Newsletter for August 27th, 2007
Codename "Mouser re-invents the wheel"
"If you read nothing else on our site, read our BLOG"
1. Message from the EditorGreetings, donationcoders and welcome to the latest edition of the Donationcoder newsletter. It's Darwin here, I've taken the helm of the newsletter for a bit while mouser does important stuff, like work on
FARR2!
Summer is winding down (at least in the sense that summer vacation is, or is just about, over for high school and university students in North America) and thoughts are turning to salmon runs, the riotous colour that accompanies the advent of autumn, and hopes for a long Indian Summer. Here at donationcoder, we've had another fantastic couple of weeks of updated software releases, vibrant forum discussions and have been joined by a bunch of new supporting members.
So, let's begin with a warm welcome to the 80 new supporting members who have joined us since the last newsletter went out on August 8. Support from people like you make the site possible (check out the
yearbook of supporting members).
2. Mouser releases a host of updates to his software titlesMouser is more than just a fickle feline (and our fearless leader) - he's a damned fine coder too. He's released updates to a number of his titles, adding support for his newly released
DCUpdater. These include:
So, if you haven't already done so, download and install the
DCUpdater and keep your favourite mouser software up to date.
3. Writing on the WebSome great new finds to report in this newsletter. If you're at all interested in the approach we have taken to raising funds for programmers, you need to go check out microPledge -- it's somewhat similar to what we do at DonationCoder.com, but much more systematic and focused on coordinating larger projects. Very interesting stuff.
4. Your input requestedI'd like to take this opportunity to direct our readers to the post from KenR, who has been a big part of this forum since joining in April of last year. His integrity, sense of humour, thoughtful, well-reasoned posts, and uncanny ability to track down and post about some very esoteric websites, blogs, and applications have made him a fixture here. Earlier this year, he was forced to curtail his activities on the boards due to health issues and has been sorely missed. I hope everyone will join me in wishing him a speedy recovery (of course, we're being selfish, because what we're really after is his speedy return to donationcoder!).
Don't be awed by the vast, friendly and informative forums - everyone posting here took a tentative step toward the water and dipped a toe into it. Donationcoder actively encourages everyone to post questions, comments, and opinions. The forum only works if people take the time to post and the community as a whole benefits. If no one posts, there is no community. Here are a few topics for you to consider:
5. General software discussionThe common thread that binds us all together is our love of software. If you are researching your options for a particular category of software, you're in the right place because one of the 84,379 members of this site has probably been through the process before and will be in a position to offer advice and alternatives for consideration.
6. Reviews and Review PlanningThe reviews at donationcoder are what drew me to the site two years ago. Things have changed since then, in that the huge
reviews that were characteristic of the site when it first went live are not as common now and have been replaced by
mini-reviews. Mini-reviews tend to be a contributor's take on a single app rather than a review of a number of apps from a particular category, such as the justifiably famous
text editor review from 2005 or Zaine's tour de force on
Word Processors from this spring. Here is a recent mini-review that you may not have noticed when it first came out, along with a call for reviews of educational software and a discussion about how reviews should be organized in the future:
7. Coding SnacksDo you know about our
Coding Snacks section? If not then you need to fire your personal assistant. In the Coding Snacks section of our forum people can post ideas for small utilities that they need, and coders who hang out on our site try to implement them as freeware for everyone to use. Do you have an idea for a small tool you really wish existed, post it!
8. Harmless funAll work and no play makes Darwin a dull boy... er, how'd that go? Anyway, donationcoder is not just a serious, dour technical site (in fact it's not dour at all!). Oh no! Far from it, just ask wreckedcarzz, a.k.a. Brandon, creator of
MazeCraze. Here are some threads discussing free or opensource (FOSS) games, humour, and other lightfare from the past couple of weeks.
9. Developer's CornerAre you a programmer or someone interested in starting their own business? Perhaps you are a website developer, student, or entrepreneur? Then drop by the Developer's Corner section of the forum.
10. Site of the MonthJust a reminder that this month's website of the month is
Nirsoft.net:
NirSoft is doing amazing work. Their power utilities for windows reach into the very guts of the operating system and do things no other utilities can do. And they are all free. Our only warning is that you please don't visit their site unless you have some serious time to kill.
Some of the tools NirSoft makes are completely unique and wonderfully surprising. Some of our favorites include:
They also have a ton of password recovery tools, browser investigation tools, and much more.
Recent Posts
Yup. I feel better. Off to grab another smurfing beer...
!
I see this often - discounts on licensing to thank loyal customers... who already have licences! Perhaps this is thought to benefit exsiting customers by:
but I don't really want to teach my kids, or my friend's teenagers, that it's OK to use them in everyday language.
I think the key is familiarity - I think you need to someone before you can start talking a blue streak in front of them.