Messages

176

Official Announcements / Re: ANNOUNCING - DonationCoder.com Logo Contest

« on: November 19, 2005, 03:33 PM »

Not too tedious at all.  It's surprising how a few simple lines can make such a difference.  The slight turn of the forward-facing bird makes all the difference.  Like, any second now, it will turn all the way toward me and jump onto my desk.  The ones looking off into the distance lose the "adorableness" factor.  Also, the sketchier one seems more friendly and accessible.  Good work.

I also like CarolHaynes name of Codie, except prefer the spelling Cody, don't know why.

177

Living Room / Re: Looking for a few good puns

« on: November 16, 2005, 04:15 PM »

Not exactly a pun, but in the same pitiful category:

A woman comes into a local grocery store and asks the clerk if they sell kiddely beans.

The clerk leans down and says: "You mean kidney beans, don't you?"

The woman answers:  "I said kiddely beans, diddel I?"

178

FlipSuite and Flipbook Printer / Re: what's this?

« on: November 16, 2005, 08:26 AM »

179

Official Announcements / Re: ANNOUNCING - DonationCoder.com Logo Contest

« on: November 13, 2005, 06:27 PM »

I'm crazy in love with that little bird!   So much so that I've been looking at the birds a lot, comparing the two that are on the more refined version you have now.
 
Both are very perky, but I find myself drawn more to the one that is inside the D, the more front-facing one on the left.  It relates better to the viewer.
 
Then, I'm thinking this:  if the coin doesn't have to replace an "O", maybe it could be drawn in perspective, not held in what must be a difficult position for the poor bird.
 
Nudone, is there any possibility you could do the more front-facing bird with its head cocked slightly -- and place the coin at an angle, more natural for the beak?  Is this putting too fine a point on it?  Maybe it's asking too much?  Unless you have two birds, though, I really like the more front-facing one better. 
 
And don't forget, the coin should be more generic (not american dollar sign).

180

Official Announcements / Re: ANNOUNCING - DonationCoder.com Logo Contest

« on: November 13, 2005, 07:56 AM »

At the moment, I don't have a comment about which entry should be used, but it looks like there are several opportunities for logos, depending on where they are placed:
 
1.  square buttons
 
2.  long banners
 
Both may be useful, as long as they express the same idea and personality.

181

Official Announcements / Re: ANNOUNCING - DonationCoder.com Logo Contest

« on: November 12, 2005, 07:00 AM »

oops.     Here's the second point.  Coin should be generic (but still recognizable as a coin , not just a dollar sign, don't you think?

182

Official Announcements / Re: ANNOUNCING - DonationCoder.com Logo Contest

« on: November 12, 2005, 06:58 AM »

I like the idea of a bird dropping a coin, instead of an "O" (and agree both bird and coin could benefit from more experimentation).  Two suggestions, though:

1.  Have the "O" that is being replaced be in "com," not in "donationcoder," because it is hard to tell what the word is (for those unfortunates who aren't already familiar with the word). 

183

Site/Forum Features / Re: New Translation Buttons

« on: November 08, 2005, 09:00 AM »

I just tried out one of the translation buttons.  I'm disappointed to see that the translations don't work on the members-only pages, but they are great for the information pages and general forum discussions.  If was fun going back to the introductory pages and reading what it all says in another language.  The quotations are especially entertaining.

Hey, another fun feature of this site:  mastering a second language.

184

Living Room / supporters yearbook

« on: November 06, 2005, 09:05 AM »

Maybe I'm the only one, but I have enjoyed looking over the supporters yearbook now and again.  See https://www.donation....php?action=yearbook  It's fun to look at all the avatars side by side, and read the quotations that are offered.  Now I see that the supporters yearbook button has been replaced by the google feature, and there doesn't seem to be any way to get to it.  Any chance the supporters yearbook link could stay in there, as well?

Or, better, maybe add a link at the top of the site (say, between "links" and "donate")?

185

Living Room / Thank you note for donating

« on: November 03, 2005, 09:32 PM »

It's worth donating again just to get another look at the "more dignified, business-like thank you message" that is offered at the conclusion.  An endearing remembrance of the spirit of this site.

186

Find And Run Robot / Feature request - launch from number pad

« on: November 03, 2005, 09:59 AM »

My fingers really want to launch from the number pad -- especially since the pause/break key is right there.  I don't see an option for this and get nothing when I try it.  Is it possible to provide launch from the number pad (as long as num lock is on, of course), since it seems like such a loooong way over to the numbers at the top.

187

Living Room / Re: Close the Blog Section?

« on: November 02, 2005, 06:52 AM »

I'm really glad you raised this because it's perfect, since the site is making other major changes.

