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Then The Rope Went Slack
by Craig Richards
Daniel called me on the phone for some help. I wouldn't say he was "at the end of his rope" but there was tension in his voice.
His question about where to put his mailing list on his website seemed basic enough so I jumped right in, "If you're not pointing BigSender to an existing list, BigSender can start a new list anywhere on your website. Are you with me?"
"Sounds good," was his confident reply.
Bolstered, I continued,"From the Configurator just type the path from the server root. Then name your file whatever you want with whatever extension you want – most people use the .txt extension. Would you like to try that?"
Silence. "Daniel, are you there?" Silence.
Realizing what happened, I asked gently, "I lost you didn't I?" "Yeah, you lost me," he admitted. "Wow," I marveled, "Even over this long-distance phone line, I could feel the rope go slack!" (What I did not ask him was, did he slip off or did he gnaw through the rope intentionally!)
My sister Taylor, herself a "power user" (in denial), tells me that I "geek out" too much. Oh, I don't think so, sister! Well... Maybe. Okay. Sorry.
My tech support conversation with Daniel served to remind me of a basic issue with which most software developers struggle. For that matter, this issue is especially important in website design, too.
Are you with me? Okay...
Our challenge is to marry these two normally opposing forces:
- Provide enough choices to satisfy your most voracious power users.
- For your users at the other end of the spectrum, require as few choices as possible and give them a very friendly interface.
These days, it is standard practice for "desktop software" designers to provide an interface for setting preferences, while many "desktop software" users expect their software to perform even if they do not change any preferences. (A surprising few users ever configure their software to fit their own needs.)
As you may have discovered, however, nearly all "web applications" required their users to venture "under its hood" to tinker with its programming code in order for it to function at all. So using a web application often required at least a basic level of programming language savvy.
Most early web applications failed to strike that tricky balance between providing lots of options and making it very simple to use. And back then, maybe they didn't need to because web designers and developers were often CGI programmers, too.
Causing what may be an explosion in acceptance of and sometimes even a preference for web-based applications, we are beginning to see next-generation server software that bridges the usability gap between software on the desktop and on the internet.
For example, one important feature I developed for BigSender's Configurator (where users set preferences), is that nearly all the settings for more than five dozen options have default answers. That allows administrators to get BigSender up and running on their websites in fewer than 60 seconds. Powerful and simple in wedded bliss.
So I apologized to Daniel for the steep climb, took up the slack, led him over to the escalator where he simply rode to the top.
Whether you're designing software, cars, websites or VCRs, remember to keep the essential choices to as few as possible while giving your geeks – er, um – I mean advanced users something they can customize and use in ways you probably hadn't imagined.
Do you think I have achieved an unprecedented balance in web applications with BigSender? Or has your rope already gone slack a few paragraphs back? If you're still with me, check out the free BigSender Demo and let me know what you think.
Climbing photo by Michael Levy. See more of his great images at www.saltspring.com/twobrothers
Changing the Starting Directory for AdminPro?
I am asked this one quite often: "Can I change the starting server directory for AdminPro so I don't have to navigate to it every time I invoke it?" Here's a simple trick that will work like a charm: Invoke AdminPro and navigate to the directory where the action is. Click-and-hold the small icon to the left of the "address" (Internet Explorer) or the "location" (in Netscape) then drag to your desktop. The icon will become a .url file which, when you double-click on it acts like a browser bookmark. The effect will be that AdminPro will launch and is automatically ready to work in the server directory you want.
Targeting or Excluding Groups When Sending Messages
BigSender makes it easy to send a personalized message to each recipient in your list or only to some. Start by grouping recipients with the "label" field. Then use the "match" field to send only to those records containing that label. Or with the "exclude" toggle, send to everyone on your list except a particular group. Still with me? If not, check out all the nitty-gritty details in that section of the BigSender Administrator Guide at CraigRichards.com/software/bigsender/userguide/composer/broadcasting.html.
Seven Reasons You Need BigSender
online contact list manager, personalized high-volume emailer, one-click news publisher
- If you can use a web browser, you can use BigSender to manage your contact lists on your website. Don't pay third-party list-management firms every month. Bring your lists in-house with BigSender.
- BigSender can run on virtually any webserver including Unix, Linux, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Mac OS X Server and others, automatically adjusting itself to your server environment.
- One-click web publisher automatically posts your message in your website's news archive for inclusion in BigSender's dynamic index.
- Use BigSender to build your list or import your existing list.
- Manage as many contact lists as you want on your server with BigSender.
- BigSender's Snapshot plug-in lets you save a "picture" of the message you're composing then load it again later for sending to your recipients. Great for regular newsletters, announcements or other often-sent messages.
