All Bookmark Base administrative mailings are kept in MS Outlook 2007. And I’m getting about 400 spam letters a day. Third part of them I wipe out manually because Outlook filter bypass them.
While looking for any kind of good spam filter I tried a lot: spambuster, spamprotexx, spamfighter… some of them crashed my Outlook, other ones just do not work at all.
Currently I’m testing new filter called Despamious. It integrates in Outlook as a toolbar and for now (I’m using it for two days) works nice, except being a little bit too aggresive (there were a few false positives).
We are developing software for more than five years. And for sure, we’ve seen as software masterpieces so tons of software crap.
There are even tools which do not do what they claim! Some companies even sell them. But nevertheless, there are some features which any quality software should contain:
- Splash screen on launch. This is not an obligatory feature, but it gives an impression of professionalism (when it’s beautiful) and allows you to perform some resource-intensive operations in background.
- Clear install and uninstall routine. At least user should be able to remove software using “Add/Remove programs” in Control panel. Also, good uninstaller should notify user if he’s going to lose some data (documents and configuration files).
- Clean uninstalling. If user uninstalls software - no traces and scraps should be left.
- Uninstall feedback. Less aimed to user but very handy for developers and marketing analysts. Even if 1 from 10 people will write you helpful feedback - it will give you some food for thought.
- Help, FAQ and tutorials. Any application needs at least online help. But a good app should have a short FAQ (top ten questions), extensive help on all features and GUI and video tutorials (ideally Flash-based, made with screen recorders like Wink or Camtasia).
- Use of default system fonts and Unicode. This will simplify software localization and will help visually impaired people to work with your software (high-contrast and big fonts schemes in Windows).
- Keyboard hotkeys. Hardcore professional users usually like to perform as much operations as possible using keyboard only so making a tool without hotkeys is not an option.
- Accept command-line parameters. Even more hardcore feature comparing to hotkeys. But there is a small amount of “oldskool” professional users who like command line. Be nice with them.
- Automatic online updates. People are lazy and already pampered with “Windows Update” so if you are not going to make some quick cash on one application version (don’t you?!) - it’s better to implement online updates as soon as possible. This will save your support troops a lot of time.
- Automatic saving (autosave). Again, this tip is not applicable for any tool, for data-related only. Try to implement background saving to temporary file which can be reopened on next launch in case of failure. Steal the workaround from MS Office apps, it’s great there.
- Minimize to tray. If your tool is not one-shot (like file restoring) - this is the obligatory feature. Users love minimizing to tray, they even compete in tray size (”I have 21 icon! Woohooo!”).
- Reconfigurable GUI. Hard to make, easy to love. This is your personalization present to users. If they will be able to set that toolbar a bit lower, make that tree wider and… - they will not start using your rival’s product because they will be forced to learn something new (if we imagine that rival has some “fixed” GUI).
- Autorun. Load on startup. Run with Windows. Call the way you like but use it. Accustom to your application and you will grow up an army of your loyal users.
- Fast user switching support. Times of personal computer ended. Das Ende. Your wife is working on her text under “Wife” account while someone wrote you a message to “Husband” account via MSN Messenger. You switch the account and Ka-boom! Some nice tool which helps you to insert cool smileys anywhere you want successfully finished its operations. Isn’t it nice?
- Multi-monitor configuration support. Developers usually disregard such users while such configurations are widely spread among professionals (coding, design, monitoring). So, the more professional your software is - the higher risk you’ll encounter some multi-monitor configuration bugs.
Improve your software and watch how dozens of customers will tell you Thanks!
Thanks to our vigilant users we’ve catched a nasty bug in our link checker. Now link checker became faster and much more reliable.
Oh, almost forgot: now we’ve got a beautiful splash screen entertaining you on loading and closing Bookmark Base 2.0.0.6 
Stay tuned.
We have successfully released Bookmark Base v.2.0.0.2. It can be downloaded on Bookmark Base download page.
Bookmark Base now can work with XBEL files, Mozilla Seamonkey browser and K-meleon browser.
RegNow is now our registration service provider.
Cool thing!
