Downloads -- Where are they hidden?

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RiJoRi
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Downloads -- Where are they hidden?

Post by RiJoRi »

I am at my wits' end! Many articles in N&V say to visit the website to download code, yet I can not find any way to access said code! Is there a Deep Dark Secret Handshake that is needed? In fact, I can't see any way to contact the owners of the website: any contact button or tab leads me to a subscription page or something -- anything -- other than an e-mail form.

Truly, there should be BIG TABS for such things.

Frustratedly,
--Rich
Bigglez
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Re: Downloads -- Where are they hidden?

Post by Bigglez »

RiJoRi wrote:I am at my wits' end! Many articles in N&V say to visit the website to download code, yet I can not find any way to access said code!
The article related downloads are confusing, and I know the publisher
has been tweaking the website recently.

Firstly, as a reader you should have access to the article downloads
without being a subscriber. Navigating to the right spot is a bit
tedious with the current website.

Secondly, as a subscriber you should have access to the electronic
version of the magazine and also the free downloads (where they
exist for a given article).

Finally, the customer service folks are there to help the subscribers,
and may not have been trained on how to navigate to the free stuff.

I just tried it out for myself, I am a subscriber, but I think
I stayed in the free zone. The target file is zipped, so the
best method is to download it to your directory and then extract
all the files.

For the Touch Of Spice part one:
(1) Navigate to the magazine's home page: http://www.nutsvolts.com/
(2) Under the Magazine tab, select 'back Issues'
(3) Under the "show issues for (year)" tab select '2008'
(4) Click on the image of the desired issue (December 2008)
(5) Scroll down to the article brief
(6) Select the title (A Touch Of Spice part 1)
(7) Under downloads look for the file, and select the icon
(8) Save this file to your desired sub-dir (folder) or desktop
(9) Extract the files!
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Michael Kaudze
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Post by Michael Kaudze »

Here's a quick way to get from one issue to another, just modify the URL:

January 2009 issue:
http://www.nutsvolts.com/index.php?/mag ... ue/2009/01

December 2008 issue:
http://www.nutsvolts.com/index.php?/mag ... ue/2008/12

November 2008 issue:
http://www.nutsvolts.com/index.php?/mag ... ue/2008/11
RiJoRi
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Post by RiJoRi »

Thanks to the both of you!

I suppose most people would not think of looking under "Back Issues" for the current issue, nor "4) Click on the image of the desired issue "

A-mazing!

THanks again,

--Rich
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Michael Kaudze
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Post by Michael Kaudze »

Well if your looking for the "Current" issue, you can always find it on the home page in our Nuts & Volts banner.
Bigglez
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Post by Bigglez »

I get a lot of email from readers asking for help in finding
file downloads for articles.
Michael Kaudze wrote:Well if your looking for the "Current" issue, you can always find it on the home page in our Nuts & Volts banner.
That brings one to here, and nothing says "Free Stuff" or "Downloads"
Image

With luck one may mouse around and find the banner
graphic is a link (many of us ignore banners as that's
where malware lives...). Anyway, nothing says
"Free Stuff" or "Downloads", just this:
Image

I don't "drink the Apple computer Koolaid" but I own an
iPod. Even I can find iTunes with just two clicks on my PC!
Hint: (1) www.apple.com, then (2) iPod + iTunes tab to get
this page:
Image
Bigglez
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Post by Bigglez »

Michael Kaudze wrote:If you like you can forward the emails to the Nuts & Volts staff, and we can address the readers questions accordingly.

As for the navigation, it's pretty simple if you think about it. If an article mentions a download, checking the article details on the website should be relatively easy to figure out. So far we have had less than a handful of people get confused with our new database. Since it is new, you can expect things to be different and confusing but after using it, you should get the hang of it.

As soon as we have the search function running and a new downloads page assembled, users shouldn't have problems locating anything on our website.
We obviously have different views on this topic. The
maximum number of confused or disgruntled visitors
to the web site should be zero, not "a handful:

Put a big red button (with appropriate links) that says
"Download" or "Free Stuff" on the publisher's
index page and this problem will go away!

I have been copying both Robin and Michael (both at
nutsvolts.com) but no feedback yet. Are they the right
folks for this issue?
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Michael Kaudze
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Post by Michael Kaudze »

Hi Bigglez,

As I stated before...
As soon as we have the search function running and a new downloads page assembled, users shouldn't have problems locating anything on our website.
Our Database is still VERY new and unfinished. Please be patient with us while we work out the kinks. Thanks to Everyone for doing so.

If anyone else has any questions please let me know.

Thanks Again.
Michael Kaudze.
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