- You can collect, store and use any information you want from your recipients – without any programing. You can't find a more flexible online list manager than BigSender.
BigSender can also save you more time, effort and money. And it's probably esier to use than you can imagine. To try before you buy using the free online BigSender Custom Demo, point your web browser to CraigRichards.com/software/bigsender and click on the "demo" link. Of course, to join the global community of BigSender users right now click here to download the entire system.
If you have any questions, concerns or comments, contact me directly at BigSender@CraigRichards.com.
This message and previous issues are archived for your reference at CraigRichards.com/news2me where your friends and associates may also subscribe free to News2Me.
Craig Richards Design is an online design and development firm in central Oregon headed by Craig Richards. For more than 28 years, Craig has juggled two careers, one as an accomplished television and film actor, and the other in marketing and advertising design.
 
In 1994, he began designing and programming custom websites for his clients at ad agencies and also currently runs the web's most popular family history- and reunion-related website FamilyReunion.com. Over the years, Mr. Richards has developed several web applications and released them publicly as freeware, shareware and as commercial applications. Titles include BigSender, Envirolyzer and award-winning AdminPro with more than 120,000 users worldwide. Craig Richards Design was recently named an iForce Partner by Sun Microsystems for the creation of essential tools compatible with the Unix platform.
News2Me Archive
BigSender 3.80 Availability Announced
In addition to other improvements and enhancements, BigSender now includes the long-awaited user authentication feature for connecting to your mailserver.
News2Me 05/20/2006
In this issue: we discuss some hosting firms' anti-spam policies, our shiny new dedicated webserver, our discussion forum is temporarily disabled and improved transaction security at CraigRichards.com with high-grade 256-bit SSL encryption
Craig Richards Design Plans BigSender Update to 3.70 in Early January
This BigSender release further enhances the Message Composer interface with a realtime WYSIWYG HTML Editor, a plain-text wordwrap feature, an initial caps format for names and other handy improvements.
BigSender Now Speaks Italian
In addition to other improvements, fixes and enhancements, BigSender now includes an Italian BigSender Language File plug-in.
News2Me
In this issue, we announce our website's new search feature, information on my recent movie role and the latest enhancements to BigSender.
News2Me: Imagine Contact Management Made Simpler
What should you look for in a contact management solution? Power. Affordability. Flexibility. Simplicity.
BigSender 3.670 Released: Breakthrough Features
Innovative new features make BigSender 3 more powerful than ever!
BigSender Technical Bulletin: Annotations
BigSender 3.661 Gets Convenient New Features
BigSender Reviewed by The Office Letter
After an independent comprehensive evaluation of BigSender, The Office Letter concludes that, "for the money, it's a steal!"
BigSender Now Speaks German
BigSender Broadcasts: Get the Speed You Need
How to optimize BigSender and your server environment for the fastest send rates possible.
BigSender 3.6: Continuing the Revolution
After more than six months in development, now you can match to whole records or only specific fields for the most granular narrowcasting!
BigSender 3x: Now Even More Power and Flexibility
Announcing the newest batch of features in our popular web application designed to make it simple to manage your contact lists and to easily publish your announcements, e-zines, press releases and other online publications
Monday 10/21/2002 News2Me
In this issue: Pursuing Passions and Perfection
News2Me
In this issue, we announce our new alliance with Sun Microsystems, our smooth move, and BigSender gets even more new features!
BigSender 3 Released: More List-Management Features Built In
The most complete online list-management and email/web publishing system available gets a one-click automated bounce manager and other built-in conveniences!
News2Me: How To Publish Without Spamming
BigSender is a powerful yet easy-to-use publishing system ñ but like any tool, it can be used incorrectly. Follow these guidelines to get optimal results with BigSender...
E-News Gallery Goes Live
Where publishers of electronic newsletters & e-zines can showcase their publications.
AdminPro Is Updated
No longer requires Perl to execute!
Then The Rope Went Slack
Rather than dazzled and empowererd, has all this techno-speak ever left you feeling dazed and confused?
Marketing Secrets Revealed: When Customer Loyalty Isn't
Master Minds: Becoming a Software Guru
Are you an entry-level veteran or an inquisitive innovator?
What Is A Web App?
Bill Gates emphasizes the web browser as the "central application of computing."
BigSender Backgrounder
Microsoft Discontinues ListBot
Out: free services. In: fee services.
Official Premiere: News2Me
What's Happened to AdminFTP and TestMy.CGI?
AdminPro 2.5: More Power, More Control
Debug CGI & Manage Files from a Web Browser?
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