• I've been diligently working on some all new stuff. Including.
  • In the application.
    • Auto start dialing.
    • Saving your own personal statistics.
    • Increased reliability and compatibility via a re-write of the code including using a better modem port driver.
  • On the web site.
    • Geographic breakdown of statistics by area code.
    • "Minute by minute"  breakdown of statistics.
    • Looking into upgrading the user interface - this will happen but I won't be doing it.
    • Consolidation, speed, optimization, efficiency.
• Looking forward to the new season - I hope AI doesn't change the way we vote because all of this stuff above took a lot of work! :)

• Support for Celebrity Duets is being added.
• DialIdol v2.7.0.0 has been released.
  • This version adds support for Celebrity Duets.

• DialIdol v2.6.0.0 has been released.
  • This version fixes a bug with the ad popping up.
  • This version gives you back control to change the call timeout and also resets the default to 16 seconds from 20.

• DialIdol v2.5.1.0 has been released.

• DialIdol v2.5.1.0 has been released.

• DialIdol v2.5.0.0 has been released.
  • This version is an official (non-beta) release.
  • This version allows the DialIdol window to be resized.
  • This version introduces compatibility with So You Think You Can Dance and Canadian Idol. (Canadian Idol is not yet active on DialIdol.)
• DialIdol's So You Think You Can Dance URL can be found here: http://dance.dialidol.com.

• DialIdol v2.5.0.100 has been released.
  • This is a beta version for testing with So You Think You Can Dance.
    • This version really isn't meant for people but it will be eventually!
  • You can now resize DialIdol in this version.
  • This version adds support for So You Think You Can Dance & Canadian Idol.
• Hope everyone is having a great summer!

• DialIdol v2.4.0.0 has been released. This version will help provide more accurate results by better detecting malfunctions in the program.
• Sorry for the dribbleware updates.
• This version is a mandatory upgrade for this coming week w/4 Idols left.

• DialIdol v2.3.0.0 has been released. This version will help provide more accurate results by better detecting malfunctions in the program.
• Sorry for the dribbleware updates.

DialIdol v2.2.0.0 has been released. This version upgrade will notify you if you are running an old version that you might want to upgrade but an upgrade is not required. (2.1.x versions will continue to work.) Here's what changed.

• The Make the following Idols SAFE/UNSAFE options will dial both numbers equally IF you select both numbers. This was the only real functional bug in the whole multiple phone number thing. Also using this option If there is a tie between two Idols it will dial for all the ties.
• The top to bottom three stats will only show one instance of each Idol.
• Modified submission of data for optimal server load.
• Fixed a cosmetic bug clarifying that the top to bottom three score is indeed the DialIdol score not the busy percent.

On the web site I changed the way the DialIdol score is calculated to take the average busy percent of all lines and work from that rather than combining the calls from all lines together. This is a better measure of the busy signal. This new algorithm did not significantly change week 6 results when I ran them through the new model (the stats shown on the web site are the original stats).

You will now be able to see the busy percent/raw numbers for each Idol's phone number on the predictions page.

DialIdol was down this morning while our DNS service provider moved data centers.

DialIdol v2.1.3.0 has been released. Here's what changed.

• Each time you click DialIdol all Idol's phone numbers will be checked to verify they are the full 11 digits. If you start dialing prematurely your will get a scary dialog warning you that the numbers are incomplete though it will let you dial. If the numbers are complete nothing is visibly different.
• The never ending quest for compatibility continues. I've addressed the "Modem not responding to AT commands" message even further. Hopefully this time for good.
• I've added an option to append characters after the phone number which should help at least one person on a college campus get DialIdol to work. Now that I think about it the "Is DialIdol Working?" option may not append these digits but the main program does.

All of this was quickly coded in the spur of the moment so cross your fingers for me and hope it works! :)

I just thought of a funny April fool's I should have played. :) Too bad it was a day late!

