Support paid add-ons - with an editable list of users

[Rigel Kentaurus]

The problem is distributing updates for paid add-ons.
So I have been thinking about an intermediate, easy to achieve solution.

For my paid add-ons, the #1 issue I have is distribution, and I am sure other paid add-on coders have too. Basically, customers have no way to download updates to the add-on, it puts the burden on me to maintain a site, or even setup my own Download Manager, maintain an access control of who could download, and many other features.

And for the customers, they need to register on my site, validate.. or use an external shopping cart. It is inconvenient.

The "first purchase" I solved with services like e-junkie, the updates, I have not solved.

So .. just give me two things:

1. The ability to upload files (attachments) to a paid Add-On in the resource manager
2. The ability to specify a fixed list of users in XenForo that are allowed to download said files

Yes, this is not a perfect solution, I still need to update that list manually, but at least I don't need to setup a whole different site just to manage the updates.

While some people might want to have a different site to deal with customer support, bug reports, suggestions, a whole fledged forum, I do not see every single add-on needing that. That's ok, I am not asking the whitelist to be the only way to distribute updates, but it would certainly go a long way into making it easier to distribute updates for smallish add-ons.

 

[DRE]

The problem is distributing updates for paid add-ons.
So I have been thinking about an intermediate, easy to achieve solution.

For my paid add-ons, the #1 issue I have is distribution, and I am sure other paid add-on coders have too. Basically, customers have no way to download updates to the add-on, it puts the burden on me to maintain a site, or even setup my own Download Manager, maintain an access control of who could download, and many other features.

And for the customers, they need to register on my site, validate.. or use an external shopping cart. It is inconvenient.

The "first purchase" I solved with services like e-junkie, the updates, I have not solved.

So .. just give me two things:

1. The ability to upload files (attachments) to a paid Add-On in the resource manager
2. The ability to specify a fixed list of users in XenForo that are allowed to download said files

Yes, this is not a perfect solution, I still need to update that list manually, but at least I don't need to setup a whole different site just to manage the updates.

While some people might want to have a different site to deal with customer support, bug reports, suggestions, a whole fledged forum, I do not see every single add-on needing that. That's ok, I am not asking the whitelist to be the only way to distribute updates, but it would certainly go a long way into making it easier to distribute updates for smallish add-ons.

I don't think Xenforo would do all that but you can ask at xFShowcase since they have the Resource Manager

http://xfshowcase.com

 

[DRE]

Here you go http://www.xfshowcase.com/threads/w...eed-your-ideas-and-suggestions.556/#post-4082

 

[Digital Doctor]

I don't think Xenforo would do all that but you can ask at xFShowcase since they have the Resource Manager http://xfshowcase.com

Certainly the RM release could spawn a few XF.org sites.
I'm sure other xenforo sites will use it too

 

[Shelley]

I don't think Xenforo would do all that but you can ask at xFShowcase since they have the Resource Manager

http://xfshowcase.com

That's the Official resource manager about to be sold here on the 26th?

 

[Sheldon]

The problem is distributing updates for paid add-ons.
So I have been thinking about an intermediate, easy to achieve solution.

For my paid add-ons, the #1 issue I have is distribution, and I am sure other paid add-on coders have too. Basically, customers have no way to download updates to the add-on, it puts the burden on me to maintain a site, or even setup my own Download Manager, maintain an access control of who could download, and many other features.

And for the customers, they need to register on my site, validate.. or use an external shopping cart. It is inconvenient.

The "first purchase" I solved with services like e-junkie, the updates, I have not solved.

So .. just give me two things:

1. The ability to upload files (attachments) to a paid Add-On in the resource manager
2. The ability to specify a fixed list of users in XenForo that are allowed to download said files

Yes, this is not a perfect solution, I still need to update that list manually, but at least I don't need to setup a whole different site just to manage the updates.

While some people might want to have a different site to deal with customer support, bug reports, suggestions, a whole fledged forum, I do not see every single add-on needing that. That's ok, I am not asking the whitelist to be the only way to distribute updates, but it would certainly go a long way into making it easier to distribute updates for smallish add-ons.

