What You Should Ask Before You Buy Your Next Software

Writen by Aaron Colman

There's nothing worse than buying the software you need for your business and finding out there's a catch. Remember to ask about these key details.

1 - Return policy

What if the package doesn't do what you need? Or something suddenly changes and you can't use it? Are you stuck with it or can you return it?

2 - Support

What if the installation is tricky and you need help? Can you find some? What if there's a problem and you need some help along the way, is there someone to contact? Is it a telephone number or just an email address?

3 - System requirements

If it requires PHP 4.0 and MySQL 4.0, will it also work on PHP 5.0 if that's what your server has? If it needs to install a crontab, do you have access to that? If it needs 512mb of RAM and you only have 256mb will it work? Make sure you detail each requirement and that you have each.

4 - Updates

How are updates handled? Are there any at all? If a new version comes out will it cost you money to upgrade, or will it be available for download somewhere? Will the download automatically install itself or will you need to handle it yourself?

5 - Copyrights

Do you have the right to use the software as you choose or will you suddenly find yourself limited by legalities? Does the person selling the software to you have the rights to do this? A lot of 3rd parties sell software on a discount, but when it shows up you find that the keys are pirated. Not only are you out of luck when it comes to calling the helpdesk, you're also exposing yourself to legal problems. If you're purchasing software that grants you a license to use it, what does that license entail?

6 - Does it do what you need?

You get a new bookkeeping program only to realize that it doesn't support the method you're using. Does it specially have what you need?

7 - What's it cost?

Cost is always an issue, usually the first question that comes up. But in reality you might find that paying an extra

$20 now saves you $100's later on. More often than not "cheap software" is worth what you pay for it. Of course you can't pay thousands for something that should only cost afew hundred, nor should you pay hundreds for something that can be had for $29.95 on some other site. Naturally you should do your homework, but provided you've asked the questions above you can be a little less concerned about risking your hard-earned money.

Hopefully armed with the right information you'll be better prepared to avoid the pitfalls and risks and scammers while getting what you need when you need it.

Aaron is the owner of an exciting new site that helps find the software you need for your web business. Free classified ads area, link exchange, article submission area and more. http://www.mysoftwaretoys.com

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How To Identify Cure And Prevent Spywareadware Infections

Writen by Zahid Saddique

Just when you thought you were Web savvy, one more privacy, security, and functionality issue crops up — spyware. Installed on your computer without your consent, spyware software monitors or controls your computer use. It may be used to send you pop-up ads, redirect your computer to websites, monitor your Internet surfing, or record your keystrokes, which, in turn, could lead to identity theft.

Many experienced Web users have learned how to recognize spyware, avoid it, and delete it. According to officials at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, all computer users should get wise to the signs that spyware has been installed on their machines, and then take the appropriate steps to delete it.

The clues that spyware is on a computer include:

- a barrage of pop-up ads

- a hijacked browser — that is, a browser that takes you to sites other than those you type into the address box

- a sudden or repeated change in your computer's Internet home page

- new and unexpected toolbars

- new and unexpected icons on the system tray at the bottom of your computer screen

- keys that don't work (for example, the "Tab" key that might not work when you try to move to the next field in a Web form)

- random error messages

- sluggish or downright slow performance when opening programs or saving files

The good news is that consumers can prevent spyware installation. Experts suggest that you:

* Update your operating system and Web browser software. Your operating system (like Windows or Linux) may offer free software "patches" to close holes in the system that spyware could exploit.

* Download free software only from sites you know and trust. It can be appealing to download free software like games, peer-to-peer file-sharing programs, customized toolbars, or other programs that may change or customize the functioning of your computer. Be aware, however, that some of these free software applications bundle other software, including spyware.

* Don't install any software without knowing exactly what it is. Take the time to read the end-user license agreement (EULA) before downloading any software. If the EULA is hard to find — or difficult to understand — think twice about installing the software.

* Minimize "drive-by" downloads. Make sure your browser security setting is high enough to detect unauthorized downloads, for example, at least the "Medium" setting for Internet Explorer. Keep your browser updated.

* Don't click on any links within pop-up windows. If you do, you may install spyware on your computer. Instead, close pop-up windows by clicking on the "X" icon in the title bar.

* Don't click on links in spam that claim to offer anti-spyware software. Some software offered in spam actually installs spyware.

* Install a personal firewall to stop uninvited users from accessing your computer. A firewall blocks unauthorized access to your computer and will alert you if spyware already on your computer is sending information out.

If you think your computer might have spyware on it, take these three steps: Get an anti-spyware program from a vendor you know and trust. Set it to scan on a regular basis — at least once a week — and every time you start your computer, if possible. And, delete any software programs the anti-spyware program detects that you don't want on your computer.

For the latest news, articles and resources related to spyware, head over to http://www.No-More-Spyware.com and http://www.No-More-Adware.com. You can also download a trustworthy spyware remover, the PAL Spyware Removal tool, to run an absolutely FREE spyware scan on your system and see if you have spyware residing on your PC !

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10 Programming Tips

Writen by Som Dutt Tripathi

(1) Avoid using the same variable again and again for different purposes.

This happens with us that we think that more and more memory will be wasted if we declare seperate variable for each purpose. But, if any debugging is about to be done and program is quite a typical. Then, debugger will get confused and Dry-Run will also not work in such a scenario. So, if your program is small then, you can use the same variable. But, if it is complex, then do not use the same cheap practive.

