Who needs M-C-M Simple?
Anyone who wants to get
the message across on his or her Website in a compact, attractive, attention
getting, efficient - and simple to use - way. M-C-M Simple products are
specially designed for Thin PCs and NCs, but they are appropriate for "Regular" PCs as well.
How can I try out
one of the Simple family software products?
To sign up for a fully-working
(but time limited) trial copy of M-C-M Simpson or to download M-C-M Lite (our freeware product), visit http://www.mcmtech.com/getit.html
To have fun trying to post a message of your own (without purchasing
or downloading a trial copy), visit: http://www.mcmtech.com/play/s/upsrd.html
, http://www.mcmtech.com/play/s_p/fe-or-west.html or (for M-C-M Lite)
http://www.mcmtech.com/play/lite/upltrd.html
How can I purchase one
of your Simple software products?
Good Question! Just visit
one of our Resellers' On-Line Stores (for a full list visit http://www.mcmtech.com/wheretobuy.html).
JUST DO IT!
Where can I see a price list for your M-C-M products?
Just visit http://www.mcmtech.com/order/srpup.html).
Do you offer any discounts for high volume purchases?
Sure. Please send us an e-mail with your name, product name(s), and quantity and we'll send you a competitive quote!
What is M-C-M Technology?
M-C-M is a new technology
that allows for immediate, on-line posting and editing of texts, data,
and images on Web sites in the form of attention getting, attractive headline messages. Adding one of SNG's four M-C-M Products (including M-C-M Air and the M-C-M Simple family - M-C-M Simpson, Simpson Plus and Simpleton) to an intranet or Internet site allows any authorized user to regularly update and modify the site, providing new information without HTML programming knowledge.
Can we use the Simple
Family software on our intranet?
Of course. Using one of
our Simple software, you can post up to 22 messages for office/company
staff from any office (or home) computer. The best part is that posting
and updating messages is easy and user-friendly - any authorized company
employee can learn to post messages and have fun doing it. Use our Simple
software to post and update messages for your colleagues - your messages
will appear on their screens immediately without their reloading the URL! Click here to see an example.
How does M-C-M Simpson
differ from Simpson Plus and Simpleton?
Well...in short: Simpson
is the basic - he allows you to create 22 messages with sub-headers and
headers and to easily input headlines using a simple form. Not only can
up update messages with Simpson, but you can also customize frame colors,
cycles, URL links, etc. Simpson Plus includes Web graphic support and allows you complete control over foreground and background colors, outline "flame", headline intervals, sizes of headers and subheaders, Web Graphics, 3D Frame, etc. (again, using a simple form), plus up to 15 messages. Simpleton is designed for low budget customers - it's a "lite" version of M-C-M Simpson that costs only $39 SRP ($34 "street") and doesn't require cgi capability. For more details, please visit: http://www.mcmtech.com/compare.html
What is M-C-M Lite?
M-C-M Lite is our freeware product. It has only four rotating messages and very basic "customizing" features. Download it for free! If you like it, purchase one of the more sophisticated M-C-M models...
What are sub-headers
and headers?
On M-C-M Simpson, for example, you can type a single word or several word header to announce your message and grab your audience's attention. Then you can add a longer sentence to get your message across. For example, TODAY
(Header) Is Tuesday and
it's cold outside (sub-header).
How come you only offer
13 colors? Why don't you offer more font types?
If we were to do so the
software would no longer be cross-platform and multi-lingual. This would
mean that many people visiting your site would not be able to read the
messages you post. To see the list of colors available, visit: http://www.mcmtech.com/colors.html
I received the fully-operational evaluation software and want to convert it to an unlimited version.
That's great! Just go to
the store from which you downloaded the software and you will receive instructions on how to purchase more licenses. You can also make your purchase by visiting http://www.mcmtech.com/wheretobuy.html.
Finally, if you are an ISP, e-mail us to discuss special arrangements.
What do you mean by 'updatable'
headers?
By updatable, we mean that
users don't need to go to their Web pages and start doing HTML editing
and uploading (and all that mess) every time they want to update a new
messages/headline. All they have to do is to connect to the WWW (aren't
we all there all the time anyhow..) and input the new messages into a simple
cgi form, click "Update It" and viola! That's it - fast, simple updating.
