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Choosing Shopping Cart Software

In this article we’re reviewing open source PHP-based ecommerce solutions. PHP is chosen as there are many such ecommerce solutions available and they are cheap to customize. By using an open source solution you don’t have to reinvent the wheel and build everything from scratch and all these solutions can be customized to give your online store a unique look.

Statistics from odesk.com show that Magento has grown much faster than osCommerce during the past 2-3 years so it’s reasonable to assume that Magento is a more popular choice among those with no prior experience of ecommerce website development, while there is a group who is sticking to osCommerce, probably because they are used to the system. Statistics from Google shows that Magento overtook osCommerce in terms of search popularity in early 2009.

Magento

Magento is a modern ecommerce solution featuring with the following advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages:

Table-free, div-tag-based design which is easy to modify and search engine friendly Built on the model-view-controller (MVC) framework, Zend Framework, which provides clear separation between presentation layer and the logic (code) Supported by a company and not a non-profit organization. The company owning Magento is active in fixing bugs and supporting the shopping cart The system is neatly designed and looks very modern SEO friendly URLs from the get-go Advanced features such as abandoned shopping cart reporting, shipping estimator without logging in, set up of multiple stores from one admin login and more

Disadvantages:

Magento comes with a huge number of files and tables by default which takes time for a development team to learn. Customizations may therefore take more time. Magento is slower as its more complex Some estimates suggest that Magento has a 2-3 higher total cost of ownership which may not make it worth all the extra bells and whistles for smaller webshop owners

osCommerce

osCommerce has been around for a very long time (in internet context) which means there’s a lot of knowledgeable people around to support it.

Advantages:

A very well established community supporting the software Simple coding (no frameworks, which takes extra time to learn), even though the structure can be a bit of a mess, which makes it easy to jump in and edit even for less experienced PHP and MySQL developers The simple code base makes it run fast Requires just a simple virtual account when it comes to hosting There’s not so many features by default which may make it easier for small webshops to administer It has a huge number of contributions (add-ons) available thanks to its long history

Disadvantages:

Lack of features and sensible features installed by default which are required to run a big and serious ecommerce site Old type of coding structure (no MVC framework) making an osCommerce solution with lots of extra features difficult to manage

Uglier default design and table-dependent layout which is less search engine friendly.

Posted on: September 10th, 2011 Author: admin No Comments »
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15 Great Things to Do with Your Time in Retirement



I hear so many retirees say they are bored. This sentiment also takes the form of, “I don’t have enough to do to fill my time.” If you are bored or you find yourself with far too much spare time, you are not alone.

There are two main types of responses to boredom or lack of purposeful activity: depression or intentional effort to try new things. I always encourage people to try to come up with a combination of activities that are fun, good for you and good for others. As you know, I have a strong commitment to becoming involved in helping others. One of the reasons is that when we help others we are doing something that is good for them and good for us.

I suggest you try some things that are growth experiences for you, some things that are just plain fun, and some things that help others. You will want to give some thought to the ways you fill your time. It is important to choose things that are right for you.

To help you think about rewarding and enjoyable activities, here is a list of fifteen great things you might do with your time in retirement.

1. Volunteer to read to children at the local library.

2. Volunteer to read to someone at a local assisted living facility.

3. Sign up for a class that interests you.

4. Take a friend, go to the zoo, and spend an afternoon entertaining the animals.

5. Spend time with others who share your interest in a craft, game, sport or hobby.

6. Volunteer to help a non-profit organization.

7. Play with a child.

8. Join a fitness group.

9. Spend one afternoon each week at a museum or art gallery.

10. Tutor students.

11. Devote time regularly to appreciating and enjoying nature.

12. Help with deliveries for Meals on Wheels.

13. Get involved with a program or group connected with your religious organization.

14. Start your own small business.

15. Share your knowledge and talents by taking a part-time job

Hopefully, these ideas will start your thinking. You can probably think of hundreds of things you might enjoy. So why not do them? Call a friend – many things are more fun when shared with a friend – and set a time to do something new and different. The new activity will fill your time. More importantly, you might find that you like doing things that help others.
Posted on: June 30th, 2009 Author: admin No Comments »
Filed under: Retirement Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,