One question. Would you allow moderators/admins the ability to see your list of people allowed to download files. I could see an issue where one of course claims they have access, you say they don't, etc... I guess in the end, it would be on the user to show validation of purchase if a claim was made. That is about the only issue I could see with this request. I like the suggestion, however.

 

[erich37]

The problem is distributing updates for paid add-ons.
So I have been thinking about an intermediate, easy to achieve solution.

For my paid add-ons, the #1 issue I have is distribution, and I am sure other paid add-on coders have too. Basically, customers have no way to download updates to the add-on, it puts the burden on me to maintain a site, or even setup my own Download Manager, maintain an access control of who could download, and many other features.

And for the customers, they need to register on my site, validate.. or use an external shopping cart. It is inconvenient.

The "first purchase" I solved with services like e-junkie, the updates, I have not solved.

So .. just give me two things:

1. The ability to upload files (attachments) to a paid Add-On in the resource manager
2. The ability to specify a fixed list of users in XenForo that are allowed to download said files

Yes, this is not a perfect solution, I still need to update that list manually, but at least I don't need to setup a whole different site just to manage the updates.

While some people might want to have a different site to deal with customer support, bug reports, suggestions, a whole fledged forum, I do not see every single add-on needing that. That's ok, I am not asking the whitelist to be the only way to distribute updates, but it would certainly go a long way into making it easier to distribute updates for smallish add-ons.

so if I understand correctly, you do not want to send out updates of your Add-ons via Email to your Add-on customers and maintain a customer-list ?
And sell your Add-ons directly here at xenforo.com like at a webshop ?

This is understandable and I think it would make work easier for Add-on developers........

Maybe something like this ?
http://xenforo.com/community/thread...e-extendable-to-other-uses.26748/#post-495709

 

[Sheldon]

That's the Official resource manager about to be sold here on the 26th?

Yes.

 

[Sheldon]

so if I understand correctly, you do not want to send out updates of your Add-ons via Email to your Add-on customers and maintain a customer-list ?
And sell your Add-ons directly here at xenforo.com like at a webshop ?

This is understandable and I think it will make work easier for Add-on developers........

Maybe something like this ?
http://xenforo.com/community/thread...e-extendable-to-other-uses.26748/#post-495709

He still sells them however he wants.

He wants to be able to upload them in the RM (say, a locked file or whatever, once purchased, able to download). When an update comes in, instead of emailing or contacting everyone, he simply uploads the update there, and the list he has specified is able to download it.

That is how I'd view it.

 

[Rigel Kentaurus]

One question. Would you allow moderators/admins the ability to see your list of people allowed to download files. I could see an issue where one of course claims they have access, you say they don't, etc... I guess in the end, it would be on the user to show validation of purchase if a claim was made. That is about the only issue I could see with this request. I like the suggestion, however.

I don't see why not, it's not like I need to keep secret the list of people that have purchased the add-on.
Worst case scenario someone would not use it at all.

XenForo should not solve disputes between the person selling the add-on and the community, that should not change. They have not agreed to be the mediator for anything. Plus, the only person that has proof of purchase is the original seller anyway.

so if I understand correctly, you do not want to send out updates of your Add-ons via Email to your Add-on customers and maintain a customer-list ?
And sell your Add-ons directly here at xenforo.com like at a webshop ?

This is understandable and I think it would make work easier for Add-on developers........

Maybe something like this ?
http://xenforo.com/community/thread...e-extendable-to-other-uses.26748/#post-495709

That's correct. I would still kind of be maintaining a customer list but the "Send Email" process is gone. People loose those emails anyway, and instead of having to deal with the requests to re-download the add-on they can just go to the thread and download it whenever they need, whichever version they need.

Selling add-ons directly from XenForo is a different topic, I don't think we would get to that, since processing payments on behalf of someone else is a difficult and long process that may include a legal component that XF might not want to deal with.

