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Could someone recommend a forum devoted to just Web Design?
I need one that can get pretty technical, where I can get information about and discuss many subjects.
I envision a forum with subject headings like:
General, Perl, ColdFusion, Dreamweaver, HTML & Javascript, ECommerce, PHP, etc.
Any help will be appreciated.
http://eyesitewebdesign.com/dale2.gif
Why, I’m afraid I can’t explain myself, sir, because I’m not myself, you know...
- Lewis Carroll
Could someone recommend a forum devoted to just Web Design?
I need one that can get pretty technical, where I can get information about and discuss many subjects.
I envision a forum with subject headings like:
General, Perl, ColdFusion, Dreamweaver, HTML & Javascript, ECommerce, PHP, etc.
Any help will be appreciated.
http://eyesitewebdesign.com/dale2.gif
Why, I’m afraid I can’t explain myself, sir, because I’m not myself, you know...
- Lewis Carroll
http://www.weberdev.com/
But it isn't as friendly and intimate(!) as here.
www.bricksandbrass.co.uk
I get the digest of Webdesign-l. It's a very busy mail list. Take a look here.
Mickie
hey hey, before looking onwards, may I suggest simply posting the technical question(s) in mind...not that I am proficient in this area, but ya never know, there are many who frequent this board who are... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
I don't have just one question, and I am seeking a body of knowledge to increase my understanding.
But since you ask, [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] here's what I will be looking for:
I have been looking to build a couple of websites that will have hundreds/thousands of products in a database, for sale, using a shopping cart system, and taking CC orders, etc., with full security.
I don't know the best approach to setting up a system like this, and have wanted to keep my client's sites on UNIX servers. BUT, I don't want to mess with Perl/CGI code from now until eternity trying to tweak a system. And so far I am unimpressed with the UNIX-based systems I've seen.
I am willing to train myself on ASP, MySQL, PHP, etc., for a stable payoff, but I assume that means migrating my client's sites to an NT server.
I would really like to purchase an entire database/shopping cart package I could re-use over and over, and just don't know what that would be. I am just ignorant on the subject, and need to enter the world of E-commerce without making too many mistakes or blowing a lot of money on software/systems that I will end up replacing.
What about ColdFusion?
Will I be able to install my system/database/software on my web host's servers? (My web host rep seems pretty ignorant about what his clients use, or how.)
If you have any information, or can point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. I need an overview, and then some specifics after I am pointing the right way.
http://www.eyesitewebdesign.com/dale.gif
Why, I’m afraid I can’t explain myself, sir, because I’m not myself, you know...
- Lewis Carroll
Hrer are a few links you might wish to follow up on regarding shopping carts and the like...
shooping cart software example 1
a url with links to this companies clients sites as examples
try before you buy trial for shopping cart software
more e store shopping stuff by Monster
HTH ya there Dale, let us know what ya come up with... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
Shopping carts are a lot like these forums in that your host must offer the correct capabilitiy re php, mysql, etc. on their end ( many hosting companies worth their salt do offer what is nescessary eg. PHP 5.o etc., and there are several packages out that are fairly straightforward to configure, to which the only other considerations are security one one side, and traffic on the other ) ya may have to get a new host if your current one does not support such, or only offers shared bins etc...or turn to a remote hosting option...or do the hosting yourself of course, though this route would take some consideration and set up to achieve proper results...
anybody else care to elaborate further?...
[This message was edited by gidgit on April 27, 2002 at 00:36.]
Hi Dale ...
While I thank both Simon and Gidget for their kind words, I understand where you are coming from. Try evolt's the list ( http://lists.evolt.org/ ) - many great technically oriented folks and very helpful.
Having said that, PHP, MySQL are meant to run on Unix (or Linux) servers - maybe you were thinking of MS-SQL the Microsoft-centric db? - so no worries there. And in all fairness, I don't care what pre-packaged ecomm system you end up choosing, you will be tweaking and refining ad inifitum - it's part of the job. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
cfn ... Jen
Jen Worden
Web Developer
www.meadoworks.com
That gives me a good start, and I can do more research on the web and see what I can come up with.
Have you actually USED any of these software packages?
I'd like to use something that comes with a recommendation from a forum member, who has used the software on his/her sites.
And Jen, thanks for the info and link. Your information about PHP/MySQL is exactly the type of information I am looking for. Not knowing much about this area, I am kind of groping around in the dark, looking for a glimmer of understanding.