When the site began in March, it consisted of a review, a couple of columns, some software, and a forum waiting for visitors.  This made the blogs so important that they were expected to change daily.  Things have changed dramatically since then.  The forum is dynamic and a "must read."  The blogs are sporadic and probably suffering from lack of readership and blogger exhaustion.  The comments aren't widely circulated and, after a few times clicking on "latest blog" to find I have already read it, that feature is easy to forget -- in spite of some excellent columns.

So..I think we could do without something called a "blog" (which may be an outmoded term anyway), and settle on a compromise.  Here are a couple of suggestions to get the conversation going:

1.  Relieve the current columnists from any commitments they have made to provide regular blogs.

2.  Continue to provide some kind of special space for larger writings, such as reviews, how-to-do-something, how-I-did-something, what-to-avoid, latest thinking on a subject, etc.  Then have an announcement of it on the forum, including a thread for comments and continuing discussion (not at the bottom of the column).

3.  These larger writings would come on inspiration, and not obligation.  We all know how easy it is to respond to a request, or continue with a conversation, with a full exploration -- no matter how long it takes.  Yet, how very hard it is -- and time-consuming -- to deliver on a promise to write something by a deadline.

4.  By continuing something special (no ideas on what it should be called), you could continue to archive the comments, as you do now with the blog columns.  There have been some very memorable blogs, which are great to be able to recall now and then.  It would be a shame to lose this (yes, I know, there have been memorable forum posts, too, but that's another story).

At least two problems I see with this, though:

1.  Probably this feature should be open to other users, in addition to the current regulars.  There should be some criteria developed for this, though, in order to keep it special and appropriate for the feature.  At the very least, this feature should only be open to members.  In addition, perhaps proposed columns should be passed on by the administrator before posting?

2.  Right now, the columnists have the possibility (however remote) of getting donations for their writing.  Could that still be available?

188

Living Room / Re: incremental vs differential

« on: November 02, 2005, 05:04 AM »

Thank you, CarolHaynes.  Your response is, as usual, complete and oh-so-helpful.  I'll take your advice.

189

Find And Run Robot / Re: Sticky alphatical list of oft-used programs

« on: November 02, 2005, 04:56 AM »

Sounds good.  But aliases?  It must be some kind of math-type anxiety, but whenever someone talks about aliases (or batches), my mind goes blank, no matter how many times it's explained.  

Is there any way to do this without using either of these words?  Just a toggle for an alphabetical list of certain programs or one of the regular scoring systems.  I think I'd rather not know what it's called, just how to do it easily -- and lovably, referring to your earlier post on making software lovable: https://www.donation...1392.msg9240#msg9240.

BTW, I LOVE Find and Run Robot -- but, I've never been totally successful at launching websites with it, probably for the same reason.  Maybe I need some therapy about my alias "issues"?

190

Living Room / incremental vs differential

« on: November 02, 2005, 04:25 AM »

 I have a new computer and have done my first monthly full-system backup using Acronis.  I want to do another backup now, before I install some additional programs.
 
    a.  is it better to do "incremental" or "differential"?  What's really the difference?
 
    b.  why should it take over an hour to do an incremental backup?  This will be a real disincentive to doing it.  Somehow, I got the notion I could do a quick incremental backup before installing a new program.  Is there another way to do this that doesn't take so long? 
 

191

Find And Run Robot / Sticky alphatical list of oft-used programs

« on: November 02, 2005, 04:21 AM »

I run 6 or 7 programs regularly.  Is there an option -- or could there be -- to have only those appear each time -- and in the same order?  That way, each program will always have the same number.  All I would have to do then is press pause/break and a number to get one of those programs, without having to investigate which number it carries this time.  Then toggle off this option when I want to launch an odd-ball program.  May be here already, but I don't see it.

192

Official Announcements / Re: Welcome Skrommel Into Official Software Pages!

« on: November 01, 2005, 11:09 AM »

Great to hear about easier access to our skrommels.  Such an efficient, and very clever, person.

193

Screenshot Captor / Re: "Made with Screenshot Captor" object

« on: October 30, 2005, 12:05 PM »

To the extent its possible, I really favor names like Screenshot Captor, Find and Run Robot, etc, rather than having the words run together.  Looks neat with no jargon.

I really love Stephan's idea to put information that the screenshots were made by Screenshot Captor.  My preference would be to always include the words "made by."  Otherwise, it looks like the name of the program that is being shown on the screen is Screenshot Captor, rather than that the image is made by Screenshot Captor.

An additional refinement:  I would like to see the words "Screenshop Captor" larger than "donationcoder.com."  Just looks more neater.

194

Official Announcements / Re: SERVER IS BEING MOVED TONIGHT !! - EVERYONE READ IN!

« on: October 27, 2005, 10:33 AM »

Not that I think you ever have time to do this,   but it would be interesting to know what you had to do to make the switch -- even if only briefly.  Maybe in a column or a post on the forum.  Also what the advantages are (to you and to us) of the new server.  Thanks for being ever attentive to making things work. 

