New Project

After being asked by a friend of my wife to help a lady who inherited a computer after her husband died, I found that those that did not have any interaction with computers really struggle initially.

So with the work I had done with my Control_IT program http://control.inkmon.org/ I had the bones of a system to be used.

The concept is that a beginner can by hot key bring up a prompt to guide them in the basic operations of Windows, Emailing, Browsing etc. I know there are many fine texts and courses available but not something that sits in front and has a step by step approach to get them started. Once a beginner gets to know when and how to get additional help within a program they can then go it alone.

An analogy is learning ride a bike, The teacher supports the beginner to understand the method but once the learner strikes out they are learning on their own.

Eventually the concept will embrace more advanced techniques with the possibility of experts creating their own guides.

Photo manipulation and restoration for instance.

The system is not meant as a replacement of course text but as a prompter like notes for a speech.

The demo version is nearly finished and will soon be released for comments. The full version will allow a user to edit existing guides and create their own. As the text is encrypted and not easy reproduced it would allow third party's to create and sell their work separately.

That is down the track. First comes the release of the demo to gauge interest and get feedback on any improvements before the full version is released.

New Project

Well the Ebay tools are finished for my wife and now I am working on a very interesting project. I along with many housands have tries to sell items on Ebay. But the fees and the short upfront exposure has led me to construct my own online Trash and Treasure store. It is quite an undertaking. I explored the Zen Cart which is great but overkill for me. I tried the Coffee Cups Shop Builder. Very easy to use but cannot handle item inventory. So I arranged a new domain and decided to create my own.

I use the Blue Voda web page builder. I would use their hosting but it is twice as expensive as the one I use. I created a utility to make use of BV's output. Shame they do not sell it seperatly it is one of the best W.Y.S.I.W.Y.G builders I have ever used and the one I use.

Sites I have built with it include http://inkmon.org http://control.inkmon.org

So it stood to reason that I would use it for my shop http://mrtworld.com Mr T's World

I had to learn PHP to handle a simple inventry system and used Blue Voda to create templates so that adding items would be fairly easy to do.

So now comes the task of populating the shop with all of our Trash and Treasure that we will be selling. None of it is junk, just an accumulated collection of items that we have to sell so we can afford to buy other peoples treasures. Both being retired and fast approaching 70 I am trying to cram as many interests in as possible.

I even bought a knitting machine the other day much to my wifes enjoyment. I was able to do that after selling a pocket computer I had for many years. So it may seem a strange guy thing but it is a skill I would like to have. I may even offer my creations for sale. Looking now for a spinning wheel to really make my own wool. I worked 40 years from the tender age of 14 1/2.

Kids leaving school at 18 + will never really find out what it was like then. I was a cadet apprentice which meant I had to learn to sweep, make tea, clean machines, do errands, Help the bosses wife clean their house, Weed their garden Ahhh! one gem. Take their daughter to the pictures. That last chore made it all worth while. They paid for us to even buy an ice cream and lollies. To top it off their daughter was delightful and a nice girl who I was very taken to. This was my highlight of the week. She was a year older than I and it all came to an end when she went of to an exclusive boarding school. I was 15+ then and an apprentice. The standard hours were 8am to 6pm with 15Min's morning break and 30Min's lunch. I learnt to turn, mill, grind, weld and electrical engineering. It helped I had approval from the boss as I got to rotate through all departments even 6months in the drawing office. 6 years before getting my indenture scroll complete with a wax seal. One qualified ElectroMechanical engineer.

That was at 21. I then emigrated to Australia where I met my wife a real dinky die Aussie. Still that is another story.

So that is now the task at hand. Getting known. I do not know whether this will be read but if it is then I hope this account is interesting. I am just an ordinary guy a ex pom who came to Australia from my birthplace England to find the sun. Hmm! I finishedup with two, Sons that is.

Ahh! well thanks for reading.

QuickAdd

I am working on this new application to my wif'e's instructions so she can sell her magazines on Ebay.
She wants a means to produce an add quickly in 10 Min's tops. I am about 1/3 the way there. Backgrounds are taking time. and making the add suitable for pasting into Ebay's Turbolister is working. Any images in the backgrounds I am hosting on my site. I will eventually create a file uploader for potential customers to upload images when they create their own backgrounds.

I have studied many adds and some are good some not so. I plan a great add each time that can be tuned to the item being offered for sale.

DeBugging

Debugging a whole heap of code. what a pain. It took me hours to find why a piece of text would not center in the text object. I gzave up went to bed and in the morning the code worked perfectly.

I think that sometimes the computer has to reboot to register the instructions. This has happened before in different ways and catches me out each time. It does not happen with a completed executable. Its a puzzle. Still what a buz when a bit of complicated code works.

The lament of a programmer "I wish it would do what I want not what I tell it"

back on track. I think when it is finished it will enable my wife and I to get an add up and onto Ebay within 15 to 30 mins. There is always a description to type or modify.

