NEW! IRC Channel for Minivend

[atc@atc.nethosting.com]

******    message to minivend-users from atc@atc.nethosting.com     ******

A few people on this mailing list have expressed an interest in IRC 
as a means for discussion of the program.  I think an IRC channel 
done correctly would be a great help to novice and experts alike.  
Therefore, I have decided to start an IRC channel specifically for 
minivend discussion.

For those of you that know what IRC is and want to go immediately 
to the channel, it is on the popular efnet network and it is called 
#minivend.

For those of you who do not know or only have a vague idea of 
what IRC is, here is a synopsis:

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is a service that is provided free of charge 
by a number of local and national isps.  This service allows people 
to talk "real time" via typed communication and form "channels" 
covering different topics of interest.  There are 27 major networks 
worldwide with approximately 150,000 people talking in 35,000 
channels.  More information about IRC is available at:

http://liszt.bluemarble.net/chat/intro.html

Why IRC? IRC allows people to talk about minivend in real time 
and with immediacy whether it be for help, applications, 
modifications, socializing, or offering opportunities.  IRC attracts all 
types of users worldwide from complete novices that have never 
installed a script to people who wrote some of the most advanced 
books concerning Perl available.

The efnet network offers more than just #minivend.  #perl on efnet 
is the most popular perl channel on IRC.  There are many other 
program/language specific channels on efnet which have a large 
following - making it a good network for an IRC channel of this type. 
Other channels that may be of help to minivend users include 
#html, #cgi, #unixhelp, #c, etc.

We have two channel robots called Edict and Crimper that will 
handle security for the channel for channel operators.  Additionally 
we have a robot called Dictum which is a basic artificial intelligence 
robot that can respond to people that have questions.  Currently 
Dictum knows nothing about minivend, however it does know 
approximately 7000 facts about computers, html, computer jargon, 
rfc by number, and area codes.  It also can tell people about a  
topic/url in a private message,  tell you the time and day, and act 
as a calculator.   It is set not to learn from the channel and not to 
interrupt conversations when it thinks it knows the answer to a 
question -- so it is not annoying.  It only speaks when spoken to 
and only learns when it is addressed.  That will  keep the database 
of answers to the point.

EXAMPLE:
[Vex]   Dictum scsi?
<Dictum>   scsi is probably (Small Computer Standard Interface) A 
standard data pathway used mostly for hard drives and CD-ROM
  drives, but also a common interface for scanners and sometimes 
printers. Currently the fastest (and the most flexible) method of
  interfacing with hard drives. It comes in two major varieties: SCSI-
2 or WIDE SCSI. Both can now be Ultra, which doubles the speed.

Obviously to be successful an IRC channel needs participation.  I 
urge you that if you are interested at all in the channel to fire up 
your irc client and join the channel.  Idle in the channel whenever 
you are on IRC.  Put information into the infobot, Dictum.  
Volunteer to be a channel operator.  The more people that 
participate in the channel, the more useful the channel will be for 
novices and experts alike.

A little about me:

My IRC nick is normally Vex (short for Vexillum which means "flag" 
in latin).  My level of expertise with Minivend is just above novice.  I 
have installed it and got it to run with the frames sample.  I'm in the 
process of modifying it for my own store and intend to become an 
expert on it because it appears to offer almost all the functions I 
need in an e-commerce solution (and the price is very appealing 
too :-).

I am more on the expert level with Selena Sol's webstore script and 
the modified version of it with a web GUI called Commerce.cgi    
These are more suited to small stores with a few products, which 
the docs for Minivend suggest Minivend may be overkill for.  My 
interest in Minivend stems from the fact I need a much more 
scalable and capable solution.

Modifications that I am going to have to perform or figure out how to 
do with minivend include:

Figure shipping charges from multiple origins/zip codes.

Compute shipping charges based on carton quantities/weights as 
relevant to quantity ordered.  For instance 144 pieces in cartons of 
36 weighing 32 pounds per carton.

Allow multiple quantity pricing/discounts with differing pricing 
quantities/brackets from product to product.

Fortunately my first store won't need the above modifications, but 
eventually  I will have to implement them.

I hope to see you online in #minivend. If you don't  have a program 
for IRC and you are on the Windows platform I recommend  VIRC.  
Its free.  You can find it at http://www.virc.com .  Many unix flavors 
such as Linux have irc available from the prompt by typing irc.  If it 
asks for a server one to try is irc.idle.net 

Skip
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