( Table Of Contents )

1. Introduction
2. Dominant Ad Creator 2.2 has been released
3. Volcanic Software's main site is now open, and full of resources and tools
4. Important information regarding eBay that could affect Dominant Ad Creator's behavior
5. A warning to all eBay and PayPal users regarding fake e-mails
6. Online auctions in the news
7. Auction tip of the month
8. Closure
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Introduction

Hi there, and I hope you enjoy the first official issue of the Volcanic Software newsletter. This is a new newsletter that be sent out each month to subscribers and Dominant Ad Creator owners. In each issue, I will be sharing some important news pertaining to the Volcanic Software website, any software or utilities found on the website, and general auction news and information that is valuable to understand. Although this is the first issue, I do not have everything organized and straightened out as I would like, but by the next issue expect it to be in a perfected format. If after reading this newsletter you have any suggestions or comments on it, feel free to reply and let me know.

Perhaps the two most important items discussed in this issue is the new Dominant Ad Creator version that has been released, and also the official launch of Volcanic Software's main auction resource site. For all users who sell items on eBay using Dominant Ad Creator, you will want to pay special attention to section 4 of this newsletter as eBay is making some critical changes to their site that will affect certain features of Dominant Ad Creator. Now enjoy the newsletter!
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Dominant Ad Creator 2.2 has been released

After several months, the new version of Dominant Ad Creator is ready. Most changes and additions to the software have been implemented at the request of users. The largest change in this version is the ability to add a shipping calculator to any ad with one click! From now on, you don't have to ask the user for their zip-code to provide them with the actual shipping cost, nor to do you have to copy and paste tons of code into each listing to insert a shipping calculator. If you ship USPS, UPS, or FedEx, then you can include a customizable calculator into any ad with one click. After enabled, you simply enter each item's weight in the main ad creation window and the program will automatically create a valid calculator (dependant on your zip-code). It's really much easier to see than to explain, so why not grab version 2.2 now!

Another addition in version 2.2 is five new templates, each fully customizable as before. Most of the new templates support quite a few images but will look fine even if you don't include as many images as recommended. Now that Dominant Ad Creator has twenty truly customizable templates and so many variations that I can not even think of new template ideas, I do not believe that I will be adding any more templates to the software. However, I will soon start a database online that will consist of dozens of different saved ad files that will already have textures and colors set so that each template will have in itself about a dozen separate themes that can be loaded like any auction listing. I also plan on starting a community project in the forum where other users can submit their own saved theme files for the community.

The third main change in this version is the ability to insert a hyperlink to any other website with one click, using the built-in HTML tag function. This new function replaced the previous bold-and-italic button, which really was unnecessary as the same effect can be created using the single bold and italic buttons available. To insert a hyperlink into your ad, you simply click the 'link' button and then enter the web address and linkable text, then the correct code will be generated and placed at the current cursor position in your listing. Several minor bugs and glitches have been fixed, including a few errors in the 'view full sized template' option.

Even if you do not use shipping calculators in your ad, you should download the update to receive five new professional templates, the 'link insertion' feature, and to ensure that you have the latest version. The saved theme database I will be launching before the next newsletter issue will require that you have the latest version in order for the files to load correctly. I will also not provide support unless you have the latest version of this software.

Full download (4.2MB): http://dac.volcanicsoft.com/downloads/dac22.exe
Full download (1.6MB): http://dac.volcanicsoft.com/downloads/dac22u.exe

To install the update correctly, refer to http://dac.volcanicsoft.com/updates. In brief, you simply need to download the upgrade and install it into the current Dominant Ad Creator directory and it should be all set. Ensure all instances of Dominant Ad Creator are closed before updating.
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Volcanic Software's main site is now open, and full of resources and tools

After a lot of work and time, the Volcanic Software's official site, http://www.volcanicsoft.com, has been launched and is filling up with more auction resources, tools, and tutorials! I have created six additional utilities to help in your auction selling experience, ranging from auction record keepers to e-mail and shipping templates. Each of these additional tools can be purchased online for a nominal fee of between $2.00 and $5.00. I am now offering a Pro Auction Tools CD, which contains all of the tools found on the website and nearly thirty minutes of video tutorials to ensure you understand exactly how to use each tool. If you purchase an item individually, you will receive a link to download the video and text tutorial, and you will receive the product you order right in your e-mail.

Here are some of the main features of the new Volcanic Software website!

* Auction Resource section ~ contains between fifteen and twenty hand selected sites for a variety of categories including free music, free image hosting, free backgrounds, and much more!

* Online community ~ contains an auction chat and forum for users of Dominant Ad Creator and other general users to post auction related messages, get support, post suggestions, and much more. Because this is the official launch of the website, there are not yet many posters in the forum, but feel free to post any auction content you wish (no registration necessary).

* Auction support and tutorials ~ I will be creating full-scale tutorials for a variety of auction topics frequently, which are free to all! Currently I have comprehensive tutorials on watermarking (protecting) your images, understanding auction terms and lingo, and adding backgrounds manually to your ad. Dominant Ad Creator users do not have to worry about the background tutorial as Dominant Ad Creator allows you to insert backgrounds with no code required. I am also taking requests for new tutorials, and will write tutorials for any subjects that I feel would benefit a large range of users.

* Seven auction tools and utilities ~ including Dominant Ad Creator, there are now seven different tools and helpers to aid you in your auction selling experience. Each one can be purchased online via PayPal or ClickBank, and you will receive the item via e-mail within twenty-four hours. You also have the option of purchasing a CD containing all of the tools and video tutorials on it.

