Istvan Siposs Yahoo! Store Developer

In the early nineties, I started building web sites, first of course only in HTML, but soon I learnt client-side scripting (Microsoft VBScript, and JavaScript), as well as server-side scripting languages, ASP and PHP. For a number of years my main specialty was creating interactive web applications usually including heavy-duty database back-end support. I have built full-blown auction-type web sites, complete shopping sites (writing code for the shopping card, credit card processing, and email management, as well as back-end and statistical functions.)

In 1999 - while looking for a solution to start selling a client's products online (www.noteworthyusa.com) - I came across Yahoo! Store, which was advertised as a shopping solution that can enable a merchant to go online in a matter of minutes. It turned out to be mostly true; however I soon found out that to get the most out of the Yahoo! Store (now Yahoo! Merchant Solutions) platform, I had to learn the programming language Yahoo! Store is based on: RTML. The problem at the time was, that there was no documentation on RTML besides a list of the commands, and Yahoo! provided no support or assistance with the language. So I took it up on myself to learn the language through trial and error, and built a very successful store for NoteWorthy. This store still operates on Yahoo! at www.notetools.com.

After having figured out RTML, I started to get more and more new clients on Yahoo! Store, and by 2001, building Yahoo! Stores became my full-time business. I then compiled my RTML knowledge into a handbook, "RTML 101: The unofficial guide to Yahoo! Store templates". As the first (and to date only) manual on RTML, the book became a "must have" for anyone interested in learning Yahoo! Store's RTML and working with or building custom Yahoo! Stores. A number of other books on the same subject followed with the latest addition, "Yahoo! Store Tips and Tricks" jointly authored by myself and Michael Whitaker of www.monitus.com.

In 2002, Michael and I started holding seminars to those interested in learning RTML and running a successful Yahoo! Store business.

To read more about my Yahoo! Store-related services, click here.