Author Topic: Newsletter for August 27 - Codename "Mouser reinvents the wheel" (Read 36133 times)

Darwin · « **on:** August 27, 2007, 07:09 AM »

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 Editor

Greetings, 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 titles

Mouser 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 Web

Some 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 requested

I'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 discussion

The 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 Planning

The 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 Snacks

Do 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 fun

All 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 Corner

Are 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 Month

Just 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.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #1 on:** August 27, 2007, 08:01 AM »

Nice job with the newsletter!

Darwin · « **Reply #2 on:** August 27, 2007, 08:08 AM »

Thanks Chris! It was a team effort and a week late (courtesy of the server outage). I'm relieved to have released it into the wild.

momonan · « **Reply #3 on:** August 27, 2007, 09:17 AM »

Fantastic newsletter, Darwin!!! I know it's a lot of work, but don't think we don't notice.

Some donationcredits coming your way.

Darwin · « **Reply #4 on:** August 27, 2007, 09:28 AM »

Many, many thanks momonan. I really appreciate it. It was a lot of work, but I enjoyed it.

Darwin · « **Reply #5 on:** August 27, 2007, 09:32 AM »

PS I have to give credit to mouser, who provided a guiding hand throughout the process and had a major role in finalizing the newsletter - thanks mouser

Darwin · « **Reply #6 on:** August 27, 2007, 02:14 PM »

Wow! Check out the stats on the forum index page: I grabbed the number of members at around 5 am (PST) this morning and entered it in the newsleter: 84,379. It's now 12:12 PM (PST) and there are 84,447 members! Cool... now of course, not all (or even perhaps, any) of these new members have made a donation, but I'm still impressed!

Darwin · « **Reply #7 on:** August 28, 2007, 01:31 AM »

84,510 at 11:30 PM... that's almost 150 new users in under 24 hours...

mouser · « **Reply #8 on:** August 28, 2007, 01:34 AM »

DC probably averages 120 new people signing up per day:

I think most do so primarily to download a free license key.
Some stay around to participate on the forum (yay!)
And about 75% choose to receive our newsletter via email.

Darwin · « **Reply #9 on:** August 28, 2007, 01:38 AM »

I'm impressed, mouser. It's too bad that more don't check the forum out more - provides an incentive to get more creative with the newsletters if around 63000 people are receiving the newsletter via e-mail it's a great way to advertise the forum and hopefully draw people in!

mouser · « **Reply #10 on:** August 28, 2007, 01:44 AM »

Actually only 46,000 people are on the newsletter -- several hundred get removed each edition because i remove someone as soon as a newsletter email bounces or is challenged by an anti-spam query.

Darwin · « **Reply #11 on:** August 28, 2007, 01:56 AM »

"Only" 46,000! That's still an impressive number. Congratulations, mouser! Look what you've built up

Like I said, I can see that the newsletter is important in getting people to participate in the forum and community - look at the audience and potential.

mouser · « **Reply #12 on:** August 28, 2007, 02:25 AM »

I just wish I knew how to encourage more newsletter readers to participate in the forum

justice · « **Reply #13 on:** August 28, 2007, 04:19 AM »

Great job once again! regarding encouragements:
Maybe they're interested in your program but are not specific software affenuendo's..
Or try and make another point of saying that developmetns are userdriven with a link to suggestion threads?

You'd think they'd be interested in the program they're using. Can you check how many people have logged into the forum during the last 6 months for example? It might show how many active members you have which might be a better stat.

heresdadda · « **Reply #14 on:** August 28, 2007, 02:04 PM »

Hi!

I don't use much of the software you have developed. But, what I do use is of great help and much appreciated by myself and those I've told. I am sooooooo glad I stumbled across your site. Thanks to you my computer runs the way I want it too and not how some other ego-meniacle programmer from MS.

I wonder how much longer vista is going to remain on the market before it's let die the inevitable death it demands. LOL!! Don't ever stop helping us, the little guys, from keeping control of our own pcs. With you and many others we have a voice as to what we want and don't want in our informational technology. Thanks.

cybernetnews · « **Reply #15 on:** August 28, 2007, 02:15 PM »

I'm new to this forum, but I've followed the site religiously for quite some time. It's a matter of making people realize what's discussed in the forum. I think you probably should look at what forum posts people are hitting when coming from search engines. Then take some of those most popular posts and throw them on the homepage of the site. After all, if it's something people are searching for then I'm sure a lot of other people would find them useful.

FlyingPig · « **Reply #16 on:** August 29, 2007, 04:30 AM »

Greetings from across the ocean...

darn !.....I hate your newsletters !!! They are so bl..dy interesting, steal my time (voluntary), make me feel shit about myself (because i don't participate) and always give me new ideas of wasting precious space on my computer with new exciting utilities (voluntary too).

...might have too send you the bill soon for my psy... :-)

In short: thanks all for the great work and maybe one day I will get off my butt, too

housetier · « **Reply #17 on:** August 29, 2007, 02:58 PM »

The DC newsletter is one newsletter I really look forward to receiving twice a month! It takes people like me back into the forum and encourages them to post here and there.

Perry Mowbray · « **Reply #18 on:** August 31, 2007, 03:08 AM »

I just wish I knew how to encourage more newsletter readers to participate in the forum
-mouser (August 28, 2007, 02:25 AM)

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink!

Darwin · « **Reply #19 on:** August 31, 2007, 03:24 AM »

Or... you can lead a horticulture but you can't make her think?

karlyRana · « **Reply #20 on:** August 31, 2007, 02:45 PM »

I just love you guys

I may not be that knowledgable about all of this, but I have found a few programs that I adore

Keep up the hard, but excellent work y'all!
karly

Muadib · « **Reply #21 on:** September 03, 2007, 05:27 PM »

Hi Darwin,

Congratulations for the excellent job with the newsletter. Can I pinpoint something that need to be corrected? It's only a tiny thing... nothing that scratch the beauty of the whole

.

The problem is with the URL in the link "yearbook of supporting members". It should be "https://www.donation....php?action=yearbook". The "?" is missing after ".php".

I told you that was tiny...

Josh · « **Reply #22 on:** September 03, 2007, 05:29 PM »

Since darwin cant type, I fixed his error

Darwin · « **Reply #23 on:** September 03, 2007, 05:32 PM »

Hi Darwin,

Congratulations for the excellent job with the newsletter. Can I pinpoint something that need to be corrected? It's only a tiny thing... nothing that scratch the beauty of the whole .

The problem is with the URL in the link "yearbook of supporting members". It should be "https://www.donation....php?action=yearbook". The "?" is missing after ".php".

I told you that was tiny...
-Muadib (September 03, 2007, 05:27 PM)

Doh! Thanks for pointing it out, Muadib. And thanks for the quick correction, Josh.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #24 on:** September 03, 2007, 05:46 PM »

Or... you can lead a horticulture but you can't make her think?
-Darwin (August 31, 2007, 03:24 AM)

That's only true of the common-whore-garden variety.