So please check out Volcanic Software's main site for tons of free auction resources and tutorials! I will be putting a lot of my time into the website from now on, and will be adding a variety of tutorials and resources often.

http://www.volcanicsoft.com
http://dac.volcanicsoft.com - Official Dominant Ad Creator website
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Important information regarding eBay that could affect Dominant Ad Creator's behavior

The majority of Dominant Ad Creator users sell on eBay, and so the information that proceeds is important for you to know. EBay has recently enhanced their JavaScript restrictions, and although not in affect in all auctions, a selected amount are not able to use any right-click disabling scripts. Generally you will still be able to list your auction with right-click disabled, but if you are unlucky the right-click script will be ignored by eBay's system and not functional. For months eBay has been limiting the use of Javascript in ads, and almost all right-click scripts have been completely abolished by eBay. However, the script in use with Dominant Ad Creator appears to be standing ground in most auctions, but in the near future it may become non-workable. The feature will never be removed from Dominant Ad Creator, as there still are users listing their items at other auction sites and the scripts work fine at these other sites.

In all reality, the right-click disabling feature can be worked around by anyone seriously wanting to steal your images or text. Many browsers other than Internet Explorer and Netscape do not even run the script so users using other browsers can right-click as always Users of Internet Explorer and Netscape can simply disable their JavaScript in the settings and will then also be able to right-click on any auctions. Virtually, anything that appears on a user's screen can be copied and used no matter what security prevention is in place. In worst case scenarios, the user could take a screen capture of your listing and then crop out the picture(s) they want, and then use them on their own.

To fully protect your images from thieves, you need to watermark them which consists of placing your own userID or e-mail address right across the face of each picture, but in a way that no important details of the image are lost. Then, if another user does use your own image for their auction(s), your e-mail address and/or ID will still be stuck to the picture so viewers of their auctions will see your information and realize the picture is yours. For an excellent watermarking tutorial using either MSPaint, Paint Shop Pro, or Adobe Photoshop, please refer to the watermarking tutorial found in the support section of the main Volcanic Software website (http://www.volcanicsoft.com).

One other important eBay feature that will be implemented in the near future is a new auction layout system. This new layout will prevent any background images from appearing in any spot other than the description field of the listing. No longer will you be able to cover the complete ad in a specific texture or color. However, the page background feature of Dominant Ad Creator will remain, and will also still function correctly but will only cover the complete area of the 'description' part of the ad. You will still be able to use all table backgrounds and textures as always. I will inform you of any other changes to the eBay system that affect Dominant Ad Creator's performance, but the two above are the only current issues.
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A warning to all eBay and PayPal users regarding fake e-mails

More and more fraud e-mails are being sent daily from what appears to be eBay or PayPal, informing users that they need to update their personal records to remain an active user. When the user clicks on the link in the e-mail to update their records, all information they enter is actually sent to a crook's computer and they then receive all of your personal information including (but not limited to): your userID and password, personal address and phone number, credit card and social security number, and even checking account or PIN numbers. From here, they can do countless acts of terror against you and your personal information.

How do you detect a fraud e-mail? Many e-mails these days are so sophisticated that they even appear to be coming from eBay's own mail server and when you reply to them they will be sent to an actual (or invalid) eBay address. Many links in the e-mails also appear to link directly to eBay or PayPal, but are actually 'masking' the true address which is usually far from any professional or secure website. One dead give-away is that eBay and PayPal NEVER will ask you for your password or personal details right in the e-mail. If you are in doubt about the validity of the e-mail, do not click on any links from the message but instead go to the official eBay or PayPal website from a new web browser, and then log in there to ensure all of your information is correct.

To report fraud e-mails, you will need to get the full headers and body of the message. This can normally be done by right-clicking on the message and selecting Properties. If you use an online mail client, you may have to do additional work to get the headers. Once you have all of the information copied, forward it to: spoof@ebayREMOVETHIS.com and they usually will promptly take care of the problem.

Although eBay and PayPal have the largest percentage of fraud messages being sent out, there are many other online companies that have similar crooks trying to get your sensitive information. Be very careful when clicking on links in messages asking for your personal information, and always look in the address bar of your web browser after clicking on a link to ensure the address matches what you clicked.
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Online auctions in the news

This month's article which has just recently occurred involves a man who won an item on eBay that WAS too good to be true. The story explores the dark side of online auctions regarding a man's account that had been hijacked. For the full story, visit http://www.modbee.com/local/story/6985522p-7919906c.html
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Auction Tip of the Month

This month's tip describes how to display the tiny camera logo next to your listing, even if you do not submit an image through eBay's service itself. If you use the standard sell-your-item form to list your items, then you will now find a new feature in the image section that allows you to specify if you already have a picture in your auction. If you do, then you simply check this box and the picture logo will appear when people search for your listing, even without using eBay's image service or entering another image address.

If you use a different method of listing your items, you may find it difficult to keep your ad looking sharp when you have to use another image link for the picture logo to appear. A solution to this, is to enter the following image path in the selling form so eBay will still believe you have submitted another picture when in all reality it is just a tiny, blank picture that is un-noticeable.

http://pics.ebay.com/aw/pics/dot_clear.gif

For more tutorials and tips, visit http://www.volcanicsoft.com and click on support.
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Closure

Well that does it for this month's issue. I hope I informed you of a few subjects that will be of some importance to you, and feel free to send me any comments or suggestions for future newsletters.