OpenRealty Announces 2.5.5 Release

Posted on November 19, 2008
Filed Under Products in Review | 11 Comments

OpenRealty announced the release of version 2.5.5 of its popular listings manager script earlier today. OpenRealty which has actively maintained the development of its script in keeping with industry demand has been doing an exceptional job. There have been questions uttered around the web concerning the future of OpenRealty and a few in ivory league positions of the open source community have pondered the motives of the frequent version jumping the project has taken with its release history.
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Wordpress CSS Drop-Down Menu

Posted on October 9, 2008
Filed Under Products in Review, Real Estate News | Leave a Comment

CSS Cascading Menus for WordPress

Although WordPress is a blog (journal) solution with a lofty inventory of features, more and more designers and developers are starting to employ WordPress as a micro CMS solution. CMS solutions like Joomla and Drupal (pronounced Dru-Paul) for instance are very robust and capable enough to easily handle large corporate level websites but is essentially overkill for the average website. The main advantage in using a CMS solution is the ability to manage the interface and individual content elements without the need to alter the core structure or template of the site. One particular CMS feature lacking in a WordPress blog is the ability to effectively manage navigation elements, the ordering and the structure of the links.

For the most part menu links are generated in WordPress dynamically each time a page or post is published usually in the default ordering according to post date. Menu management in WordPress is certainly possible for a skilled coder who can understand and manipulate WordPress template tags as I had demonstrated on the Las Vegas Real Estate blog in a previous post. But this technique is not easily applied for novice site designers and rarely an option for the end user without a lot of trial and error. The solution many seek is to use the drop in code snippets from WordPress’s own codex library which can provide a quasi solution to provide reasonably easy to manage menus. Most of the time the technique employed is to use the built in feature for category links where the sort order is known before the links are added.

What if there was a solution that could provide full menu management for WordPress? Maybe one that would include link ordering, link names and even link destination more like a CMS solution? Would WordPress developers and designers be more inclined to take advantage of WordPress features they have come to love and apply it to their CMS projects? I would boldly venture to say yes.

WordPress CSS suckerfish drop down menu

The Brokers Edge faced the same frustration with menu management on sites requiring CMS features but none so lofty as to suggest a solution like Joomla or Drupal. So, we put our heads together and came up with what we believed would be the best possible all round menu management solution called WP Menu Creator During our initial planning, the developers at The Brokers Edge kept in mind that the menus it would generate need to be as SEO friendly as they can be and must not have any real significant limitations in the structure and layout of the menu once it renders. We all essentially agreed that the menu structure should follow the XHTML / CSS standard unordered list method for producing link lists. This would provide endless possibilities for styling the aesthetic appearance of menus.

What the plugin does is quite simple on the surface. It simply provides an administrators interface for blog owners to manage their menus and links in an easy to understand format. Then by simple inclusion of a template tag into the sidebar or other areas of the template files, it renders the menu in that location. The output is plain old unordered lists which can even include nested lists if you require a suckerfish type cascading drop down multi level menu. Unique CSS ID and Class Selectors are added to the menu for endless styling options and control. Although the CSS and XHTML part of the menu can be complex for some users, it is none the less easily adapted for most navigation structures on many popular themes. To find out more about this FREE WordPress Plugin please feel free to visit The Brokers Edge

EZ Pro Realty – The New Standard?

Posted on March 15, 2008
Filed Under Open Realty, Products in Review | 3 Comments

Professional PHP/ MySQL Real Estate Listings Manager

I was writing an article in my post manager (via my new plugin) for the new "Professionals In Review" section of my blog I got to thinking about standards in software related to the real estate industry.  Fitting I thought, I would write a post about the fork of Open Realty called EZ Pro Realty since my post in draft touched on this very idea briefly as I wrote about one of the most influential and in my personal opinion one of the most articulate leaders regarding real estate technology standards, Mark Lesswing.  Since I was in the "standards writing" mindset while writing about Mark, I quickly jotted down a handful of little notes in the planner section for later reference like;  Who sets these standards? Why do they matter? Should websites that don’t follow them include legends similar to those used on maps? And dozens of others as I kept that ever present hand drawn depiction of my target audience in mind as I wrote.

Mark Lesswing, the NAR’s Chief of Technology Officer is the brain behind many tools that were developed in support of  "industry standards " like the RETS compliance mandate for MLS providers.  vieleRETS, one of Mark’s best known tools, is an open source application used to connect real estate sites to the standards compliant MLS provider using an XML wrapper.  Such is easy to follow as we can see how these key words net us the acronym RETS (Real Estate Transaction Standard).  I’ve been supporting vieleRETS since the earliest version releases, and knowing the history of this application, the proprietary position it occupies, being an application defining a standard is easily understood.  Not unique per se, contrast and focus are evident when comparing to similar applications that may appear to be trend setting in a lead role, contributing or setting standards even though the opposite may actually be true.  All of this naturally assumes that the one setting the standard had an authoritative position and foundation of support that could be agreed upon. (well, thats the ideal anyway)

Software and website solution standards for real estate?

