Aug
20My comments about that software submission program
Tags : Software Posted in: Tech Talk
I’m not going to name the submissions software here, but its the one we’ve been talking about.
I bought it today as I finished my latest changes to my program.
I guess I should have installed the trial version and used it for a bit first, however I don’t regret to decision to buy it.
However I think the program is far from perfect.
I’ve seen several error messages and I’ve had to close the program.
Also theres one thing which is an obvious bug which should have been spotted in testing.
I’ve found that I still have to use padgen, the online validator and trial and error to get my pad file perfect. I had hoped the program would be a comprehensive solution, as it does create the pad file for you. But theres some simple things which is causing my pad file to be rejected. Now that I have tried submitting I find that several sites say that you have to wait 25 days before you can re-submit.
I still haven’t got my pad file perfect, but theres a couple of sites at the top of the list which allow me to re-submit and modify.
So overall I guess the program is OK.
If the pad file creation stuff was taken out it would be better.
That functionality seems quite lacking, if it creates a pad file it should be valid.
However, I’ll post more comments as I progress.
I guess the pad files for my old program, I was just lucky or the spec has changed and sites are less tolerant.
by JM
I think you can name the software, but anyway. It’s what I told you about in one of my comments … “If you open the software the first time, the UI is a little bit old style and cumbersome. … Think you have to try it first, before you decide what to buy.”
But if a submission fails, you don’t have to wait 25 days. That’s only a restriction for some archives - not for all.
Oh yeah some.
Can you recommend any other pad validation provisions?
I’ve tried
http://www.asp-shareware.org/pad/spec/validate.php
http://www.sharewarepromotions.com/help/pad.html
and
http://www.sharewarepromotions.com/pad_validation.asp
But some sites still say my pad file has problems.
Any thoughts?
Heres some other useful sites.
http://www.developer-resource.com/how-to-create-a-pad-file.htm
http://www.softwaresubmit.com/SoftwareSubmit/Articles/Create-PAD-file.htm
Can’t find anything else.
I think I might have some blank fields.
I was also hoping to avoid using an exe file in my pad file, I always found with my older programs that zip files were more popular and nowadays you don’t get the horrid xp warning messages. I do only use a zip file with kids mask factory and its always been ok. But I guess I have to include both these days.
It would be interesting to know how many submissions succeeded - I mean how many the program successfully submitted as opposed to skipped. The last program I tried managed just over 400 sites. I did the submissions about 3 weeks ago and I’m still getting acceptance emails.
My PAD file was rejected by about 20 (from memory) sites but I haven’t been too concerned with making corrections and resubmitting.
I include an EXE in the PAD file since some people don’t have a clue about ZIP.
On a positive note, I’ve made 2 sales to Australia of the SliQ MC program since I did the submissions and I think they came from people searching shareware archives.
Yeah it would be interesting, but since my bad file wasn’t very good and I blindly clicked submit and left my computer going, by the time I got back I had tonnes of failures, a lot of which say you have to wait 25 days before you resubmit.
So I’ve no idea what the stats will be.
“bad” file or “pad” file. Sounds like you’re pretty frustrated!
I’d just like to provide an update on my experience with the software.
Theres 738 available sites to submit to, but some are unavailable to me, due the being freeware / audio only etc.
After several attempts I’ve managed to only get submitted to 312 sites and I am currently listed on 80 sites, this is what the program says.
The rest of the sites I’ve had errors with, mostly from errors with communicating with the site, which is due to the program not understanding the site, I think.
Theres a submit results feature, privately, which I’ve used a lot.
The program web site says the site database is updated every day, from the amount of errors I have (if I’m understanding the results correctly) this doesn’t seem to be true.
Also, the program submits one site at a time and does search on that site, sometimes I get the same sort of error appearing, if I go away from my pc I got lots by the time I’ve come back.
I guess its my fault for not using the trial version.
However, I’m going to give the guy a chance to reply to my support email.
I’m also going to look at the program mike uses.
I’m not sure where I’ll end up with this program, but at the moment I feel relived that I can get a refund within the first 45 days.
Although I’m keeping my fingers crossed that support with have all the answers.
Support never got back to me
Well I got a refund on the software
RoboSoft seems much better, I think the only downside over features, is that I will have to type in user names and passwords for sites Ideaspad and Kids Mask Factory.
However, it didn’t submit to enough sites for the price aka not free and those errors which kept popping up, I’m sure they could have been hidden somehow.