I do expect to do SOME tweaking, as that is the nature of the game, but not rewriting a lot of code because it is so buggy/unworkable.
And thank you, Mickie and Simon. I am checking out your suggestions.
I've come to the conclusion that I need to go to Barnes & Noble, and look for a book that will clearly give me an overview of Ecommerce, and the technologies available. (If such a book is available.)
http://www.eyesitewebdesign.com/dale.gif
Why, I’m afraid I can’t explain myself, sir, because I’m not myself, you know...
- Lewis Carroll
Hi Dale, nope, I havn't used these products, only did some basic checking into such is all...hence the asking for others to elaborate further [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
Sort of thought that several people throwing around suggestions may lead to further discovery [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
Dale
When I realised that I needed to go the database route, I looked first at ASP - I could run it easily on my Windows machine for development purposes - with Access as the backend. Having a fair bit of VBA experience (although usually of the find-a-suitable-bit-of-code-and-tweak variety), I got it working easily enough.
Via this forum and elsewhere I then got views that Access really wasn't suitable for concurrent rights and SQL Server on the other hand was expensive. So I looked at PHP/MySQL. This too was easy enough for my level of experience. I have bought several books - Teach Yourself, Virtual Quickstart and a SAMS book. All have been useful and all contain free code that you can use.
I now have various PHP systems running - powering the menu at Bricks and Brass, another which is effectively a content management system for the Products and Services Directory, and others for events, books etc.
So I can recommend that route!
www.bricksandbrass.co.uk
My secret weapon as far as forums goSitePoint [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]
Thanks for the info on PHP/MySQL. I will probably go that route, since my client's sites are currently on UNIX servers.
Thanks to everyone who offered links and info!
http://www.eyesitewebdesign.com/dale.gif
Why, I’m afraid I can’t explain myself, sir, because I’m not myself, you know...
- Lewis Carroll
Dale
After 2 years of part time trying to solve this ecommerce puzzle I am about to launch a store using miva merchant.Miva merchant is a database driven shopping cart written in miva script that dynamically generates product pages.It requires the installation of the miva empresa engine on the web server but there are many miva enabled hosts available.Some of the reasons I've chosen miva merchant are that it allows a virtually unlimited number of catagories and products,has a user interface that allows considerable customization and it's relatively inexpensive.There are a lot more reasons but the big one is support.Although miva corp. has begun to charge for support the best comes from user groups.http://www.miva.com/support/usr_grps/.This is a very busy mail list and sometimes gets a little out of control but it has been solid gold for me.Although the topic is the miva merchant cart the people on the list are merchants,designers,hosts,developers,search engine experts,security experts,etc.You can find out which hosts actually understand ecommerce and security(extremely important).You can talk to developers who write plugin modules to add functionality to your stores. With miva you can manage a mall within the admin and add stores by just purchasing additional store licenses.I also have miva's personal version of their engine called miva mia which lets me serve store pages locally.I can tweak and experiment without touching the live store.There is also a miva coders list if you want to dig deeper.You'll need to decide which host,merchant account,payment gateway,security cert,etc.I found all these answers on the merchant-users list.One developer is close to release of a product to allow merchant to work with mysql.One has just released an order manager.Bottom line:you can have a store online in less than a week that is virtually unlimited and you have complete control over,then continue to add functionality over time.I've seen many times when a designer has had problems with a customers store and this list has saved their bacon. I just don't have that kind of confidence in any corporate support. And BTW miva runs on win or unix,best on unix.
Ive investigated dozens of ecommerce solutions but never used any so I am not actually recommending this one but I am suggesting you look into it.
toad
hi dale,
there are a fair number of places you could go to get answers to many of the questions you have but maybe some of the more "true-to-life" answers could come from members of this forum as we're all in the same kinda boat here and we also have different views and experiences on such things, thats partly why places like this exist, its like a gigantic evolving think-tank i guess [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
i have just finished (pretty-much) producing an ecommerce site for my employer (www.zingsmusic.net) and we are currently finishing off the "populate with products" stage but that is as much on going as anything else. I have produced the site with a software package called Actinic Catalog (www.actinic.co.uk). I shall not fob you off and say that we haven't customised the site heavily but thats the great thing about it, if you want to built a site to your own (or your customers) style then thats always possible. I have a good couple of years experience with this software and its one of the best i've been exposed to. It can be ran on Unix or Win boxes and all it needs is decent webserver and Perl really which is kinda common.. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
I am always on the lookout for new stuff to work with and I've recently discovered an open source ecommerce package called OScommerce (www.oscommerce.com) which is about 2yrs old and has had some decent sites produced with it. I am currently evaluating this for our next project, and its looking good so far. OScommerce uses a mixture of PHP & MySQL for the backend/engine and has quite a flexible framework allowing you to do a great deal depending on your requirements.
