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Newsletter for July 9th, 2007 - Codename "Member Mania"

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Newsletter for July 9th, 2007Codename "Member Mania"

"If you read nothing else on our site, read our BLOG"


1. From the Editor

Greetings everyone and welcome to another edition of the DonationCoder.com newsletter, proudly labeled as non-spam and virus-free by one out of five internet service providers.

First things first, I need to remind everyone in the area that there will be a DonationCoder.com Early Dinner (4pm) LUNCH (and maybe dinner) on Saturday July 14th, in Champaign IL.  All DC members are welcome, and I will be paying the bill for anyone who has to drive for more than a couple of hours to get here.  There will only be 2 or 3 of us, and I am a social recluse, so bring your own conversation topics please.  Email me to RSVP ([email protected]).

In the editor's corner this month i wanted to mention a post in our discount section, about an email that a member got from GenieSoft, which stated that because he purchased Genie Backup using a discount he was not entitled to the normal free upgrade that normal purchasers were.  While there has been a trend lately with some websites offering cheap licenses for software but limiting the support / upgrades / license length, DonationCoder has never participated in such arrangements.  All discounts used from our site are 100% equivalent to a normal full-price purchase from the company.  We made some quick emails and got the situation cleared up and clarified for all members.  This isn't the first time we've contacted companies on member's behalf, with similar results.  One of the benefits of us all working together on the site and exhibiting solidarity with each other is that companies take more seriously any problems that a member might have.  We are looking out for each other -- if you have a problem with a company, please post about it so we can help.

Lastly, I wanted to announce that we created a new section on our forum that is open only to supporting members.  The new supporting member's only "Preview Software Release" section will be where we post early releases of our new software programs for members to try and comment on.  We encourage our coding members to use this section as well to get some early feedback on new programs.  This new section means members will no longer have to request download links to get access to early releases.  Find and Run Robot v2 beta is available now on that section for your download pleasure.


2. Our Members Write Stuff
Some people are under the mistaken impression that our site is just for programmers -- it's not!  It's for programmers and non-programmers alike -- anyone who loves the world of software.  But one thing is for sure, the members on our site are busy beavers and they love to create and share stuff..


* New beta software release - DcUpdater - a new updater tool which is being integrated into all DC Software, but will soon be able to watch any programs on your PC for updates.  If you're sick of having to check our site for updates, your long suffering is almost at an end.
* ZillaRank: An improved search for SMF forum - written by DC member Wordzilla; now you can find anything ever posted on our forum.
* Do you run an SMF forum -- we've made the ZillaRank search improvement mod available to the public! - it's just our way of saying thank you to the SimpleMachines.org forum community.
* Member Software Announcement: Compact AutoRunner v1.0 - Small, compact, customizable cd autorun menu!
* Dr.Explain Mini-Review
* Evrsoft First Page 2006 Mini-Review
* EMDB: Eric's Movie Database Mini-Review
* DC Blog - Making the Switch-05: Ten Great Ideas of GNU/Linux
* Did you miss Zaine's massive review of Word Processors? The traffic from it nearly brought our server to a halt after it was on the front page of digg and lifehacker

3. Member Site Spotlights and Mini-Reviews
Some of you are writing some great stuff out there on the world wild web, and we're going to start spotlighting more member sites each month:


* Member Site Spotlight: Snailware - Newer Software for Older Slower PC's - meet Laggy the Snail!
* Member Site Spotlight: Academic Productivity Blog
* Member Site Spotlight: Becoming a Writer Seriously - Tools and Trade Secrets
* Member Site Spotlight: The Great Software List

4. Countdown to FARR v2 Release
After almost a year of solid development, Find and Run Robot version 2 will be released to the public later this month.  It's a huge release for us and supporting members of the site can now download an early release of v2 with 7 fantastic plugins described below, and more on the way.  We're very excited about this release as you might imagine!


* Supporting members can get FARR v2 preview release now in the new "Early Member Download Section": here.
* Coders: Read about the FARR v2 plugin contest: here (post ideas/requests here).
* Read about the FARR v2 release details: here


* Plugin: A live calculator with history tape and persistent variables
* Plugin: A bookmark searching plugin with support for FireFox, IE, and Opera
* Plugin: A flexible random password generator
* Plugin: A default printer switcher
* Plugin: An active process killer
* Plugin: A service stopper/starter
* Plugin: A network connection browser

5. Discounts for July
Supporting Members, you've got until July 15th to enter this month's Free Shareware Giveaway.  The Discounts run until at least July 31.


