Version 1.02
An application to log and cost time, online.
My company, GOAHEAD Imagination is in a state of suspension, as is the development of Log In Log 2.0. The reason for this is that for 18 months I have been is full-time employment for my Internet Access Provider, XS4All Internet, heading a small team of developers, creating a massive, revolutionary Auto-Installer program with many special features. This eats up all my time, so GOAHEAD gets none of my time at all. I'm really very sorry about this, but this is the case.
I am not so proud of Log In Log 1.0, because at the time I stopped the development 1.02, to work on 2.0, there were still
a number of rare but significant bugs showing through the complex algorithms. LIL 2.0 was planned to be a complete rewrite
using smarter & more simplified algorithms for calculating the passage of
time and the varied charging systems of ISPs and Phone companies around the world.
I'm sure I will come back to it, in a different form (ActiveX probably), when the time is right, but for now, I am too
involved in other things.
In view of the fact that I have been unable to work on Log In Log since 1996, because of the pressure of full-time work
for XS4All, I am giving away the registered version of Log In Log 1.02 for free and accepting no further registration fees.
Click here
The following files should be in your windows/system directory, but if they are not, you can click on them to download them. Make sure they go into your windows/system directory.
Purpose:
For most private internet users, phone bills and/or server costs can reach astronomical proportions, if a good eye is not kept on login times. Time online is money. We are forever trying to keep some kind of a check on it all, often with notepad and pencil. Log In Log is a facility that will enable you to keep track of all your logins and how much they cost you, and to charge others appropriately for their time spent online, on your machine.
Features:
* All the user needs to know, to configure Log In Log, are the local phone rates and/or server or other costs, which can be obtained from the local telephone directory or 'phone company and/or the internet server.
* Supports multiple configurations, allowing seperate log files and/or configuration schemes for different users and situations.
* Can display the log as a list of sessions (History), from which any session can be deleted or viewed, individually, or as a whole document (Log Viewer).
* Can show an onscreen watch detailing time online and total costs, constantly updated.
A screenshot of the Log In Log watch.
* Can display, also, a stopwatch to time specific events, such as large file downloads.
* Can set off an alarm to remind the user when a preset time online has passed. At this point, extra time may be set, if required, or the user can switch the alarm off or even (using Trumpet Winsock) disconnect the telephone connexion, immediately.
* The user can check out a hypothetical session to see what it would cost.
* Gives the user the possibility to name sessions at login and comment on them at logoff. The titles and comments will be saved to the log.
* Works with Trumpet using an 'exec loginlog.exe /s' statement in the Trumpet Winsock 'login.cmd' script file and an 'exec loginlog.exe /e' statement in the 'bye.cmd' script. Supports automatic installation into script files.
*Works automatically with MS Dial Up Networking by putting a shortcut to itself with the /w parameter, into the StartUp group. Then, it will start up every time the user opens Windows, causing it to wait for a connexion, when it will start the login and wait for a disconnexion to end the login. It will then close down, but restart, immediately, to wait for another connexion.
* Can also be used manually utilizing commandline switches - /s and /e, to set up start log and end log icons, to click on at the appropriate moments).
* Can jump straight to Log Viewer, History list,Test Session dialogue, Statistics dialogue, Configuration dialogue or the Help screen, directly, using command line switches - /v ,/h, /t, /=, /c or /? (or /help) respectively, allowing the creation of Program Manager icons for each separate function.
* The user can set sound (*.wav) files to play on start of session, end of session alarm prompt and on each increment of 'phone charges.
* Operates transparently, using zero resources, when timer is switched off, and very little, when switched on.
* Calculates phone charges taking off-peak rates into account (including off-peak weekends, if appropriate).
* Calculates any additional hourly charges, such as server account charges or computer rental.
* Supplies statistics on any single session or on any set of sessions from any date to any date.
* Is user-friendly, easy to learn to use and even aesthetically pleasing to the eye (at least, I think so :-)).
* Is shareware , so you can distribute it freely on the internet or to your friends.
* Automatically takes into account most possible settings in the [International] section of the win.ini file.
* Registration is cheap (US$ 15), and, with registration, comes free or very cheap upgrades The latest alpha version will be sent shortly after registration (just e-mail tarotray@xs4all.nl, using the words Loginlog - Registration as subject and requesting registration, stating the version you currently use, in the body.), by e-mail or snail-mail.
* Lends itself easily to translation into other languages, as all text is stored in separate files. Anyone interested in translating the text files for any other purpose than their own use, must translate ALL text files in the archive, submit a copy of the translation to the author and get his (easily got) permission.
No changes are made to the /windows or /windows/system directories, allowing easy uninstalling (just delete the loginlog directory and associated Program Manager icons) in the unlikely event that you find this program of no use to you. In reality, you are more likely to find it invaluable and a money saving boom. So register now, gain the benefits and afford me my dues;-)
August 2nd 1997