Installation | AOM Talk

The Chicken and the Egg, Amazon Style

January 15, 2015March 13, 2016 mcarp555

We go to the mailbag for our topic this month, and discuss a common problem among new users. When setting up an AOM site, you need to enter your Amazon associate ID and the two AWS keys (public and private). Without this information, the site simply won’t work, and no product will be displayed (instead an error message is shown).... Read More

Ioncube: The New Normal

February 14, 2014March 14, 2016 mcarp555

With the release of AOM v5.5.0 a few months back, some changes to the install/upgrade process made things difficult for some users. We’re going to look at this situation in detail, cover the history involved, and outline some steps that can be taken to hopefully minimize any individual difficulties in relation to using Associate-O-Matic on certain webhosts. The situation began... Read More

C-C-C-Changes

March 12, 2013March 14, 2016 mcarp555

The first version of AOM that I ever used back in September of 2006 was v2.8.2. As this is being written in March of 2013, we are on the cusp of v5.4.0. One of the great strengths of AOM is that it can continually evolve. Indeed, many times its had to, as Amazon makes sometimes radical changes in the API.... Read More

Simple Mistakes To Avoid

January 12, 2013March 14, 2016 mcarp555

Setting up an AOM store is not rocket science; but to some people it seems that way. And to be fair, unless you’ve done something a bajillion times, there may be aspects of a process that can be confusing. Driving a vehicle, cooking, learning a musical instrument or how to operate a cash register can be similar examples of tasks... Read More

Getting to Grips with Filezilla

November 14, 2012March 14, 2016 mcarp555

As discussed in a pair of related articles a few months ago (see The REAL Requirements, parts 1 & 2), some sort of knowledge about what you’re doing is required to set up an online website. The same is true for almost any activity, from driving a car to playing a game, even fixing a sandwich. If you don’t know... Read More

The Invisible aomtrial.license File

September 22, 2012March 14, 2016 mcarp555

Probably no other file in Associate-O-Matic is misunderstood, overlooked or ignored more than the aomtrial.license file. And yet it plays a crucial role in setting up the Trial version. The instructions are straightforward, and clearly indicated. Still, it’s missed by a large number of new users for some reason. So if you’ve come here to learn about this mysterious little... Read More

The REAL Requirements, pt. II

July 6, 2012March 14, 2016 mcarp555

A few people who try AOM quickly feel out of their depth, and express dissatisfaction with the claim that the program is easy to set up and use. So last month we discussed the published requirements for using Associate-O-Matic, detailing each item for the benefit of anyone who might have been unsure about them. We also identified the statement that... Read More

The REAL Requirements, pt. I

June 5, 2012March 14, 2016 mcarp555

If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a hundred times – “It’s too difficult”, “It’s not for me”, “I’m not technical”, “I can’t understand the instructions”. And so on. At one time I found comments like these puzzling, since AOM is not that difficult to install. The instructions can be boiled down to a few simple steps – download... Read More

V5: What It Won’t Do

May 12, 2011 mcarp555

The upcoming version five of Associate-O-Matic will introduce many great new features. Templating will be the most obvious addition. Last month we discussed some of the other additions, such as Image Cloak, Integrated Search Within Results, etc. As it enters the final stages of Beta testing, I would like to balance out this preview look by discussion of what the... Read More

Build Your Own Bot Trap

November 8, 2010January 4, 2012 mcarp555

With Amazon now imposing usage restrictions on their API data feed, it becomes more important than ever to make sure you’re not wasting resources on unwanted visitors to your sites. By ‘unwanted’ of course, we are referring to search engine spiders who comb your site, indexing hundreds (if not thousands) of pages, and give you nothing in return – no... Read More