I received a feature request the other day for a change to InMan, my current feature product, I thanked the person for pointing it out, decided it was a great idea, coded it, tested it, changed the documentation, rebuilt the install, updated the update file for my update system, and uploaded then retested everything form the site. This took a few hours, after which I sent a reply back to the person thanking him for the request, and informing him that it was such a good idea I implemented it.
So you may ask why "Up the Hooper”?
Well the above situation makes a guy feel good...
Current Thought
I hope up my mail and check it regularly, when I see mail coming in on my business accounts I think " oh maybe a sale", or “maybe a thank you for implementing the request so fast".
Reality
Just a bunch more hits from the W32.Mydoom.A@mm or Norvarg virus.
Provoked Thought
I think I need to use more butter in my ass because it is starting to hurt !
I am looking into accepting VISA payments for my software online as well as the Pay Pal that I currently have in place. Some people have mentioned they dislike having to create a Pay Pal account to buy anything.
Any suggestions on what site to go with that offers these services?
Things are going along fairly well, I just put my software up on Download.com and Tucows, and I have been getting some interest, but nothing to scream about.
The best exposure is on Google where I have purchased some click-through advertising. If you search on POS or on Inventory Management I am ranked as high as second. (Note: please if you are testing this do not click through to my site, as it costs me $ when you do, unless of course you want to seriously look at the stuff) . I have had only a handful of sales to this point but I am working to make my applications better. I am presently looking into adding the ability for it to use laser UPC code readers and print UPC codes, slowly building it out into a full blown POS system.
Thanks to Silverstr for the heads up.
Wish me luck, it is a lot of work and it is getting better...slowly…
It is finally to the point that I was satisfied to put my site up for TyMar Software , my software company. Please if you have any spare time (for those of you out there that do), let me know of anything that is out of place. I will be adding some more PERL scripts for comments and tech-support requests; I just put email links up for now. The SEP people wanted to see something done so it is done. I can do the little things over the weekend. Also the Pay Pal link is set up but my accounts won’t be approved for 2-3 days (like Monday or something)
If you want to you can download the first product and check it out, again if there are any problems I would rather hear it from friends than someone half way around the world. Also if you send me an email I will give out reg codes. I am open to anything to make it better.
Thanks, and I respect your honest opinions.
I have to hand it to WISE for their incredible technical support. I have bee working on the installer, not a huge process but came up with some issues with ddl's that could not be registered by the installer. The error thrown was a 1904 and from the Windows SDK that is exactly what it is, the dll can't be registered.
SO, I filled out my entitled web support form and submitted it online and then it indicated 2-3 days turnaround for the incident. Well I call down there, and I get the tech that is at that moment sending me the fix. Like this is about 10 minutes after I called. I have to hand it to Annette at WISE. She stayed online to ensure that this was indeed the fix for the problem and made sure I was happy happy before hanging up. Now that is great customer support.
Least to say I have already sent them letter indicating how well she handled my case, I am IMPRESSED !
The good thing too, I can move on, which is what I am now going to do...
It is important that when you release an update or enhancement to a product and the documentation for that product has changed that you also include the latest version of the documentation. A Small oversight on my part, heck I am not ashamed of it, I may even bring a smile to some of your faces. After all I am human, and this is recoverable, because I have not released anything.
So the plan is to release my first product InMan Inventory Transaction Manager mid to end next week. Then the following week the UpdateGuru, with the newly added ability to FULLY update ALL the files!!
Other than that, things are looking good; I am working on the installer license agreement and graphics today, the website this weekend and early next week. If you have any good mojo send it my way over the next week! ! Please ! !
Well I am up early this morning, it is DAMN cold in my office! Damn cold! I will not be falling asleep anytime soon!
Almost there as far as getting it released, still much work to be done on my first product. All I can say is "Feature creep can kill". I have so much more as far as features to be added. I will be adding some immediately, as they had planned to be there on release, but some will have to be saved for the next version. I have already received requests for my next product so I have to get working on that pronto.
Just letting everyone know that I am alive and kicking.
If you wonder where I have been lately, I will have to admit I am wondering too. Things have been hectic, involved and very serious. I do know one thing, and that is that life is good, let's just say that I have experienced some life changing things in the past few weeks. The one thing I can say is I have the most understanding, caring; people around me, to consider myself to be just fortunate would be an understatement.
I am stating to see the light at the end of the tunnel as far as the release date of my first product. The SEP people are getting a little bit impatient with me, and I don't blame them. I made some decisions to add some other features (some not realized), and it has cost me more time. The trouble with all of it is making it all look simple and leaving the complexity behind the scene. My target market is not going to figure it out if it isn't easy to use.
I have set a deadline which I know can't be met, with hope that the SEP people will come around and extend it. Otherwise I will be releasing my first product when I have to, rather than when I want to, which doesn't make sense, and could greatly affect initial sales. It is kind of Dilbert like when I think of it, the pointy haired manager is telling me to put the product out, and all I can do is complain to Dogbert when I get home.
With all said and done I really don't care, I have realized recently that things can and will work out. So it is just another grain of sand in a vast desert of issues that come up in life. I will deal with it, I will get through it, and I will look back at it as trivial.
I came across a quote the other day, and forgive me for not being able to reference it properly, but at least I am not taking the credit up front.
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us"
I have not been feeling good this week, and not having any consistency. I had a few really great days followed by some really bad ones. Today was a day when things came together. I can only aspire to have more days like this. It makes days that are unproductive weigh less in the big picture, days like this come as one of life's rewards.
Busy working away today on my business card layout, as well as a few other issues pertaining to TyMar. I had to make some adjustments to my Firewall (see Arc's entry for today). Other than that it was a pretty regular day, I think, although it is not yet over.
Another day has come, very early at that. Tyler wanted to sleep in the tent again last night so I gave in and out we went. We played SimCity on my Palm m130 until about 2:00am this morning. It was fun for both of us, although I must admit, it is not exactly roughing it.
Got up this morning and spent $653(Canadian Funds), on WISE Installer as it is getting closer to that magical date when I am finished my first product and can put it up on the net for sale. It will probably be the end of the month before I get everything done.
Heading up to men’s night at the club tonight with Bear, and by the looks of it it will be a hot one this afternoon. With any luck one of us can pull off a nice shot and win something. More on that later on this evening.