 Helpful Resources
At the time of posting, all these recommendations are scumware/adware clean!
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photo
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"IrfanView is a very fast, small, compact and innovative FREEWARE (for non-commercial use) graphic viewer for Windows 9x/ME/NT/2000/XP." This is so much nicer than the viewers that come with windows that are so limited. It even runs mpg ad flash movies (make sure you get the plugins!)
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 This program also makes ICONS just by choosing FILE SAVE AS and very quick 3-d buttons from any image! |
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Looking for a great complete photo program?
This one does almost everything that Adobe PhotoShop does at a fraction of the price! I've used both. PSP wins for me. The only thing missing is a couple filters you will never miss. The tutorials in the Jasc's Learning Center are terrific and there are a ton of tutorial sites, see link list for a few I have used. PhotoShop can't compare in the tutorials and learning curve! Image mapping, image slicing, optimizing, fixing, special effects, web buttons, are all part of this software - no need to have separate software for it!
Animation Shop gives you the ability to easily create buttons, banners, and other cool animations. This is a stand alone product or packaged with PSP8 and PSP7 anniversary edition.
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Simple Screen Capture software. Lightweight and useful. FREEWARE
It is activated when you press the PrintScreen key on your keyboard and allows you to capture the entire screen or any portion of it. You can then make changes to the screen capture and save in a variety of formats including .gif, .bmp, .jpeg, .jpg, .emf and .wmf.
Varied options allow editing image before saving (add border, adjust contrast, etc.)
Compare with:
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Yes, you can make thumbnails in other photo software (PSP, Photoshop & Photosuite among others in my stash), but the easiest way is to use this little lightweight, simple program for one photo or an entire batch!
"a popular FREEWARE utility for creating accurate thumbnail images and scaled-down/up copies from a wide range of popular picture formats".
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An ONLINE image editor. Several effects. Otimizer for GIF and JPG images. 3 clicks to replace a color in an image, or change backgorund to transparent on gif or animated gif (all frames at one time)! Be sure to click NO to annoying popups otherwise you may end up with software you do not want. But even with the numerous pop-up ads and offers, it's a nice simple editor if you can't get to your regular software out of office, away from home, etc. FREE
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Generator
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"Meracl ImageMap Generator is a program which with ease lets you make clickable images - so called image maps...Image mapping doesn't get any easier than this" FREEWARE
Compare with:
Paint Shop Pro (full image software includes mapping, see above)
Globalscape CuteMAP ImageMapper US$20
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"Your photos on Your Website...Gallery is a slick web based photo album written using PHP. With Gallery you can easily create and maintain albums of photos via an intuitive interface. Photo management includes automatic thumbnail creation, image resizing, rotation, ordering, captioning, searching and more. Albums can have read, write and caption permissions per individual authenticated user for an additional level of privacy." Friends and relatives can leave comments. Slick photo treatment for large albums! Forums and tech support. FREEWARE
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color
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This chart is specifically designed to match the CSB (and Trellix) color palette. Hex codes are identified for each color. 256 colors are on the page, including the web safe colors.
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Also made a second version of the page that allows you to see the 256 text colors against all 256 background colors, matching the CSB - Trellix color chart. Choose a background color then scroll to see which text colors work well against that background. Found other charts that do the same kind of thing, but they did not use the CSB - Trellix palette.
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"On this page you will find a table of color names that are supported by newer versions of both Netscape and Internet Explorer. If you want to write correct HTML you should use the Color HEX values."
Nice FREE interactive ONLINE chart that you click a color and a window loads with that color as a background and text is shown in all other available colors. Makes choosing coordinating colors easy!
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Need help putting complimentary colors together? Can't seem to choose colors that go well together? PIXY is the BEST site to help!
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FREE ONLINE color tools that are extremely helpful and terrific printed materials (charts, html help)
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FREE ONLINE color picker shows Hex codes, names, rgb codes, web safe
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web design-editor
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Don't use NotePad to edit your scripts you want to put into your website. Instead, use an HTML editor. One of the most versatile is 1st Page 2000 is a professional HTML editing software. It's bundled with Javascripts and supports all the latest web languages. FREEWARE
Compare with: all have a free trial period so you can test the product
CuteHTML: US$19.95 by Globalscape Pro version: US $29.95
HandyHTML: 2 ver: US$34.95 & $44.95 (includes mapper & other tools)
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FREE online Website Tools and Services. Use these free tools to improve your Website and online marketing efforts.
