VSD replaced by...? - Page 2

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By the way, does it cost a lot to have someone convert my present site to Responsive? And would it still be as easy for me to edit and modify the content after that, as it is now?
Melissa Rhiannon
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Melissa, please email me at support@usconsumernet.org. I'll see what I can do to help.
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Email me at support@usconsumernet.org or call 865-687-7698.

Did you know that Web Form Builder can be used for both simple and complicated forms and that it's not limited to the default fonts and buttons? Take a look at a form we developed for WindowTinting.com.
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Good man Brian! Wow, what a forum! :cool:
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I fully understand Melissa's (and many others) concerns. The absolute biggest selling point for VSD has always been its ease of use. This products popularity is based on enabling complete novices the ability to create and manage their own websites. There are many other products on the market for folks that have coding skills. We all understand that websites are moving to the new responsive design, but I hope the CC staff understands that you will lose many of your key users if the new RSD is not as easy as VSD. We too are starting to work with RLM and it's not nearly as intuitive and may turn off many of the novice VSD users. I hear everyone saying its a learning curve that is "worth the effort", but you have to remember that most VSD users turned to this product because they lack the technical skills (and time) to use other products, as is true with many of our clients.

I understand that flexible website designs are more complex to create, but I also trust that the CC staff can design RSD in a way that gives folks the exact same WYSIWYG ease of use as VSD. Since CC has now officially announced that RSD will eventually replace VSD, we are all anxiously awaiting its release with the highest of hopes.

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Bill wrote:
I fully understand Melissa's (and many others) concerns. The absolute biggest selling point for VSD has always been its ease of use. This products popularity is based on enabling complete novices the ability to create and manage their own websites. There are many other products on the market for folks that have coding skills. We all understand that websites are moving to the new responsive design, but I hope the CC staff understands that you will lose many of your key users if the new RSD is not as easy as VSD. We too are starting to work with RLM and it's not nearly as intuitive and may turn off many of the novice VSD users. I hear everyone saying its a learning curve that is "worth the effort", but you have to remember that most VSD users turned to this product because they lack the technical skills (and time) to use other products, as is true with many of our clients.

I understand that flexible website designs are more complex to create, but I also trust that the CC staff can design RSD in a way that gives folks the exact same WYSIWYG ease of use as VSD. Since CC has now officially announced that RSD will eventually replace VSD, we are all anxiously awaiting its release with the highest of hopes.



Thanks Bill. Exactly. I get the impression that a lot of these products are for people who have spent years in web design schools, perhaps college programs, and that's fine, but I'm a small part time business owner, barely getting by in this economy, and I'm all I have. I don't have time for college or web design studies, at least not very time consuming ones, so I need something aimed at those like me, who cant afford much and needs to get it done.

Another aspect of this, is why people like us came to like CoffeeCup to begin with. It was precisely because we didn't have the $500 and years and money to go to college, to learn the big boys, like Dreamweaver.
Melissa Rhiannon
OS Windows 10
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Senior Advisor
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I previously used Dreamweaver and chose to migrate everything to RLM and HTML Editor because it allowed me to do all the things that I wanted to do so much more easily. To put the whole situation in perspective, keep in mind that the need for having a responsive web site is not because of CC. Technology has made it a necessity, and I seriously doubt you will find products that make it easier than CC's unless you are going with a cookie-cutter service that allows for very little creativity.

The concern you may have is the ease of use. The learning curve will not be nearly as much about how to use the software as it will be about learning to think of your web site responsively. There are quite a few terms that you might hear thrown around that make it sound daunting, but when you really get to the simplest explanation:

A reponsive site reads the width of the device that is being used to view the web page and responds by moving groups of information around on the page in the way that you have told it to do so.

Therefore, when you consider redesigning your web site to be responsive, you must think about how a responsive site works. And that's the learning curve. Once you understand that part, the rest is pretty easy. If you want the font bigger, then change the font size. If you want a border, then click the border you want, the size, the type and the color. It's pretty straightforward. If you want your words to link to a web site, then type the url into the link setting. However, the part where you may struggle a little will be learning to think responsively, and that will be the case no matter whose software you choose.

So here's a bit to help you get started. The page is made up of rows. Each row is independant of the others and has a set of columns in it. The width of each column is measured in spans. In the default CC setup (called "Coffeegrinder") the total number number of spans a row can hold is 12. Therefore, you could have:
-- 1 column of 12 spans
-- 2 columns of 6 spans
-- 3 columns of 4 spans
-- 1 column of 2 spans, 2 columns of 3 spans, and 1 column of 4 spans

Get the idea? You can have up to 12 columns of 1 span each or any number of smaller columns whose total spans add to 12.