So I don't have any big news. The new scoring system has been refined further this weekend and will now weight scores based on time zone population. Of course these weights are only relevant to DI's scoring system - votes still count the same in the only scoring system that matters - American Idols ®.

Margin of error will be calculated on a per Idol basis going forward according to the actual MOE equation. (Here's too hoping my minimal math skills got it right!)

I posted season four scores.

I posted the raw data for week 10.

So here's some fun facts about the month of March.

• www.DialIdol.com received 3,215,726 hits (more actually).
• Over 100,000+ unique IP addresses (people) visited www.DialIdol.com.
• I was interviewed by at least 5 different media outlets and made the front page of my local paper - The News Herald.
• DI shut down for 6 days after receiving 1 cease & desist letter.
• 158,745 calls were placed by DialIdol.
• DialIdol missed one vote - not because of the C&D letter but because of high volume and poor programming! :)
• DialIdol added a second web server.

Thanks for helping to make DialIdol a smashing success!

DialIdol v2.1.2.0 is being released today. This version should be compatible with more modems. It addresses the "Modem not responding to AT commands" problem many people were having, especially those with Intel 537EP modems. I'd like to thank Keith for providing me with one of these modems to test with.

As you can see, DialIdol is back online. There was no legal case to begin with but I had to make sure with professional legal advice. I suppose FremantleMedia might chose to push the issue further but I hope not. I have changed the DialIdol logo and made a few other cosmetic changes but other than that DialIdol is still the same old web site.

I'd like to thank my family, friends and co-workers for being extremely supportive and for riding the roller coaster of a week this has been with me.

I'd like to thank all of you for viewing my web site and for all the support you've given me.

Here is the list of people/places I'd like to thank for helping me advance the DialIdol cause.

I'd also like to thank my lawyer, Patrick Daugherty from the law firm of Driggs, Hogg & Fry Co., L.P.A.

Thanks again for your continued support. Many of you have provided very valuable advice that I hope will turn out to get this site back up and operational by Tuesday for the next vote - though the timing is going to be close.

I have contacted the ACLU and EFF and I still have a few other sites/organizations to review. There are also a few other leads I am following that seem promising at this moment as well as pursuit of traditional private attorneys. Since I have nothing concrete at the moment I am still looking for help & ideas. You've been so helpful to date I ask that you keep those well wishes and ideas coming.

For those interested in the C&D letter - here it is. I have edited out the personal private information but everything else is as I received it. BTW: Yes - the dates are truly inaccurate.

The regular site may come back in some form later today or this weekend. It will be without the application available for download, without the predictions and without the logo.

"Thanks" doesn't seem to cut it - but it's all I've got until the site is back up! ;)

I am swamped with emails for support and all of your emails keep me motivated even if you can't provide financial support!

I have received TONS of requests to see the cease and desist letter. I want to post this but I am afraid it will cause me more harm than good. I need to be convinced it will not cause me more harm than good first. I am also reluctant to reveal details of the phone conversation I had with them - but I will say pay close attention to the second paragraph in the "David Vs. Goliath" bulletin.

Also, I now believe FremantleMedia (the parent company of So You Think You Can Dance) is infringing on my first amendment rights to free speech and free press. The problem is going to become finding a brave, affordable lawyer to take all this on!

Thank you so much and stay tuned for details. DialIdol is down - but not dead!

Goliath (as they will be known for the purposes of this bulletin) sent this "David" a cease and desist letter yesterday claiming that DialIdol infringes on copyrights they own. I am not sure how they think I infringe and many of the allegations they made in the letter are false but in order to protect myself I am taking DialIdol down while I consult with the appropriate resources.

Goliath is very upset with the entire premise of this web site, particularly the way DialIdol "measures the busy signal" to predict the results. Given this I find it highly unlikely that I can change a few logos/colors/names to satisfy their concerns.

Understand that I really am just this one "David" guy with virtually no resources at my disposal to "fight" this Goliath. And by the way I don't even want to fight them - I love Goliath and want to work with them.