Real estate website applications by and large are custom solutions not following any particular pattern of implementation quite similar to the shopping cart standards in the early days of their development.  Today as many would agree, shopping carts follow a pattern that is standardized for what a shopping cart should have and be in regards to features. Anything falling short is just that, falling short. 

In the real estate industry one thing that rings true is how slow the industry reacts to change and implementation of technology.  Jokingly we know that the very last people to toss their pagers and brick like cell phones were Realtors as many are very slow to change and unfortunately prone fads more so than other industries I’ve followed. But when the real estate industry does implement change the vast majority of those who attempt to be pioneers do so running in the dark with a sharp object in hand.  Realtor site applications are just not quite to the level of bare minimum standards that an effective site should have. When someone does introduce an pseudo imposed standard its usually so proprietary that no incentive to follow it or even emulate it could possibly come to fruition, so where is the standard in that.

The Open Source influence on standards

Today, Open Source applications are positioned unlike any in the history of computer and software solutions being the defining guide post to standards.  Joomla and Drupal, the worlds premier content management systems set the standard for cms systems. Early on commercial application developers fought the notion of open source cms solutions like a rabid dog, yet today they must concede and keep up or risk an early grave.  phpBB a forum solution that fell into the very pits of hell climbed out recently, not only jump above standards in forum solutions similar in many regards to that of vBulletin and at least as high of quality as vBulletin.

Proprietary applications and developers of those apps can follow standards set by Open Source and survive just as effectively as mega popular open source solutions can.  Applications like SMF (simple machines forums) for example have historically tried to straddle the fence between what is or what should be a standard have been essentially defined by following the lead of others which likely prove successful for SMF’s survival even though they maintain their proprietary status. 

Before we move further in the software solution discussion for Real Estate its important to point out that for those interested in reading further on CMS solutions and how they impact the industry, one would be benefited by visiting the publications of Bryan Ruby.  Bryan Ruby is an authoritative and intelligent expert well versed in the myriad of CMS solutions available and writes extensively on the subject.

EZ Pro Realty – Standards from the REALTORS perspective

Early in this post I said that standards are something that are ideally agreed upon and widely accepted.  In an ideal world, standards should also be based on user needs in such a way that one would seek to eagerly employ or at least eagerly suggest without regret.  This is not always true in software or standards as we have seen Microsoft impose them in bold disregard and often dictated adversity with what actually works.

Open Realty among other similar applications like Hot Properties or EZRealty for example are open source per se yet maintain some level commercial or proprietary status.  Open Realty, the most open and free for use or modification, has been by far the most widely used application of its type by Realtors seeking to avoid other more restrictive proprietary solutions.  Proprietary is not a bad thing providing you are not a prisoner of the solution as many have experienced.  Since this post is about standards its important to point out that none of these applications have set or adhered to any in part because none exist. 

Solutions for real estate sites are among the most awkward in any genera or industry I’ve encountered.  For this reason Its been an unfortunate experience to witness the consequences the industry has suffered as a result.  The lack of a "base line standard for real estate web sites" leaves many Realtors exposed to an lofty level of wide abuse and lies as there is nothing to gauge what is and isn’t to be expected in a solution.  Is there help? Is there a defining solution that can save all the hassle? Yes, and its called EZ Pro Realty as in Easy Professional Real Estate solution. So EASY (EZ) a one armed monkey could use it yet so effective any real estate PROfessional would stand up and take notice regarding a new way to recognize true utility value. (Sorry for the play on words)

Utility value is a term Realtors should be most interested in as its an economics or financial term that is used in description of return on investment.  Since the above mentioned solutions are investments into your site they should help make a valuable return on your investment as opposed to hindering it by falling short of widely accepted standards in what makes a good web site work. Now I’ll show you some standards that you can expect with EZ Pro Realty without revealing to much regarding changes made.

Quick mention first; Open Realty, EZ Realty, and HotProperties although mentioned in this post for comparison are in no way sub quality products and are to this very day highly recommended tools for effective real estate site solutions.  In no way would I disparage these applications even though I will write about and compare solutions based on my experiences.  Each of the above mentioned are quality products.

Professional real estate website software solutions.

 Professional Documentation and Tutorials

EZ Pro Realty documentation is being assembled using RoboHelp from Adobe as opposed to a dictionary or encyclopedia solution used by some for documentation.  The tutorials will give designers and developers a jump start on implementation, use and deployment of the solution. The fork will feature a new modified version of my very own Dreamweaver Open Realty extension and will have ample documentation in a well articulated informative format.

Friendly Support (paid and non paid)

EZ Pro Realty forums will be used to provide support in a friendly environment that is not often seen in forums around the web.  People can’t set a standard and then treat those who seek to follow it with mis conduct, rude responses, and abuse and expect to do so with a straight face.  The support provided on the EZProRealty.com site is PAID support meaning that they are paid a monthly fee to provide technical assistance to users and support can be paid for regarding customization for users at a super affordable fee that is based entirely on a donation scale. Those who contribute and donate even if for paid support are given credit for contribution.

Credit given where credit is due

A pet peeve with some applications that are open source is the apparent harboring of all credit by the powers to be.  With the release of EZProRealty, developers, designers, and other contributors are not only given their own contributor blogs but are mentioned in the list of credits.  Lessons learned from products like Joomla and Drupal that boldly disclose who makes the product and project possible. 

