before committing to any particular structure, without exception, real time experience quickly shows you the error in your ways.  Experience is the best teacher.  Certainly, we now see how we can do better.  The following overviews our immediate game plan for significantly upgrading overall service to subscribers. 

Consolidation Of Products and Services
The picture became a little clearer as development of our web sites, data and software continues.  The MetaStockCSV Plug-in will ultimately serve both users wishing to import their own .csv datafiles into MetaStock as well as subscribers wishing to use MasterDATA’s composite / breadth data in MetaStock.  The former users will benefit by expanded capabilities in their plug-in.  The latter will benefit in the ability to transfer their plug-in experience to their own datafiles in addition to MasterDATA’s datafiles (the plug-in will be available with various names within MetaStock so that users can address numerous structures of datafiles).  If this sounds confusing, please be assured it will not be when completed.

No, We Have Not Forgotten MetaStock Subscribers
“Its a long row to hoe”.  We are MetaStock users, too.  The complexity of the process, however, demands time to properly reduce the whole to its simplest elements.  This is where we are headed.  Very soon, MetaStock users will use the same MetaStockCSV Plug-in to import MasterDATA’s composite / breadth datafiles into MetaStock.  Functionality will be the same or better than the current MasterDATA Composite Plug-in currently in use.  Subscribers’ MetaStock formulas will continue viable without modification.  Importantly, MetaStock users will share use of the MasterDATAlink program for updating their data.

So why change anything?  Efficiency.  By consolidating our plug-ins into one, further development for one user will benefit all users.  Ultimately, we save time which facilitates even further development.  Additionally, subscribers using our composite / breadth datafiles in Metastock will generate their own MetaStock format price files from their downloaded datafiles (this will be a built in function of the MasterDATAlink program).  Automatically generating MetaStock format (.dat) price files on your end will save significant download time and processing and publishing time (on our end).

When we make a program or datafile change, one of our highest priorities will always be to provide the smoothest transition path possible for all subscribers.

Monthly Letters To Subscribers
This letter is the second of a monthly series of letters to subscribers.  Subjects will include what is on the site, new web site features, tutorials on using our composite data, application of traditional composite / breadth indicators, development of new composite / breadth indicators and many topics of value to subscribers.  Our objective is to support the use and enhance the value of composite / breadth analysis upon all varieties of composites be they markets, indexes and/or ETFs.

There is one further and important continuing commitment to you.  Letters will not be solicitations to buy or subscribe to anything.  Subscribers will be informed of new services, but we will make every effort to stick to the facts without any hype.  Finally, if you would rather not receive our monthly letter, a link will be provided at the bottom of each (including this one) to easily remove yourself from future mailings.

MasterDATA will never share or sell your email address, period.  Even if we have associations, affiliates, partners or any other kind of relationship, the only email you will ever receive as a result of subscribing to anything MasterDATA offers will be an email directly from MasterDATA.  We have all been sucked in by some seemingly reputable internet service or product that then distributed our email address to what seemed like every junk mailer on the web.  That will never happen here.