So Far I have the themes/backgrounds available for selection

same with Banners if required plus a title overlay

Next the descriptive block and the conditions block

After that is the creation of backgrounds and banners. I will make the builder part so that it will use an instruction QA*** to put it all together.

The format of the banners &backgrounds will be specified. I will set up a forum so that people will eventually be able to share their creations they make them themseves.

It will be a good way to get ideas for improvements. Again there is no log in required as Quickadd will be used to supply the add to Turbolister. I like turbolister only to use Ebays designs costs. This will be a once only cost with unlimited and personal designs

Timescale not set. Making banners and backgrounds actually using some of my photos of Tasmania, Victoria etc and reducing the opacity so its only a background some will be blank with borders. Ahh you get the picture.

I like the idea of this blog as it is as much as a white board for me and helps me keep on track.

I am about 2/3rds of the way in the program it is the graphics that takes time, cannot be crappy looking and graphic art is not my forte.

I tell you it take as many people to create a program as it does to change a light bulb.

Remove it, drive to a shop, buy a new one,drive........... Yeah!

This is for me as I loose bits of paper This is my creation plan
The QA 000 - QA999 will be the build instruction for the program. It will be text files that can be created in Notepad and there will be instructions on their construction.
Simple statements at the beginning of a lineIE:-
HTML >>>>>Standard according to type of background
Banner
HTML >>>>> Positional and Text Color information
Title as inserted
HTML >>>>>>Again positional
Desc. As selected created or modified
HTML >>>>>>Again Positional
Cond. As selected created or modified
End Page

I will make probably 20 banners and backgrounds
There will be a copy of the main backgrounds and Banners on computer and server
there will be thumbnail versions for the selection process And the preview will use the full size images on the computer. The version that will be copied into Turbolister to reference the same images on the server. I shall use my main site increasing bandwidth if necessary.

I see the Themes created from standard templates Think About Ease of Creation by user


*****************************Build Sequence***************************
QA000 allow 1000 themes
html code inserted Standard boiler text in Theme
selected Background inserted The Theme is the instructions to Background
Selected Banner/No Banner inserted
Absolute coordinates set depending on theme The Theme linked to Selected Background
Description Block inserted Probably launch Wordpad
Condition Block inserted "
End html created This will be according to the themes instructions
Build and view
save if happy
load previous add for modification same goes for Description and Conditions
Beta test Ask people that already have purchased software if they want to beta test
Help file
Trial version
Full version
Create website
Ahh! Finish it get lots of money Yeah right like that's going to happen
******************************************************************************
Wow its good getting that out of my head

This may not be the correct way to use a blog but what a reference. If anyone wants to create one from this I welcome them to my nightmare.

Go now, got to sleep

The grind

Gee !it is taking longer than I thought. I have created a few backgrounds now I have to create banners. Beauty of what I am doing is that they can be self constructed and added to. I am taking a step by step process.
Either load a pre created add or create from new or modify bits.

From scratch
Choose a theme (Background) could be blank
Choose a banner(Or None)
Type a title(Font suits the banner chosen part of the theme
Type or modify an existing description
Type or use existing condition of sale.
View add save if satisfied and copy and paste into Turbolister.
Add Photos (May add photo insertion I will see in a later version.
Use turbolister to upload (Its free and Ebay will update)

I have trialed some of the demo versions of add producers and they all want my Ebay login details. I do not give that away to anyone definatly not a third party.

Ebay permission > Online bank access > Empty my account. Paranoid? maybe but if you keep your information secure then you are much safer. Read the conditions "All care taken but no responsibility taken also.

Now you know why I am making a secure add producer. I wish to sell stuff not give money away

Try Logthisbid It is what I made for my wife to track bids. No login information needed keeps her safe and anonymous. Her online movements are not tracked. I cannot believe how gullible people are.

I do collect emails and then use them to advise people about updates and usefull information. I abhor those that have alternate agendas. Some of the fine print on add creators etc actually state that search infomation is collected. Yeah!. and the rest.

The programs I am making in this area is principly for my wife and she is attached to our accounts so the applications will be as secure as they can be. Yes I am paranoid about online transactions so bite me

Adding a form

I am going to try adding a simple form to see whether I can get some feedback from this blog. I will make it that a email address is not a requirement. So the comments can be anonymous.

I will host the form unless I can see if Blogger can.

Getting There

The application I think I will call QuickAdd as that is what it will do. I decided to use it as a precursor to Turbolister as it is integrated into Ebays system. Initially photos will be entered into that. A gallery photo is a must anyway.

Stages:-

• Select theme or load saved add for modification
• Type in a title or modify a loaded one
• Type a description or modify a loaded one
• Type conditions or modify a loaded one
• View the result. Save if satisfied
• Copy to Turbolister to add shipping details etc.