Today, I use e-junkie for selling the addons, basically they process the payment, create a one time use download link that is emailed to the user immediately after the paypal transaction completes. It works as expected, the customer gets the add-on immediately, I get the paypal payment. Problem is, it cannot be used to distribute updates since it is a one time transaction.

 

[Rigel Kentaurus]

I don't think Xenforo would do all that but you can ask at xFShowcase since they have the Resource Manager

http://xfshowcase.com

Well, an add-on to the resource manager is not useful to me. I guess I could solve this by purchasing the RM myself and doing the necessary changes and handle the complete sale process on my site.

But what I really want to do is distribute the paid add-ons here on XF (the updates)

And adding an AC list and a file seems so trivial that I am sure the devs could code that in a weekend time

From the user point of view, it is better to have a one-point shopping point than trying to remember "where was the site that I purchased the blog add-on...."

 

[Alpha1]

Would it not be useful to use a site like digitalpoint or xfshowcase?
https://marketplace.digitalpoint.com/xenforo.12/category
http://www.xfshowcase.com/resources/

I dont know about XFSC but DP has payments also setup. DP does not seem to use the RM, but his own software. I am not sure what functionality it has, but it may be worth checking out if it does what you need.

On a slightly different topic: does XF or the RM alert customers of updates in any way?

 

[craigiri]

I have to say that the existing schemes are poor for an end user. Some vendors make you register for their forums to get an add-on. Imagine after 50 add-ons......you have to belong to "x" forums with login and password, etc. etc.

Why not do it wordpress style, make everything automatic and be done with it? Since the add-on could be downloaded right to the "approved" domain, this would be somewhat of a check....

I'm sure this does not keep the XF developers up at night, but it is a pain for end users.

 

[Sheldon]

On a slightly different topic: does XF or the RM alert customers of updates in any way?

Yes, when you are watching the resource, you will get an alert.

 

[Alpha1]

I really like systems that alert about new updates from within the admin panel. It would be nice to see an alert on the xenforo installation. But thats a topic for a new suggestion.

 

[Sheldon]

I really like systems that alert about new updates from within the admin panel. It would be nice to see an alert on the xenforo installation. But thats a topic for a new suggestion.

A mass alert sent to members saying a certain add-on has been installed?

 

[Alpha1]

A mass alert sent to members saying a certain add-on has been installed?

It would be nice to have your XF installation poll for addon updates periodically. (daily/weekly)

Then if there are updates display an alert next to the 'admin control panel' link on the front end of the installation.

When clicking the alert it could direct the admin to the addon list in admin panel /admin.php?add-ons/ and show which addons have updates with current version and update version.

Each addon could link to the addon update in xenforo.com/community/resources/ or whatever url the addon update is located.

 

[Sheldon]

It would be nice to have your XF installation poll for addon updates periodically. (daily/weekly)

Then if there are updates display an alert next to the 'admin control panel' link on the front end of the installation.

When clicking the alert it could direct the admin to the addon list in admin panel /admin.php?add-ons/ and show which addons have updates with current version and update version.

Each addon could link to the addon update in xenforo.com/community/resources/ or whatever url the addon update is located.

Ummm, with Chris' Add-On Installer, it does that.\

 

[Alpha1]

Awesome. Chris his addon does what I want and much more. Very nice.

 

[digitalpoint]

Would it not be useful to use a site like digitalpoint or xfshowcase?
https://marketplace.digitalpoint.com/xenforo.12/category
http://www.xfshowcase.com/resources/

I dont know about XFSC but DP has payments also setup. DP does not seem to use the RM, but his own software. I am not sure what functionality it has, but it may be worth checking out if it does what you need.

On a slightly different topic: does XF or the RM alert customers of updates in any way?

Just to clarify, our digital goods marketplace is geared more towards selling of digital goods. It's not a resource manager (like you can't post articles and stuff like that... It's strictly digital goods).

That being said, it handles payments, licensing (including renewals), distribution, updates, etc. it even has a built in affiliate program where sellers can optionally choose an affiliate percent to pay out to referrers.