195

Living Room / Re: Enhanced supporters yearbook

« on: October 26, 2005, 08:53 AM »

I see that you already can get to a person's post from the profile.  One problem solved .

I like the way you have it now, with link on name if there is a website.  Just suggest that clicking on the avatar itself could link to the profile.  As it stands now, you can get to someone's profile by clicking on the little icon when you are reading one of their posts.  Short of this, though, there doesn't seem to be a way to get to someone's profile so you can search through their posts, or get to their website, unless you remember exactly how to spell the name and enter it in the search function.  It would really be great to be able to just go to the yearbook and find the links there.

196

Living Room / Enhanced supporters yearbook

« on: October 26, 2005, 07:33 AM »

The supporters yearbook may not get much use, but I do check it occasionally to see if anyone has updated an avatar or quotation.  And I have a couple of suggestions for improvements that might make it more fun for everyone:
 
1.  Provide the option to alphabetize the list, in case someone just wants to see what a particular person's avatar is, or what someone has put as a quotation.  I'm not suggesting you change the chronological  order you have (because there is a certain status gained by being among the first to join ).  Just providing the option to alphabetize, so it will be easier to find a particular person.
 
2.  I know some people have their name linked to personal websites.  What about having the avatar link to the profile on the site.  Granted, most people have left everything blank there, but that might not always be the case. 
 
3.  To expand on suggestion #2, what about linking to a list of all the comments that person has made.  Many times I remember that a particular person mentioned something I want to read again.  I know you can get to this through the search function, but that requires remembering exactly how to spell the name, etc.  Having this ability in the yearbook would give a reader total browsing ability from that page:  easily find a particular name, quick look at avatar and personal quotation, link to personal website,  go to profile information, and see a linked list of forum posts.
 
4.  Can you include a yearbook button on the home page?  As it is, you have to go to the forum page to find a link to it.

Any other suggestions?
 

197

Find And Run Robot / Re: ActiveWords and Find&Run Robot

« on: October 13, 2005, 01:17 PM »

Just want to add that it may not be necessary to go through all those steps for FRR.  If you regularly run only a few programs (say 5-10), they all appear, ready and waiting for you, when you press the launch key -- displayed (I think) either by the order in which they were last used, or most used.  You need only press the number.  No need to type anything unless you want a program you haven't used in awhile.  Once FRR gets on your wavelength, the programs launch like lightening.

I still want it to be easier than it is to launch websites in FRR, and I understand that is in the works for a future release.

198

Find And Run Robot / Re: ActiveWords and Find&Run Robot

« on: October 13, 2005, 08:29 AM »

Okay, a little feedback from a novice.
 
I dowloaded the trial version of activewords.  In just a few minutes, I had set it up to launch my favorite programs.  The programs came much faster, though, when I used FRR -- and I didn't have to remember what-on-earth code word I had given the program.  So I plan to continue launching programs with FRR.
 
Two features, though, caught my attention.  In activewords, I can launch a website as easily as a program, by just typing in a code word.  Also, I can launch an email message screen, blank or to particular persons, by typing in my code word.  I have tried putting a website address in FRR, & no dice.  I uderstand it can be done, but haven't figured out how.  Can you add that without getting into something like "alias," which I totally don't understand?  The email thing may not be appropriate for FRR.
 
All in all, I think people who buy activewords for its typing substitution and dummy scripts will not be the same people who buy and love FRR.  FRR is quicker to launch.  It just needs to be able to easily launch websites (and web searches?), as well.

199

Living Room / Re: Thinking about a DonationCoder.com fundraising thing.. opinions wanted

« on: October 12, 2005, 06:30 AM »

Wait a minute.  I just got all excited about the possibility of seeing Google ads on this site.  Now you tell me a visitor can see them, but I can't?   I think members should have the freedom to see the ads, if we want -- especially if it brings in (even a little) revenue to DCC.  Please reconsider.  What about the suggestion that you conduct a poll before you decide?

200

Living Room / Re: Regular Charter Honorary Deluxe Super Plus Ultimate Members

« on: October 10, 2005, 07:33 AM »

I agree with Stefan.  Too many membership categories could make the rest of us feel bad.

I like, and think I understand, honorary member: to recognize people whose contributions are considered to be the equivalent of a monetary donation -- or whose contributions to the site (in addition to any monetary contributions) are highly valued.

Charter member is a little problematic, since that name usually refers to people who were in "since the beginning," wrote the "charter," etc.  I think this title should give way to "member" at the end of DCC's first year of operation.  Perhaps there could be some notice to that effect when someone shows up to register in the last month or so.

Other than that, I think member, honorary member, and visitor are sufficient (except for honorable administrator, of course).