It seems each new generation of the Windows Operating System gives tighter and tighter control over security. And with this control, we as developers often have no idea how our web-packaged pieces will "play" when deployed.

You'll need to know what directories your target user will have write access to, and which he will not. If users do not have the Authorware web player installed, that will be your first hurdle. You need to make sure that users have access to the place where the player will install. If they do not have write access to this location, an administrator will have to install the player for them or the player will have to be pushed out over the network.

Once the player installs, your worries are not over. Not only do you have to deal with the user's individual settings, if a user chooses not to trust your piece, Authorware will not be able to download anything. For your piece to work, you have to ensure that any Xtras you are using get downloaded to the web player's directory as well. Yes, you can have users install the Full or Complete player, but if they view an Authorware piece whose Xtras are not set to Recycle, the Xtras could well be deleted.

You also need to make sure that any files containing external functions or external media files are downloaded. If there's a chance that your users might not have rights to write to the directory containing the web player, you may need to rethink the design of your course. Internalize external media, or link to it over the network rather than downloading it.

If you can't change your content to minimize or eliminate downloads, make sure that your client understands the limitations of your course and under what circumstances it will likely fail. Provide as much help as possible in the form of helpful error messages. You can help users even if your piece stalls before it loads by embedding help in the HTML page containing your piece.

You can use an absolute URL in a GET line in a map file. I ran across this little gem while browsing the tech notes. I knew you could use a relative path, and I knew, in theory, you could use an absolute URL, but I did not know it was so simple!

You've probably noticed the conspicuous absence of scheduled chats on my website. There have been a number of complaints about the popups that the service generates if you don't pay the ransom to keep them off. Also, the chats are occasionally unstable and have a habit of disappearing as soon as the conversation gets interesting.

I am looking for a cheap to free chat solution that will run on Linux. MojoChat will not, and apparently Flash Communication server will not. PHP and ASP based solutions don't perform very well either, so I don't think I want to go that route. If you have any ideas, please let me know.

Last week, I posted a poll at the Tip Archive to see whether the SPAM that comes with the Newsletter is bothering anyone enough to switch to a text-only newsletter.

So far, opinion seems to be in favor of the HTML newsletter, SPAM notwithstanding. I'll be changing the poll next weekend, so be sure to make your voice heard.

Please do not reveal the end to your friends.

No, really, it's not, but you are running out of time if you want to attend EuroTAAC. If you book now, you can probably still get hotel space and transportation, but I would not leave it any later.

The EuroTAAC T-Shirt Design is hot off the press. Even if you can't make it to EuroTAAC, you can still get this lovely commemorative T-shirt. Yes! I designed it! I admit it!

(front)

(back)

In case you're having trouble reading the back, it says, "When you row another person across the river, you get there yourself."

This goes to the shop Monday to be printed, so let Steve know if you want to get one for all your friends so we can have enough made.