It's much easier this way... To see an example, visit http://www.mcmtech.com/play/s/upsrd.html
or: http://www.mcmtech.com/play/s_p/fe-or-west.html.
Note: With Simpleton, the procedure is a little bit different (but still
simple). You simply type your messages on your computer and upload the
file to your server... You can choose this "FTP Updating" mode for Simpson and Simpson Plus if you prefer as well. (To see how it works, visit the Simpleton "tour" at http://www.mcmtech.com/simpleton/snscrn1.html)
What is the difference
between M-C-M Simple and Java-based tickers?
It's a totally different
concept. "Tickers" constantly run the same messages and most of their features are created with permanent "parameters." With M-C-M Simple the messages and all of the information to customize your header is flexible and updatable using the Update It! form and the M-C-M Wizard.
Is M-C-M some sort of
service that you're offering to update messages?
Not at all. M-C-M Simple
is a line of software products and not a service.
What does "PathToInFile"
in "upsprd.html" mean? [the default value is listed as: "/usr/people/lily/htdocs/8/g/mcmsimpson/"]
The "PathToInFile" value is the location of your In-File. Typing in this path indicates that the software should check that location (directory-path) for your In-File (i.e. upsin.mcm). Typing in this value helps the Perl interact with (i.e. read-from and then write-to) the In-File. This path is also sometimes called either the "absolute path" or the "relative path" to the particular directory in which the In-file is stored (The absolute path lists all the directories and subdirectories you need to go through to find the file - as in the example above. The relative path only lists the the last directory - e.g. .../mcmsimpson/). You can list the "PathToInFile" in either format. Your server-maintainer (i.e. webmaster) should be able to tell you what this path is, as he/she sets these parameters.
My webmaster told me that I can't use *.pl files, but that I can only use *.cgi files. Now what?
In this case, go to http://www.mcmtech.com/download/s_p/SPCgi.zip and for Mac users:
http://www.mcmtech.com/download/s_p/SPCgi.hqx and d/l
Will the Simple family
affect the traffic on my site?
Yes, it will definitely
bring more hits... One thing to note: Simple software has been developed
to allow you to control how often the software checks your server to see
if you have posted new messages. The second line of the header tag asks
you after how many cycles you want the messages to be updated. If you choose
"1", the software will re-download your headlines after each cycle,
i.e. every time the header runs-through all of your headlines. If you choose
"1", you may notice that this increases the bytes of traffic on
your site. If you would like to limit the traffic, and/or if you only plan
to update your headlines once or even several times a day, you can set
Simple to check for updates after 5, or 100, or 1,000 (or whatever) cycles.
How can I change the
rate at which Simple reads new data/checks for updated headlines?
Easy. There's a param-tag
in Simple which you can edit. Just change the "CyclesTillRead"
value on the updating form (you can do this using the M-C-M Wizard on SNG's site). A cycle means your software runs through all
of the messages/headlines you have entered. Each headline is shown for
5 seconds, so that if you have 22 messages and you set the "CyclesTillRead"
for 5, your software will check your server approximately every ten minutes
(5 seconds * 22 messages = 120 seconds (2 min.); 2 min. * 5 = 10 minutes).
That means if a user is plugged into your site for around ten minutes,
your software will contact your server to see if there have been any updates
and, if there have, will automatically update the messages on the user's
screen.
Does M-C-M Simple support
Java?
Of course. Our Simple software
is written in Java! That's why it m-o-v-e-s...
Will the applets in M-C-M
Simple secretly send out e-mail, jeopardize my site's security, install
viruses on my customer's computers, or connect back to your server and
collect data on the people that visit my site?
No, of course not! Those
are the kind of rumors that are usually spread by Sun's (the creator of
Java programming language and Java applets) competitors... Don't believe
the hype! You should also know that Java applets have security measures built in, such as the fact that they only interact with the server from which they are downloaded (i.e. your server).
How can I find out about
updates, patches, and new versions of the Simple software?
We are working constantly
to improve The Simple Family. SNG has designed a special page on our Web
site for this purpose. All updates and new product releases are located
at: http://www.mcmtech.com/getit.html
(you can find a lot of free stuff there too!)
Does SNG have an upgrade
policy?
Of course. Currently, all
customers receive free upgrades for 6 months after purchase.