The themes I will create firsty but make a system so that they can be added to by certain rules.

I will be creating each finished page by text manipulation bit of HTML then text Then html etc. to inser the text into the html of the page.

It is actually what I did with my web page creator WebMaxster. That is a web page builder on steroids. Maybe one day I will give that to the world. It was designed for the clickthrough trade. Type in a 100 names and it will create a hundred pages, Java,VB script, frames, It can handle the lot.

Bright Idea

Well I solved the dilema. I will upload all the graphics on my site and these can be refered to. Photos will be different issue but there are free photo hostng sites. So armed with that I can now get stuck in. I will probably ask a straight one off price of somewhere between 10 and 20 bucks.

I will report when I have a trial version locked and loaded. Ahh! I love the challange.

Terry

Quickadd

My wife asked me to create an application to make placing Ebay adds in a simple but attractive way. Now I can do it with just plain txt but when it comes to graphics or photo's then it is a matter of storing those images etc. at a hosting site.

I pay about $us40/year for my hosting that allows a lot of storage. If it was for a lot of photo's it would probably cost about $60-100/year.

I will use my present hosting to trial QuickAdd for my wife but if others are interested I could probably set up an individual hosting for about $us25 each. Once set up and after the first year the application and guide would be available to perhaps use a free hosting.

It is an idea at the moment and I would receive about $us10 to set it up for each user and give support.

It is true there are free hosts out there and you get a domain name of soughts. but at this time I am interested in any interest on this.

There are companies that already offer this service but those I surveyed did not produce an add as quick as I plan.

I use the CoffeeCups free ftp program to upload and although no bells and whistles it works.

If I do not get comments on this I will just make it for my wifes use only. Believe me if it satisfys her it will satisfy anyone.

The first four will be able to use one of my domains I just remembered I have some space I am not using and it will not cost a dime to get started, you would be beta testers.

So come one come all

New Inkmon Look

I have tried the website builder from "Blue Voda" and even though they designed it for their host site it can be used and is a absolute position designer. Meaning that all objects can be placed exactly where you put them.

Even the placement order ie the order from back to front is possible. That allows layering of objects which I have done to achieve the frame in the InkMon site.

So I have given my sites a new look and hope everyone likes what they see. I guess I can judge the appeal by the increased or heaven forbid decreased hits.

So anybody who so desires to add a comment I would be greateful. To sweeten that I will give a copy of either application to the one I deem to give the best critique on each site listed on my previous post and be prepared to also comment on the software they chose as a free gift.

My First Blogger Blog

Of course it is.
Just a bit of my background:-

I am an English emigrant to Australia known as a "Pom" I have been this pom since 1964 when at the tender age of 21 I decided to come to Sunny Australia. I married an Aussie and have two boys. Free of course to a good home.

I am retired and program as a hobby s well as being the wife's slave.

I used my first released application as my "NICK" and have recently released two more.
the second "Control_IT" I created mainly for myself. It gets around that you know a bit about computers and being the wife's slave I get offered to her friends as the computer geek that can fix there computers. What I found is that I had to return with various utilities to fix their machines. So for myself and to make life easy I created a program that was resident on a USB Drive that gave me four modules.
1. A web address loader
2. A Memo Keeper
3. A mail Client
4. An application launcher
None of these modules required the browser,mail Client or application loaded to work
On this drive I use is all my favourites both web addresses,mail addresses, memo information and utility applications I use.

I do not now need icons on the desktop, passwords and id's are kept as are all logins. When I remove my USBDrive the information is as secure as my pocket.

The third appliction was for my wife "LogThisBid"
Since I set her up with her own Computer she has got interested in Ebay and she asked me(Ordered actually) being her slave I dutifully agreed. Her requirements where:-

1. Indicate the time remaining for each item she was interested without Ebay loaded
2. Warn when one or others come within 30 minutes of closing
3. Open items page an adjustable set time before the item closing with a sound warning
4. Add and delete items
5. I added a resident program to give the 30min countdown in the tray and when resident be used to launch "LogThisBid" and the help file (I do not want to keep explaining it)

The fourth is another request by the slave master a means of creating a quick add. This is in the creation stage the concept is to use Turbolister and paste the created page in the design part and use Turbolister to do its thing. Why reinvent the wheel eh!

So now to be blatently commercial I know if you got this far you are expecting the big sell.

All I will give you are the three so far URL's

1. InkMon "The Universal Ink Monitor" http://inkmon.org

2. Control_IT "A Windows Utility" http://control.inkmon.org

3. LogThisBid "A Bid Tracking Utility" http://logthisbid.inkmon.org

There are trial versions of each and help files to find out what they do.

The reason for this blog. I was told it gets the message out there. Still haven't found where 'there' really is.

I will update when the next gizmo creation is finished. I can guarantee no malware etc. I am not that good a programmer :-). I use AVG to scan the files.