Website Doctor - check for broken links - no need to login for this.
Hitbox submit - submit to many search engines at one time
Visitor Polls on your site.
Other tools. (recommended on the CSB forum-I have not personally used)
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"MUST HAVE TOOLS!!"
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"Your resource for things that aren't anywhere else"
Some of the best tools I have ever come across. FREEWARE
Web Tool - Ever wonder how the tables are done? Use this to see them and more!
Screen Caliper - Measure the size of something on screen.
Color Pic - Like a color? Want to use it too? Use this tool to see the color codes
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Several tools that may or may not come in handy FREEWARE
Handy Tools for Webdesigner Power Pack comes with:
Handy File Find and Replace
Handy ImageMapper
Gif Color Mapper
Color Spy (less sophisticated than Iconico's Color Picker)
Gradientex (make your text change color for a headline)
Each of these can also be downloaded separately FREEWARE
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"MUST READ THIS!"
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Great information on how to get your site listed on search engines written by Total Choice Hosting for best SEO FREE valuable advice!
EXCELLENT resource!! By the way, the first advice states not to use frames! But if you do, make sure you use <noframes> </noframes> tags. CSB puts them in for you, that's why CSB built sites do well in the search engine lists, even if they are built with frames! CSB rules!
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other special web software
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This script has an excellent reputation for easy of use, forum assistance and safety in processing your PHP website forms. Hides your email address, can upload files and so much more and not allow spammers access to the script.
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"Wink is a Tutorial and Presentation creation software, primarily aimed at creating tutorials on how to use software (like a tutor for MS-Word/Excel etc). Using Wink you can capture screenshots of your software, use images that you already have, type-in explanations for each step, create a navigation sequence complete with buttons, delays, titles etc and create a highly effective tutorial for your users." FREEWARE by Satish Kumar
I have used this wonderful gem to create some of the flash tutorials available for viewing on this site and highly recommend it! Output can be in Flash, PDF or HTML format. Examples: Adjust tables Publish Settings
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"AceFTP 3 Freeware is the easiest Free software available for transferring files over the Internet. Its cool, uncluttered drag 'n' drop interface designed in a Windows XP fashion, lets you transfer files quickly and efficiently, and navigate with ease between folders, and both website and computer." FREEWARE by Visicom Media
Compare with:
CoreFTP Lite FREEWARE that even lets you change file permissions!
WSFTP US$39.95 - US$45.00 by Ipswitch
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Make Flash movies without the huge price tag!
"SWiSHzone.com is the home of easy-to-use and affordable Flash™ animation tools...SWiSH is the world's most popular Flash tool outside of Flash itself." Different versions have different prices.
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"Create a web menu bar or dhtml menu for your web sites"
This program works well across browsers, with or without frames in CSB and Trellix! Lite and Pro editions. Making many sites? Get PRO. 3 Samples here, including Cross frames (menu in border, drop down in body)
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"Create professional, high-quality NavBars & DHTML menus at the click of a button. Xara Menu Maker takes the mystery out of dynamic hierarchical menus and lets literally anyone create cool and clever DHTML menus with classic graphical NavBars." Samples by Richard one two
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"So you want to display a HTML file when people put your CD in.."
This FREE Shellexe.exe program from WhirlyWiryWeb allows you to place your HTML pages onto a CD, put the disk into the drive and have it automatically load! So Easy to use! I've used this sucessfully!
Autorun - used and recommended by KW
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Selling something that will be downloaded after purchase? Consider this program. " Linklok URL allows you to place links to download files on your website while securely hiding the true location of the files." $29.95 This program is highly recommended by CSB user, Vicki Harrelson, the webmaster of Needle Me That (crochet patterns). Read her comments.
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"This Windows crossword maker program has everything you need to create great educational, professional, and web crossword puzzles." Elegant, easy interface. Limited version is FREE, and is usable on the web. Buy to unlock additional features. I here's one I made for Lambert
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script sites
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(these sites do not require membership to use scripts/tutorials!)
