I need to make a decision ASAP.
INdex Finger or Gossamer's . Please help
Can anybody give me the pros and cons.
Pleae post, email me or I can also call u.
This is urgent.

Thanks in advance.

What is Index Finger? Haven't heard of it ...
Go for Links! Look at cgi-resources.com for the evidence ...

John

Never heard of "index finger" either.

I like Links so much that I'm hooked on it. Go with Links by Gossamer-Threads!

John

[This message has been edited by jmurphy (edited 11-15-98).]

Index Finger is at http://www.collegesucks.com/customcgi . I don't know it, though. Just providing the link.

Georg

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If you're feeling Dopey and Grumpy in the morning, you must be Snow White

For the price (Free vs. 100 bucks), the ease of customizing (easy HTML changes and custom modifications available vs. I think you have to buy the Ultimate BBS too), and the support (the most frequented and greatest support forum I've ever been on for a script vs. mediocre support) I think that the choice is obvious. Go download Links now and have your site up today.

Steve

Yep --

The Votes Are In! Links & Gossamer T Wins Hands Down! There's Not A Better Links/Search Collection Of Scripts Out There! Support Here Is Awsome......Better Then Most Commercial Support Systems! Yep -- The Best!

DM

[This message has been edited by Dangermouse (edited 11-15-98).]

You are really asking in the wrong place for an unbiased opinion. =)

Cheers,

Alex

  The decision depends largely on whether your site is commercial or not, and what features you want vs. how much time you have to customize the scripts.

Index Finger has a lot of nice features in the commercial version and (I'm guessing) is easier to set up than Links (based on my experience with the free versions of both products).

Links does not yet have a lot of the features integrated into Index Finger. Other features work a little different.

Links is better if you don't mind messing around with the add-on scripts or using Megalinks, or mind waiting for the next release of Links (which will have many of the add-ons integrated -- see the Announcements forum here).

If you're not willing to pay for a script, then the free non-commercial version of Links is your best choice because the free version of Index Finger is incredibly bare.

For the record, you do not need Ultimate Bulletin Board to use Index Finger. I.F. just offers the option of linking to UBB forums from within your link categories.

Yeah, you don't need the UBB for Index Finger. Any bulletin board program can be used. Has anyone used IF? The free version is pretty bare, but the $100 version seems to knock heads with Links. Oh, IF is at a new url. CGI Resources sent out their email update Sunday night and IF was mentioned - www.indexfinger.com .

FWIW, Links is a bit "advanced" in the sense that site_html.pl allows for customization of th eoutput limited only by imagination. Don't know if IF does that.

The bennies can be a huge drawback though. The time needed to code EVERY aspect of Links in the library (so your finished pages match) requires far more effort than the average "hey, I wannna search engine like YAHOO on MY site too" surfer needs or wants to invest.

The current template-based stuff out there either doesn't work (ala iSeek) or costs more than the casual webmaster is likely to want to spend.


Go with Links...

Tony

Don't be sucked in by IndexFinger comparison table either:

http://www.onlineinvestors.com/compare.shtml

It's a blatant lie. Repeated requests to the author to update it have gone unanswered. There are things like:

What's New Age Control - No for Links. (Can't update how many days old is considered new?!!) indicates he hasn't even looked in the program.

It get's much worse. Sigh.

If you have a lot of links per category Indexfinger just lists them in one lonnnnnng page. Links can split them up. Links lets you add descriptions to categories.

"Note: all items listed on the comparision page must be able to be done using the browser and not the editing of source code."

 What I particularly don't like is seeing I.F. listed with a $100 price tag, when it's really $200 if you want to receive upgrades.

Let's be real. If I buy software, I expect to receive a certain number of upgrades for free. The fact that the software is still under heavy development makes that even more true.

In contrast, Ultimate Bulletin Board is under heavy development, and has frequently released upgrades, but for the next year I receive those upgrades for free.

The only this I can tell you is that if your going to make a choice, I would choose Links, it has many, many extras than Index Finger. You can very easily add an extra field. I personally think that Links is better than Yahoo. Download Links, just edit 4 fields, and then your setup, and ready to go. Links is super now, and December 15th when Alex releases the new version, it will be even better.

[This message has been edited by jbost (edited December 04, 1998).]

jbost, you're not making sense. Bann a program just because "you haft to make a link 'cool', it will not do it by itself."

I'm trying to decide between then two and the lack of intelligence in that comment is not helping Links.

I would definetly choos links. I tried index finger before links and it was very difficult to understand. It seemed to me user unfriendly. There also isn't the support like Links has. After a few days of trying index finger, I gave up. Then I tried Links and got it working in a short period of time and it's much easier to use, with a lot more features.

Well to my knowledge, you can't try the pro version without paying for it first?

I've never even seen a working version of the admin that can be tested. Please post a URL if I am wrong.

Alex

You obviously use the Lite version Logan.

Alex & all - check out http://www.prime-web.com/...um7/HTML/000253.html -- I think you'll like Sol's comments!

Go get 'em Sol!

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Craig Antill
10 Tenths Motorsport
www.Ten-Tenths.com

Forget that URL - seems the moderator of that forum (who just happens to be the author of IF) got the arse when the question of updating the comparison table was raised and deleted the thread. I have started a new one here, and if this one disappears, I think we can all make our own minds up about the attitude of the author.

http://www.prime-web.com/...um7/HTML/000262.html


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Craig Antill
10 Tenths Motorsport
www.Ten-Tenths.com


[This message has been edited by Craig Antill (edited December 27, 1998).]

That one was deleted too.

I did notice that you asked him that this morning. Hmmmmm

Not that Im suggesting anything off topic or anything, but if oh saaaayyy you happened to mention it again, in the wrong forum, like the UNIX install forum (for example ), I don't think it would be deleted from there.


--Mark




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You can reach my by ICQ at UID# 8602162



[This message has been edited by Mark Badolato (edited December 27, 1998).]

I have posted a PROTEST in Ted's NEWS forum and ONLY ted can delete this one.
here is the URL. Please go and protest?

http://www.prime-web.com/...um3/HTML/000300.html

Thanks.

Sol