How do I purchase an upgraded version if my free six month period has passed?
All of our products are upgraded on a regular basis. Currently, all upgrades are done directly with SNG. To purchase an upgrade for the M-C-M products, please visit:http://www.sngchicago.com/dlstore/
Is M-C-M Simple designed
to work with Windows 95?
Yes, it can work with OS/2,
Windows 3.x/95/NT/CE, MacIntosh, UNIX, etc. In addition, Simple
is designed to work directly with the files on your Web site, using any
Web browser you choose (Netscape, Explorer, HotJava, etc.).
Is M-C-M Simple a real
software, or only an applet?
It is a full software product
including cgi forms, .mcm files, etc. Applets include only .class files
to be entered into any Web page and interact with your Web server. M-C-M
Simple creates a whole environment, including perl-scripts, text files,
.mcm files, etc.
What is the difference
between JavaScript and Java?
Java is an object-oriented
language with classes and inheritance. To create software in the Java language,
you write a Java program and compile it into a file of Java bytecodes.
There are two types of software that can be written in Java.
a) applications, which
are like regular software and include environment, etc.
b) applets, which are,
in effect, tiny applications that handle all of their environment themselves.
Applets can be easily used within HTML files, as they are totally independent.
Applications need the 'environment' around them (i.e. user-interface, etc.).
In an HTML file, you include
reference to an applet, and when a Java-enabled browser encounters the
applet, the browser downloads the applet and runs it. M-C-M Simple software
includes Java applets, among other things...
What's the difference
between M-C-M Simple and common JavaScript?
There are several major
differences:
a) To write with JavaScript,
you have to have expertise writing programming; with M-C-M you don't. JavaScript
looks like this:
<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE> Writing text on a document</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT"> <!-- Hiding the code document.write("Welcome to Chicago Web Site at
http://www.mcmtech.com !"); // done hiding --> </SCRIPT> </BODY> </HTML>b) A headline created with M-C-M Simple can include subheaders, styling, color choice, alignment, etc. Creating such attractive features (and updating headlines) would be a complicated process using JavaScript and the average user would have no idea how to do this. M-C-M Simple makes creating and updating attractive headers and messages a simple task for anybody.
How much space will M-C-M
Simple take on my server?
On average it will not
take more than 40kb. (0.040MB)
Why is M-C-M Simple software
so 'light' - i.e. why does it contain so few files?
Actually, you can thank
Sun, Inc. for that... They're the ones who invented the Java programming
language, which is a great environment for developing new applications
that are cool, platform independent, and light weight. Why develop a program that takes up half of your computer's hard drive if we can supply it all to you in 40 K? (In addition, you should know that our software was originally designed for NC and Thin Client machines - that's why it doesn't have any .exe or .dll files - but it's been adapted so it works on all computers.
Is M-C-M Simple Software
a 16 bit or 32 bit software?
It is a cross-platform
software. This means that it will run on ANY platform that has Java capabilities...
Can you tell me how your
license agreement works?
When you purchase a single
license for one of our Simple software you will be able to place the M-C-M
Simple header on your Website domain in as many places as you like. There
are two limitations to the license:
1) Your license is valid
for a single Website domain.
2) You cannot upload our
Simple software to more than one directory on your site. Doing so will
significantly slow your site's operation.
Can I make multiple copies
of M-C-M Simple?
Yes and No. When you buy
a license for Simple family software, you are entitled to make as many
copies as you want and place it on as many places on your Web site as you
want. However, you can only place one set of headlines on your Simple software.
That is, you can copy the same header several times, but the messages will
be the same on each copy. If you want to be able to post more than one
series of messages at a time, you will need to purchase more Simples or
to purchase one of our Multiple License versions (Five License version
or Unlimited License version).
What is an Unlimited
License and what's the difference between it and a Single License version?
An Unlimited License version
of one of our Simple software provides you with as many copies of the software
as you like so that you can create as many series of messages as you like
for your Web site (the purchase applies to a single domain). With a Single
License, you are entitled to make as many copies of the software as you
want, but you can only place one set of headlines on your Simple software.
That is, you can copy the same header several times, but the messages will
be the same on each copy. With an Unlimited License, each Simple header
on your Web site can have its own unique series of messages. A Five License
version gives you five Simple headers to place on your site.