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"GREAT SCRIPTS"
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the #1 place on the net to obtain free, original DHTML scripts and components to enhance your web site! FREE
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Part of cdnet site, this area has scripts, stupid webtricks and html/javascritp instructions that are easy to use! FREE
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DHTML, HTML, Javascript, etc. scripts, forums, etc. FREE
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" the web developers resource" FREE
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"EchoEcho.Com is your one stop free help site for all things web related... +1000 pages FREE
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"GREAT RESOURCE"
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"Inside W3Schools you will find a large number of free Web-building tutorials, from basic HTML and XHTML tutorials to advanced XML, XSL and WAP tutorials."
Also Certification programs: "...documented knowledge is often the key factor when hiring new personnel. Your certificate might advance your career or help you to start a new one." FREE
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Tutorials, Primers, code explanation, a GREAT starting place for beginners! Need simple instruction with no "geek speak"? This site is for you. FREE great resource even for experience users.
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This page leads you to soooo many code generators. It will save you TONS of time coding special features. You choose color, size, etc, it creates the code for you. Simple Clean Easy. FREE
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A simple iframe message board for your website. I love it! $10/yr
Tag-board FREE with ads, $20/yr to remove them (on KW's website)
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"I've used a free download counter site along with creating a custom form which ends up having a user fill out a form, sends me an email, allows them to download the requested file, and displays a counter of how many times that file has been downloaded! " - KW on discussion board KW's tutorial
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How to limit Spam from your posted email address
Spambots Another site with good information about Spam!
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clip art
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Clip Art. Fonts. Icons. Animated gifs. Buttons. Bullets. Bars. FREE-no commercial restriction that I found! Makers of the MyImager editor.
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"Over 10,000 free clip art images in over 300 categories..." No commercial restriction that I found!
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pc maintenance
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BACKUP your tlx file. If it is lost or corrupted, you will have to REBUILD your site. Visit KW's site for a backup program that can make up to 999 backup copies of your site file, or other important files! BLAUNCH was built by another Trellix user and is FREE.
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"...is a community committed to offering free computer help and tutorials, in a way that everyone can understand, not 'geek-speak'". Great FREE help for problems with your PC!
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Nationally syndicated radio program all about computers, for non-geeks. Has terrific Daily Tips, programs and site suggestions.
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Ever need to know what those items are in the Task List when you press Ctrl Alt Del? This site is terrific for defining which program and if its safe to END TASK. FREE
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Though useful in building websites, this software is far more versatile.
"KeyText 2000 automates much more than typing. Your texts can become like macro scripts by including fields to fill in the date, run programs, click buttons, change windows, select menu items, play a sound, display a message, visit Internet sites and more." - KeyText site
"I bought a keyboard macro program called KeyText, which
is SUPER helpful when creating web sites involving, for example, lots of use of tables. I've set it up to get to the common table commands with one keypress. Also to automatically insert a table with my own specified number of rows & columns, column widths, etc." - Lou from the discussion board
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Adware - Scumware
information
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Why be concerned? This type of program:
 robs you of internet connection speed and time; works behind the scenes to provide your private information to a remote server;
often compromises your computer (and network) security;
and interfers with viewing websites by adding new links or text or ads that were never written into the pages by the webmaster or;
makes browsing the internet for business or pleasure a frustrating chore;
often overlay site information with someone else's ad;
redirecting your browser away from the site you wanted to see and carry you to sites you never wanted to visit!
Yes, this stuff is sneaky. Usually it enters your system while you are installing some piece of software that you have downloaded. Most often it can be uninstalled or disabled using software like Spybotsd (FREE). Read more about what to do about scumware/foistware/adware problem here:
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Trend Micro's FREE online virus scanner.
After a scan, it tells you what the virus is AND more importantly, how to get rid of it!!!
Anti-virus programs must be maintained. You must receive definition updates from your anitvirus company on a regular basis, or you are not protected! (Definitions are written AFTER a new virus/bug/trojan is discovered.)
Even if you are protected, you still may have a resident virus that got past detection (before the definition was written). Visit this site and have a full system scan performed free of charge. No data is taken from your computer and other than the plugin to your IE browser, nothing is installed. No information about you or your files is taken by Trend.
We switched to Trend for our corporate antivirus program because the online Housecall scan was finally able to track down a couple viruses that were causing systems problems, but couldn't be found by another very well known product.
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quilting
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This is the highest standard for computerized quilt design. It is also a fun graphic program that allows you to use fabrics as your textures. (It's not freeware but I had to include it!) They have several other programs, and the fabric/textures are all readable into the design program.
Sew Precise
Block Base
Stash
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