So here is how you might group your web page information.
-- Your first row would probably be your header which might be 1 column across the whole row.
-- Your second row might be your navigation which may have 6 links, so you have 6 columns of 2 spans.
-- Your third row is your main information so it has 1 column of 8 spans for your main text and pictures and 1 column of 4 spans for a sidebar, text box, picture or other supporting information.
-- Your fourth row is your footer that has 3 columns of 4 spans for navigation links, your contact information and your social media icons.
-- Your fifth and final row is for your copyright information, so it is 1 column of 12 spans.

After you arrange your rows and columns, then you put in your information. When that is completed, you can then use a slider at the top and begin "squeezing" the page, making its width smaller. As you do, you will actually see where the page begins to look badly as the width is more narrow. When that happens, you click a "breakpoint" button and it sets a breakpoint for that width. You then can make adjustments to anything on the page to make it look right at that width. Once you have that fixed, you move the slider again and when the page "breaks" you set another "breakpoint" and fix it. You do that until you get to the width of a phone. When you are done with the process, you will have a web page that looks good on a desktop computer, on a tablet held vertically, a tablet held horizontally, a phone held vertically, and a phone held horizontally. That's responsive. And the CC software makes it very easy.

The reason that we encourage you to "jump into the responsive waters" now is to help you learn to think responsively. By learning that part now, you will be ready to easily use RSD when it is released.

One last thing. I really do understand what it is like to be a small business because my company is one. Budgets are tight. Even with a tight budget, CC is a bargain. Adobe products now cost $360/year if you previously owned their software. If not, they cost $600/year. To pay $100-$150 (depending whether you buy it on sale or not) one time for a piece of software like RLM is an incredible price. In addition, you won't find support from other companies like you can get from CC. In short, I choose CC software first because of its capability and ease of use, but also because of their price and their support.
ASK ME ANYTHING
I provide personalized help for Coffeecup Users including training for Site Designer and Web Form Builder via Zoom.
Email me at support@usconsumernet.org or call 865-687-7698.

Did you know that Web Form Builder can be used for both simple and complicated forms and that it's not limited to the default fonts and buttons? Take a look at a form we developed for WindowTinting.com.
https://forms.windowtinting.com/forms/w … ppingcart/
User 2147626 Photo


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Another aspect of this, is why people like us came to like CoffeeCup to begin with. It was precisely because we didn't have the $500 and years and money to go to college, to learn the big boys, like Dreamweaver.

Ask anyone on here ... I DO NOT code, at all! I am a die hard VSD user. I only work 'part time' as a web designer and a full time truck driver ( I teach drivers to operate 18-wheelers ). If you look at my personal site in my signature, it's VSD.

Now, having said that ... I am learning a lot just by lurking around the forum here. Lots of good coders here and all are willing to share their knowledge. That is so different from any other forum and/or company I have ever dealt with.

Now, having said that ... I did take the plunge and bought RLM ( at a good price ) so that I can start poking around with it. It may take me a while to learn because of limited time. But I will also buy RSD when it comes out because I will need it in the future.

But for now, it's still VSD. Am I losing business? Sure. I'm sure I am. But at least I feel as if I'm moving in the right direction, just slowly. :cool:

CoffeeCup is doing all they can. The software is fantastic if you look at what some users are doing with it. There is no other company out there with software that can do what they are doing. Unless you simply code from scratch! When RSD is released it will be even better. Can't wait!

Bottom line is that no one can 'make' you learn responsive programming. If you want to keep doing it yourself, you'll simply have to learn. Or hire someone to do it for you. Or live with what you have ( as I am, for now ). But it is a lot of fun to learn new things and I think you should really consider it. As I said earlier, there are a lot of people here to help you out. All you have to do is ask . . .
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User 404575 Photo


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Brian, your post is great, and I'm sold. The only problem that I still have, is money. I've run our little business since 2006, without a single credit card, on a monthly budget.
Melissa Rhiannon
OS Windows 10
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Registered User
887 posts

Gunsmoke; Thanks for the interesting last post there. SO RLM is preceding RSD? I'm confused already.

Melissa Rhiannon
OS Windows 10
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Ambassador
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RLM is preceding RSD! Correct! Because ( and this is the big one for me ) you can create a layout in RLM, then import that layout into RSD. RSD will let you add your actual content and SEE it.

Right now RLM creates the layout or frame, then you have to export that and load it into HTML Editor to add content.

RSD ( hopefully ) will take HTML Editor out of the picture for the most part and let us non-coders add our content in a more visual way.

Make sense? If not, it will soon, I hope, maybe . . . :P
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