Q: Why would I want to use SoftSite v1.0?
A: If you already own an established business, organization, religious, institutional, governmental, content-oriented, or any other type of site, SoftSite v1.0 can significantly increase traffic, revenue and visitor loyalty. Because of the popularity and usefulness of software directories, the sheer number of unique binominal and trinominal meta tags carefully placed into each html page of SoftSite v1.0 and by just the sheer number of pages themselves (564), SoftSite v1.0 is extremely search engine friendly!. Everyone wants, needs or uses software in their day-to-day lives. Like food, it will always be around and people will use it. SoftSite can also boost revenue and pay for itself through advertising and top placement for paid software listings once propagated with content. SoftSite v1.0 contains 9 major categories and 543 sub-categories including hardware drivers, sound files and images. Additionally, SoftSite v1.0 is user-friendly, interactive and community-oriented allowing visitors to write their own reviews, rate programs, contribute to the weekly newsletter, participate in polls and more. Even if you don't already own a site, you can still use and benefit from SoftSite v1.0.

Q: How big is SoftSite v1.0?
A: Softsite v1.0 is 2.2M and provided in a .zip format. You will need an unzipping utility in order to extract the contents of this file.

Q: Is SoftSite v1.0 easy to set up?
A: Yes. Of course you will want to customize the HTML pages in the script to suit your own preferences and change the paths in the cgi files (including the search engine form on each HTML page) so that they point to your cgi-bin folder. Once you have the script configured and installed, it's simply a matter of adding software listings to your new directory, processing submissions, publishing newsletters, routine maintenance, etc. To automate the process of adding cgi paths to each page we suggest using Advanced Find & Replace or HTML Search & Replace. All other changes can be made via the included CSS file (customize to your heart's content!). We have a tutorial on configuring any of the scripts here.

Q: How are the forms in SoftSite v1.0 handled?
A: All of the forms in SoftSite v1.0 require FormMail v1.6 or later to run (with the exception of the built-in search engine). FormMail consists of a single script, few parameters to configure and is very easy to set up. Most hosts already have FormMail or another form-processing script pre-installed. Any of them will work.

Q: Do I need to create a "thank you" page for the form submissions?
A: No. One is already included with the script and may be viewed here.

Q: Can SoftSite v1.0 handle PAD files?
A: The PAD file system permits software authors to submit information about their programs in a single "pre-packaged" XML file rather than having to fill out submission forms manually. SoftSite v1.0 supports PAD files submitted via the submission form however, the information from these PAD files will need to be entered manually. Authors can download tools to create PAD files by going to asp-shareware.org.

Q: I want to use SoftSite v1.0 to set up a Windows/Linux/Mac software site
A: SoftSite v1.0 is not only versatile but completely generic as well. You can set up any type of software-oriented site you wish and are not limited to software for a specific operating system. This improved version of SoftSite v1.0 includes support for a much larger number of platforms and licenses than the previous one.

Q: The color-picker in the banner manager does'nt work
A: The color-picker in the banner manager (admin page) uses a small pop-up window. If you have a popup-stopper installed on your computer, it is recommended that you temporarily disable it in order to use the color-picker.

Q: What do I CHMOD the files in SoftSite v1.0 to?
A: When you receive the licensed version of SoftSite v1.0, you will notice a second folder in the main folder called "cgi-bin". After configuring these cgi files, you will need to upload them to the cgi-bin on your server and then CHMOD them to 755. You do not need to CHMOD any of the HTML files (in the main folder).

Q: Can I customize SoftSite v1.0?
A: Of course. SoftSite v1.0 is completely customizable using any standard text editor. In fact, we have a large list of editors available from our tools page. Please let us know if you need help!.

Q: How do I add software submitted to me?
A: The results from software submissions come neatly formatted and arrive at the email address you specify in the script when you configure it. You will notice in the online demo of the actual database that each software listing is situated within a 4-part table and that there are 5 of these per page. This page is called a 'template' and is what you will use to create additional pages once the first one has been filled to it's limit of 5 software listings.

Q: Can I password-protect certain areas of the script?
A: Sure. If you plan to use SoftSite v1.0 to set up a 'members only' site or you wish to restrict access to certain areas of the script, simply create a folder under which the SoftSite v1.0 script is located (ie; "members"), upload the page (or pages) you wish to restrict access to into this folder and then use a simple .htaccess file to password-protect this folder. You can then point any link contained within the SoftSite v1.0 script to this protected folder. You can configure the .htaccess file so that there is a single user name and password for all members -or- a separate user name and password for each member. Generally, your host will have a control panel that will permit you to do this in just a few seconds.

Q: Can I install SoftSite v1.0 on multiple domains/sites?
A: Bulk licenses (including discounts) are available. Please tell us how many domains/sites you wish to install SoftSite v1.0 on and we will send you a quote.

Q: Will SoftSite v1.0 work on my sub-domain?
A: SoftSite v1.0 should work on any type of domain/server as long as you have cgi-bin access, perl 5 or higher and meet the minimum system requirements. Please check with your provider before purchasing this script to make sure you meet these requirements.

Q: Is it possible for me to download a trial version of SoftSite v1.0?
A: Because SoftSite  v1.0 is a product containing source code rather than a compiled application, there is really no feasible way of creating a downloadable "trial" version. However, our online demonstration should provide a pretty good idea of the product's capabilities, layout, features, etc. Of course, if you still have any questions about the product, please do let us know and we will do our best to answer them for you.

Q: What are the system requirements for SoftSite v1.0?
A: SoftSite v1.0 requires a UNIX/Linux server running Perl 5 or higher and a minimum of 3M of disk space (more space will of course be needed as new software titles are added, etc). You must also have your own cgi-bin directory and the ability to set your own permissions.

Q: Can I remove the "Powered by SoftSite v1.0" link at the bottom of each page?
A: One of the reasons we are able to offer SoftSite v1.0 at an affordable price is because of the referrals we receive via our small and unobtrusive "Powered by" link located at the very bottom of each page. However, if you really would rather not have it there, you may purchase a removal license for $50.00 by clicking on the secure payment button below...

Q: How soon will I receive SoftSite v1.0 after purchasing it?
A: Product delivery is now instant/automatic. After completing the transaction (via PayPal), you MUST click on the "Return To Merchant" button in order to access the download page and complete the download process.

Q: Are future upgrades free or do I have to pay extra for them?
A: If you are a licensed user who has previously purchased SoftSite v1.0, all upgrades are free.

Q: Are you planning to add any new features soon?
A: Yes. In the future we would like to automate more admin tasks such as dynamic software submissions, more admin tools, adding an image package, etc. If you can think of anything you'd like us to add, we'd welcome your suggestions. You can send them to us via our support form.

Q: Can I receive SoftSite v1.0 on a CD-ROM?
A:  We're sorry. SoftSite v1.0 is only available as an instant download.

Q: I'm a non-profit organization. Can I get a discount?
A: If you can send us evidence of your tax-free status you may qualify for a 20% discount (per our discretion).

Q: How much is SoftSite v1.0 and how do I order?
A: SoftSite v1.0 is now shipping for just $19.95 and can be purchased securely online using a major credit card or personal check. We also have a support form to aid us in assisting you with any questions or problems you may have.