Dan Cole

Vadym that is very interesting and could be quite helpful. I've tried a module like that, at one point, that was under development but it used some proprietary code that wasn't flexible enough to get the data from several of my competitors sites so I abandoned that idea. If the "price spider" its an available osC module I'd love to have a look at it. Dan

Just wondering what everyone is doing to make sure their product information, images, prices etc etc are kept current and up-to-date. Has anyone developed a systematic method of reviewing and keeping on top of their items, categories etc. For me it seems to be quite a hit and miss process. I usually spot something amiss, take a quick look and update an item or two and get back to what I was doing. With hundreds or thousands of products there must be a better way. What are you doing? Dan

For the life me I don't understand why everyone insists on things being added to the core. IMO, less is better...keep the core lean and mean. Modules can and should be used and developed for anything that is required. That gives us the best of both worlds. Why is it so difficult to get that idea across? Dan

I get boat loads of those calls. I usually answer them so I can have a bit of fun with whoever is on the other end but it can be annoying. Google Maps Marketing (so called) are responsible for most of the calls I receive. I often wonder why someone hasn't taken the Google approach to these calls....add a feature where you can mark them as spam and after getting a required number of votes...they can't make calls any more. I use Net talk on one of my phones and they actually let you know if a call is considered spam or not...if so, they hang up on it but unfortunately your phone still rings once of twice. I assume we'll see more of this sort of thing in the future. Dan

Per the instructions... Find these lines ( lines 74-76 in a standard osCommerce 2.3.4 ) .. /// // The HTML image wrapper function function tep_image($src, $alt = '', $width = '', $height = '', $parameters = '', $responsive = true, $bootstrap_css = '') { Replace with the following: //// // New HTML image wrapper function modified for KISS Image Thumbnailer by FWR Media function tep_image($src, $alt = '', $width = '', $height = '', $parameters = '', $responsive = true, $bootstrap_css = '') { // Include the Database installation file if executed for the first time. if ( !defined('KISSIT_SHARPEN_THUMBNAIL') ) require_once 'includes/modules/kiss_image_thumbnailer/db_install.php'; // If width and height are not numeric then we can't do anything with it // If original image width and height are less than KISSIT_MIN_IMAGE_SIZE, we do not need a thumb if ( is_file($src ) ) { $original_img_size = getimagesize($src); if ( !is_numeric ( $width ) || !is_numeric ( $height ) || $original_img_size[0] < KISSIT_MIN_IMAGE_SIZE || $original_img_size[1] < KISSIT_MIN_IMAGE_SIZE ) return tep_image_legacy( $src, $alt, $width, $height, $parameters, $responsive, $bootstrap_css ); } else { if ( !is_numeric ( $width ) || !is_numeric ( $height ) ) return tep_image_legacy( $src, $alt, $width, $height, $parameters, $responsive, $bootstrap_css ); }

@ce7It has been a long time since I installed this add-on but don't you need to add that function when you install it? Dan

Post in the Commercial forum Dave. Someone should come forward. Dan

I use to think that but if you're selling standard commodities, based on what I'm seeing, I think price now rules, if the service isn't too bad. I guess you could say that I subscribe to the "race the bottom" theory now. As that article points out traditional retail is in big trouble, for a number reasons including on-line sales, which I think will offer lots of opportunity for those who get it right...whatever right is. I was hoping this thread might generate some discussions around that. What can we do to take advantage of those opportunities and minimize of the impact from giants like Amazon. Dan

Post in the Commercial forum and I'm sure someone will come forward. Dan

There are probably several on here but @Jack_mcs is one host that I'm familiar with who can probably help you out or at least point you in the right direction. PM him directly if you're interested. Dan

Steve...won't the KISS thumbnail add-on that Rainer supports do that for you? Dan

Good eyes and suggestion. Dan

My guess....I think there was a field added to the database to store that information so if you're not using the database that was supplied with the 2.3.4.1 CE install you'll need to add that field to the database if it doesn't exist already. Dan

In addition are there things we can do to create a user experience that differentiates ourselves from market places like Amazon? While the on-line market is increasing, so is the competition. What can we do differently that will allow us to stand out? Do your customers really care about a pretty website, a better user experience etc or are they only concerned getting the lowest possible price. As a friend of mine always says....is this just a race to the bottom? Dan

A real interesting read. Death of Retail: Fact vs. Fiction While I wasn't surprised to see brick and mortar closings exceeding the new starts, I was surprised by the number of new starts in the dollar store type businesses. Removing those it becomes a really sad picture. What can we do to stand out and offer a different experience as more and more customers shop on-line? In particular, what are you doing or planning to do? For those with repeat customers, what can we do to keep them coming back? Dan