Please give this forum a go, you're bound to get a pleasant surprise and we don't bite! I've just come back after a six month stint working silly hours and this place is a good escape from work so i shall be around with a good many others to help when and where I can.
Hope that helps, and sorry for the small novel!!
d-sine.
:: d-sine :: www.d-sine.org
About 6 months ago I did a lot of research looking for off-the-shelf shopping cart solutions. In the end we did a custom one in PERL. During the research though I became impressed with MIVA merchant (MM)- which is well tested, stable and configurable.
In general, I would be careful in writing your own cart, since code errors might result in fraud for your visitors. At the very least, if you are doing credit card processing, I would get some professional feedback about security before I went live. Dan Meriwether at delux.com is really good at this sort of disaster proofing. Still, it may be better (and cheaper) go with a proven system like MM.
If you are going to learn a db system, I would put my money on PHP/MySQL as a horse that's likely to finish the race.
cheers
diane
http://www.thenwhen.com/thenblog/
oh one more thing about MIVA.
Socrates (my husband) is a MIVA programmer and he and Martin Hodge (a MIVA pioneer) have a company that does MIVA and PHP powered forums (forumexperts.com)
Of course, I don't know from MIVA myself, but if you have questions, I can probably get an answer for you.
[This message was edited by diane buenger on June 11, 2002 at 12:21.]
Wow, this is a super bit of info you have provided Diane... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
Thank You
I thought that this thread had died several weeks ago, but it came back to life. Great!
I am learning PHP/MySQL, and will decide what to do about a shopping cart/CC/database system after the website jobs are secured and I get a better idea of what the clients want.
I will probably buy a proven system that I can learn to maintain, rather than code my own, though. My web host offers a very economical
e-commerce package if the client has an inventory that is fairly small, about 30 items or less.
Diane, MIVA seems pricey at $595 PER DOMAIN. Is that right? I'd like a system I can reuse after I buy it. It also says it must have a MIVA enabled domain. Does that mean your web host must have MIVA functionality?
Thanks again!
Dale
Why, I’m afraid I can’t explain myself, sir, because I’m not myself, you know...
- Lewis Carroll
Many, many web hosting companies have MIVA and offer MIVA Merchant (MM) through their web hosting plans. MM as offered by these companies is configurable through a web interface. An excellent hosting company that we used to use (before we got our own servers) is http://www.webaxxs.com - they offer a large MM account for about $30/per month.
The benefit of using something like MM over a host-proprietary program is that if you ever need to move the site, you can also move the cart. I learned this lesson the hard way when a hosting company I had used got bought out by the evil empire.
There used to be a free program called Miva Mia which ran MIVA locally on your machine for development purposes. Socrates tells me this is no longer being made available by the company. You might check to see if anyone is offering downloads still.
Good Luck
diane
Dale
A full miva license is $595 per mall.There is an additional license fee for adding stores(domains) to the mall.This is a license you own and take it with you to wherever you host.You will also need the miva empresa engine on the server and it's probably about the same price.But many hosts bundle a license with the hosting package for as little as $30/mo. The difference is you don't take this license with you. It stays with the host.This doesn't mean you can't move your store,just that you need a new license when you do move to a new miva enabled host.Miva enabled simply means the host is running the miva empressa engine.You can find who they are at http://www.miva.com/.
Miva mia is still available from miva corp. and still free.
Louie
I checked with my host(Verio), and they do not offer Miva Merchant or any Miva Product with any of their e-commerce hosting plans.
http://www.eyesitewebdesign.com/laundryman1.gif
Eye Site Web Design
Why, I’m afraid I can’t explain myself, sir, because I’m not myself, you know...
- Lewis Carroll
I would agree please check out oscommerce , their deal is very good and like most open source its free , which always makes business so much better ...don't you think ?
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