* Boxer Text Editor (51% discount)
* EverNote Plus 2.1 (60% discount)
* FirstDefense-ISR (40% discount)

6. Your Input Requested!
We want your participation on the DC forum! It's ok if you're normally shy and reserved and scared to post questions and comments -- we give you permission to make an exception for these posts.  Some people think our forum is only for expert power users, but it's really a giant mix of users, and we want you to participate, regardless of your background.  So take a deep breath and jump in!


* Is an Organized Efficient Start Menu the Holy Grail of Daily Computing?
* Is the Windows start menu dead?

7. General Software Discussion
Above all else, discussion on the DonationCoder.com forum focuses around software, old and new, and finding the best tool for the job.  Have a question or want advice on what program to use? Ask it!


* RegexBuddy 3 released
* RSS readers: Omea Pro, Feeddemon, RSS Bandit, Greatnews, others?
* I will kill thee a 150 ways...freely
* Expand my desktop size above my maximum screen resolution?
* Custom Folder v1.2
* How can I save a Quicktime Movie I watch on the internet to my computer
* Automee - Really neat
* Clipboard Text Scrubber
* "XPLinux" Running Windows XP and Kubuntu on one joint desktop
* LocatePC: Free Theft Recovery Software For Your PC
* What do you use to keep track of your installed software?
* Automatic Reg Key Backup
* Stop Windows from calling home
* Ultra Explorer; I am impressed!
* Hibernate, damit! or a nice tool called wizmo...
* Free Photoscape: 5 stars from Snapfiles
* Ditto: yet another free clipboard manager
* Excalibur 32-bit
* A question about DRM
* Audio Editors?
* ONLINE RSS Reader?
* Deleting files from DVD/CD?
* Multisession burning?
* Detecting RootKits
* Which MP3 player/management software do you use?
* Software to AVOID!
* Best PC User Time Controller?
* Best spreadsheet
* FolderScout: quick drive navigator
* Links collector
* Remove duplicate songs (mp3/ogg)

8. Fun and Games
Our readers are obsessed with productivity and time management, but even the hardest workers need an occasional quick burst of recreation and diversion.  Nothing too complicated -- just enough to recharge your batteries.


* The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny - Funny cartoon music video for geeks
* Another Cool Flash Sniper Game
* Flash Game of the Day: Walk in the Part - Very Sweet
* Flash Game: Momentum Missile Mayhem
* Shuffle - Flash Game of the Day
* Geography Challenge
* Strange Robotic Cats: Our future friends

9. The Wonderful World of the Web
Are you suffering from IOS (Internet Overload Syndrome)?  We thought so.  Have you just figured out what web2.0 means? (get ready because web3.0 is coming soon).  To help reduce your overload, here's a list of some of the more interesting website discussions, debates, and discoveries that have come up on the forum over the last month..


* Visual history of Apple, 1976-2007
* What Makes a Content Management System? Nice Essay on Gadgetopia.com
* Google in Sicko Storm - Welcome to democracy google style
* Wine Ratings Are For Suckers: Fun Article
* Fascinating article about harm of monetary incentives: v. relevant to dc ideas
* Send postal mail for free with online services (EasyPost, Postful, eSnailer)
* New 7 Wonders of the World
* OWNING "hacker tools" illegal in Germany as of TODAY (jail & fines for everyone)
* NosillaCast Podcast: A Technology Geek Podcast

10. Developer's Corner
Don't be thrown off by the name of this section on our forum.  It's not just for programmers.  It's also for people interested in starting their own business and website developers, students and entrepreneurs.  Even if you're not sure whether you belong in that category, you might want to poke your head in and see if there's anything interesting out there that might want you to start up a new hobby.


* It's A "Must Read" - Static Versus Dynamic Typing (A great overview)
* World of Borecraft: The Trouble with Video Games
* Tip: Don't Just Keep a backup of your latest files
* Microsoft Code2Fame Challenge: Over $50,000 in prizes
* Here's Why You Shouldn't Program Alone
* Bored? Why Not Create a Startup Company!?
* Debate this web2.0 style online stripe texture tool
* Postmortums of Game Development: Fascinating Reading for Programmers

11. Website of the Month

Each month we choose a site that we think is deserving of special attention.  This month's choice, JayIsGames.com, is long overdue for us since we post stuff we find on the site constantly.


* JayIsGames.com used to be a one-man site, but it's expanded in the last year or so and is now a multi-person blog that has gathered a real community behind it.  While there are lots of places you can go to discover new flash games, (and an occasional installable game), very few sites provide such enjoyable and informed commentary on each game they post about.
* Not satisfied to simply be a review site for flash games, JayIsGames.com has actually been running flash game programming competitions, and the results have been outstanding, and of a much higher caliber than anyone had a right to expect, and are not to be missed.  The 3rd game competition deadline is this month, July 15, with the highly anticipated results to be posted soon after.

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