(2) Use capital letter to variable name for global variables.

You should use capital letters because, there should be distinguishable difference between a local variable and global variable. There should not be any confusion while dry run or debugging.

(3) All the variables should be declared at one place.

This helps the programmer to analyze whether some variable is yet declared or not. If we declare them at different locations, then, a proper manner can not be acheived in your programming. The variables should normally defined just below the function declaration.

(4) There should be proper indenting in whole program.

Indenting helps you understand the program and the logic behind the statements well. This is cheap practice to write the functions, iterations and conditional statements without indenting. It looks like a junk also. There should be a proper demarkation in your mind and the same concept should be followed in all the portions of your program.

(5) Commenting.

Commenting is very much important. Although, there is no relation of them from your logic and programming. But, once you debug your program or new amendments are done, it becomes tedious to understand the logic behind that coding section. That is why, commenting is very neccesary in programming.

(6) Do not use labels.

In some programming languages like BASIC, there is scope of providing labels. Experts say that using such labels produces extra burden in the operating system. So, you should avoid them.

(7) Do not declare unused functions or variables.

This practice is also prohibited. You should not declare such a variable which is not getting used anyewhere. You should check it out when you are going through dry-run also.

(8) Coupling should be avoided cohesion should be increased.

Coupling comes to picture when the output of a function is input to other. This produces a sort of ripple effect and debugging becomes a problem and error-prone programming is found in such state.

(9) Always write the program or check the logic then, come to type.

This is a general practice that people directly sit on system and try to build logic and all the necessary corrections are done. But, such anactivity may produce problems like unused variable (regular declaration and descarding) , unused functions (declare and forget to call or just checking), moving in the wrong direction of logic. So, you should decide things before you come to portray them.

(10) Do not learn programs, try to develop your own logic.

Each person has logic but, there should be flow in that logic. If flow is absent then your ideas can not reach the destination. So, instead of learning an old algorithm, try to your own program based on your logic.

Som Dutt Tripathi is an IT personality. He wants to express many things and want to share his ideas with the world.

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Enduser Programming Modelling Of Information

Writen by Peter Hale

An important area of research is a technique for End User Programming, that of allowing visual modelling of information. This corresponds to the type of work normally undertaken using spreadsheets. This research involves using Semantic Web technologies to enable end user programming.

The work involves allowing non-programmers to model complex problems visually and without having to use programming languages. Information is created in a visual tree using an Ontology editor, the information is then transformed, and all calculations performed. Further transformations can be performed into any programming language or open standard information representation language, and this can be displayed on the web. Also transformations can be performed between a tree representation and other styles of representation e.g. an interactive CAD style representation, using SVG.

A related area of research is that of Semantic Web and Web 2.0 techniques to enable online interaction with the results visualisation. The intention of this is to enable end user programming, by always allowing the person to see the context of the information and to get immediate feedback on any changes.

The theory behind this is that of showing examples of a program in whatever way most puts across the information in an understandable way. This must illustrate the concept that the information represents. This allows a user to manipulate the information and get immediate feedback on what has changed. This is related to Programming by Example, which is explained below.

In the mid 1970s Smith introduced the technique of Programming by Example with a program called Pygmalion. This demonstrated the need to describe algorithms through concrete examples rather than abstractly. 'Example-based Programming: a pertinent visual approach for learning to program' University of Poitiers explains and expands on Smiths work with an example demonstrating how numbers fail to reveal the concept behind them. The example is a numerical representation of a triangle. This representation is 'fregean' because it does not show the concept of a triangle. Next to this is a diagram of the triangle that does show the concept.

Programming by Example - Links

Alan Kay, Allen Cypher - http://www.acypher.com/wwid/FrontMatter/index.html - Watch What I Do - Programming by Example.

Cypher A. (1993) Watch What I Do: Programming by Demonstration, The MIT Press

Example-based Programming: a pertinent visual approach for learning to program (2004) - University of Poitiers - Nicolas Guibert - Patrick Girard - Laurent Guittet - Proceedings of the working conference on Advanced visual interfaces - Pages: 358 - 361 - ISBN:1-58113-867-9.

Programming by Example - http://web.media.mit.edu/~lieber/PBE/index.html - Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT Lab.

Pygmalion: A Computer Program to Model and Stimulate Creative Thought. Stuttgart, Basel - http://sern.ucalgary.ca/courses/SENG/611/F99/ConceptMaps/slides/tsld004.htm - University of Calgary Summary - Smith, D. C. 1977.

Smith, D. C. (1977) A Computer Program to Model and Stimulate Creative Thought. Basel: Birkhauser. 187p.

I am a Researcher in the final year of my PhD. I specialise in applying Semantic Web techniques. My current research is on a technique of 'User Driven Modelling/Programming'. My intention is to enable non-programmers to create software from a user interface that allows them to model a particular problem or scenario. This involves a user entering information visually in the form of a tree diagram. I am attempting to develop ways of automatically translating this information into program code in a variety of computer languages. This is very important and useful for many employees that have insufficient time to learn programming languages. I am looking to research visualisation, and visualisation techniques to create a human computer interface that allows non experts to create software. I am a member of the Institute for End User Computing - http://www.ieuc.org/home.html. My Home Page is http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~phale/.

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