As I mentioned I will be consulting the appropriate resources over the next few days. If you'd like to help this David I encourage you to do three things:

1. Watch the show. Everyone involved in this process is here because we love the show - so watch it! The better the ratings, the better off DialIdol will be.
2. Email Goliath and let them know you are upset with their decision to shut DialIdol down.
3. Email me and let me know if you'd be willing to contribute to a legal fund to help David gain a tiny bit of leverage versus Goliath.

Thank you for your support!

• DialIdol v2.1.1.0 has been released. This version has the following changes.
  • Norton no longer detects DialIdol as "malicous". It never was malicious but a few API calls I used to clean up the registry were not to Norton's liking - I changed the way those calls are made and now Peter is happy again.
  • I've added a "Bypass AT command check" option in Config to satisfy some user requests - use this wisely as it has the potential to make you think you're voting even though you're not.

• The predictions page has been updated significantly.
• This page is going to go away soon. It will be replaced by the forums as soon as I copy the content.

• I put up some forums to discuss everything So You Think You Can Dance and DialIdol too of course. Give them a try they work pretty well!
• I added links to each contestant's page on  on the predictions page.

• I put up some forums to discuss everything So You Think You Can Dance and DialIdol too of course. Give them a try they work pretty well!
• I added links to each contestant's page on  on the predictions page.

• v2.1.0.0 has been released. This version will help you figure out whether DialIdol is really working and what you might need to do to make it work. Messages displayed have been improved, message boxes have been added to alert you of errors and a new form was added to provide a "wizard like" verification utility.
• Windows ME is now officially supported.

• Predictions Vs. Results were just about what I expected them to be - 50/50 accurate. As the number of people using DialIdol increases the accuracy will too. See the predictions page for more details.
• One user has confirmed that DialIdol works on Windows Me. If I get time this weekend I am going to test this.
• I have a theory about how DialIdol can work with Vonage by hooking your modem up to one of the ports on the phone adapters they give you. If you use Vonage or a similar service and are willing to test I'd appreciate it. I also think Vonage may offer "virtual modem" software so as to not require a modem at all but that is unconfirmed. Email me if you'd like to help with this: jrh7675@dialidol.com.
• I've begun working on DialIdol v2.1.0.0  which will help you figure out if it's working right. 70% of the code is done. Look for the release sooner than later.

• I see a lot of people running DialIdol but not a lot of data being submitted back. This could be because your computer does not have a modem or because the modem is not connected correctly. By default you should be able to hear the modem dialing out and hear the busy signals or vote message. If you never heard this - you're probably not voting. (Though DialIdol let's you turn the modem speaker off.)
• Look for a new version on Monday to help you figure this out.
• If you'd like help with this email me at jrh7675@dialidol.com.

• DialIdol v2.0.2.0 was released. This version will do a better job of remembering that your modem has once detected a busy signal (even after you close the app). I also updated the algorithm that auto-adjusts the call timeout when Idols continually get votes so that the timeout won't grow so large.

• DialIdol v2.0.1.0 was released. Fixes the time zone issue described below.
• DialIdol.com is being hosted just in case it gets big and my home connection can't support it so do me a favor and help me get my monies worth - spread the DialIdol word!

• DialIdol v2.0.0.0 was released. Many new features. An upgraded GUI, support for offline voting, advertisement space.
• There is a known issue in this version; if you are in the Mountain, Alaskan or Arizona time zone your scores will not be properly accepted because I did not know the show starts an hour earlier in those time zones. Central time zone people are not subject to this bug. A fix is forthcoming and should be available prior to the first vote.

• Season 5 will soon begin. DialIdol.com will "go public" this year after beta-testing last season. v2.0.0 will be published the weekend before the first voting show (assumed to be 2/20).
• There's plenty of pay dialers out there but only one free one - DialIdol. Good thing the free one is the best one! :)
• If you'd be interested in helping me develop a better GUI for the web site/application - email me: contact.

• Updates from 2007
• Updates from 2006
• Updates from 2005