Ebay 'have your say'

A open list of ideas for ebay...

I use ebay a fair bit, whether for private use skimming for parts for projects and bits and bobs or for business getting components and network hardware.

Things on their have been frustrating me, so I thought I'd list them, allowing me to share these ideas.

Firstly and simplest a directions link to Google map or some such service. I spend hours looking at large goods and working out if I can get the item picked up or delivered. Ebay could monetize through a third party a courier quote service they have all the needed info once i'm logged in,  alternativly a map provider such as google could provide a get directions link knowing the items location and my postcode.

Secondly, view similar item options. I want this option from my first search results. the serach results can be massive amounts of data if I had it to my watch list I can get similar listings I want this as a button from the search results it would make my user experience richer.

Their are more, but i'm working and this is just really a brain download for a itch I can't scratch

Bright Sparks

Every so often in technology something grabs your attention, this grabbed mine.

Its not just that the plug (bane of bare footed geeks ever where) is a horrible ugly thing, it takes up space and no matter how hard you try there is never enough or enough space for them.

This new design solve sthat problem too in a innovative way that also includes USB compatability.

My only hope and not covere dby the article is that the connectors between the plug and wire are replaced with a covered bayonet and clamp design. undoing plug screws is just annoying.

Its brilliant when can I buy one.

[Click here or on the image to read the full article]

Cannot open the Outlook window

Every so often Mircosoft Windows just really does have a momentary set back, a stutter a small stroke even. This morning was one of them.

The simply answer to what happened is outlook crashed out and lost its profile settings.

The simple answer to fix it is Google the error message.

You will be told on eof two three things:

• run system restore
• delete the registry key and reset the profile.
• Start->run..then type the following -> "Outlook.exe /resetnavpane"

My advise follow the third one its easiest and works.System restore may or may not work or be on depend son your settings. Deleting the registry key unless you think to back up teh profile files first will overwrite your data.

This leads on to general trouble shooting, I run Windows, Linux and osX at varying times of my week. I trouble shoot and support all of them. But the geenral rule if anything goes wrong is Google the error message.

I'll happily run a fix for clients, or advise best practice when some have found their own solutions.

But in general if something new appears It gets googled, a little reading of multiple answers and solutions looking for nearest operating system comparison and newest answers, the amount of times a patch has changed a solution is worth bearing in mind.

Anyway I ran teh third answer and up popped outlook all well and less a few emails.

Documentation

A bug bear of mine is documentation, I try to provide cost effective web sites using easy to manage CMS solutions such as Worpress and Drupal.

If I have to document the sites functions because the end user has difficulty getting to grips with simple usable systems then it can add two to three days work time to a site and hundreads of pounds accordingly.

A days training with no documentation just the user making notes can be much cheaper and easier, but should this fall short the need for documentation is an expensive and time consuming addition.

Don't get me wrong if its needed it needed, but I wish it was easy to tell when it was needed and that larger clients did not expect it.

Most the CMS and WYSWYG editors provide excellent documentation of their own that only a marginal level of understanding can allow to be used with any site developed with these packages.

Anyway that's my new year gripe. On the other side click on the post image to visit a entertaining post about the documentation you gather, some times I feel that's alll that happens to my documentation any way..