The chief contributor will be on top naturally and that is Ryan Bonham the developer of Open Realty.  In keeping with Ryan’s license as of version 2.4.4 (see this post) Open Realty will be given full unrestricted credit for the application. Open Realty will also be mentioned throughout the documentation as I boldly requested that the developers of EZProRealty must not make any attempt to hide or attempt to disparage Open Realty nor depict it as as a rival.  That was my request in joining the effort of the fork by providing all of my add-ons and my three plug-ins which are also FREE.

Project request board for customization

Although many applications provide a way for users to hire professionals for design, customization and other aspects of development for their products, EZProRealty will provide this in a facilitated manor where projects are managed using an escrow system to set standard for quality.  Facilitated "subcontracting" or outsourcing will also help them establish network of qualified professionals with actual experience in Open Realty and this variant.

MORE TO COME SO BE PATIENT.

Mark my words with this prophesy because it will come true.

Open Realty and other applications will either follow the path that EZ Pro Realty is laying or be side stepped as a solution Realtors choose. I make these predictions not to harm the other applications but to simply provide a place I can easily send people back to when I get to say, I told you so. 

Here is what I predict will happen.  BTW I looked to see if any of these were either planned, bug fix posted, or pending in those applications above and none as of this date were.

  1. Open Realty will fix their URL issue and add in the features at bare minimum that allow users of the product to take better control over the URL, Title, and other aspects of good SEF features that are present in the fork. 
  2. I further predict that Open Realty will copy almost verbatim every feature that EZ Pro Realty added to the fork related to the way template management is handled and possibly the administrative interface features. 
  3. I further predict that Open Realty will implement similar features in the core templates that EZ Pro Realty provides and may also be copied by EZRealty and Hot Properties as none of them offer this feature.
  4. Developer blogs? I’m sure the other applications would likely add or at least copy the idea by providing blogs via our method which uses WordPressMU or something similar. The benefits to template designers, developers, Realtors and contributors would be so beneficial that not copying it or something close to it would be a surprise to me.
  5. I predict that the opposing applications that are proprietary with solution providers will either emulate structure of the template system and features or at bare minimum provide the same post and page editing features we have implemented into EZProRealty’s page editor. The editor has a few dynamic features that makes posting a blessing as opposed to a chore.
  6. Module management based on page is something that EZRealty and HotProperties offers and I’m guessing that since EZProRealty offers this, open realty will be sure to follow.  This feature allows for page specific code to be placed in page specific locations via the editor similar to the EZProRealty new {header_include} tag.  Super powerful especially considering its use in cross linking and marketing.
  7. I’d bet many features in EZProRealty will be copied, emulated and duplicated on every level regarding the integration and cross platform sharing ability that is currently under development and announced on the EZProRealty site.

EZProRealty, to expect anything less is lowering your standards!

Royalty FREE images for designers!

Posted on February 21, 2008
Filed Under Products in Review | Leave a Comment

Royalty FREE Distribution in Templates and Other Works

One thing that frustrates many designers who build templates is the unbelievably high cost for purchasing images that can be redistributed within their templates.  Purchasing a template at iStock photo or Big Stock for example nets you a use license of a single domain or single purpose NOT for redistribution. 

Large companies like Template Monster and others have the kind of budgets necessary to either employ a photographer or purchase royalty free distribution rights to photos.  To give you an idea as to what cost I’m referring to, consider this;  iStock has an option for a limited use distribution costing $100 per image.  Getty Image charges anywhere from $200 – $1800 per image.  These kinds of expenses make delivery of commercial or even free templates cost prohibitive resulting in people using freeware images which are frequently of lesser quality.

Royalty  FREE Stock Images – Template Designers – Distribution

I’ve discovered in the forums I’m a member of that a new company is about to launch that provides an answer to this pressing need by selling images on CD in packages, each of which is Royalty Free and can be used in your commercial and non commercial templates.  What this means for guys like us is that when we publish a new template and we need images and photos for various aspects of the template, we will soon have an affordable resource that not only gives us an inventory of images but a quality selection for one low price. 

Although price has not been set in stone, it was told to me that the $75 – $200 range will be chosen depending on image set and category.  So for the cost of a single commercial royalty free image we end up with a CD ROM of images for us to select from.  It appears that the first categories photographers are working on at this point is those associated to industrial and commercial real estate with residential real estate scheduled for the mix soon. 

I’m excited about this concept and I think this is a long over due service for designers and desktop publishing professionals everywhere.  I know all to well how frustrating it is for small mom and pop rag sheet publishers to find good quality royalty free images at an affordable cost is.  Many small publications google for images and publish them in hopes not to be caught but with this solution you can receive high resolution images at a price that doesn’t break the bank.

My suggestion to this new company should they ever stumble upon my blog is that they should include a feature on their site called "CD Builder" in which a buyer can assemble their own collection of images from those available and pay accordingly.  This would be a service that would make millions in my perspective.  Best of luck to the EZ Royalty FREE and their venture.  When a link becomes available I’ll publish a link.


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