Amember 4 feature list tracking thread

Discussion in 'Pre-Sales Questions' started by skippybosco, Mar 9, 2008.

  1. skippybosco

    skippybosco CGI-Central Partner Staff Member

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    With more chatter of Amember 4, I took a moment to round up some of the various requested (and where applicable confirmed) features from the forum.

    While this is not an official “Feature Request List”, it would be interesting to get your wish list items added to this thread, perhaps there is hope for getting them into Amember 4.1 :p

    Confirmed

    • Shopping Cart functionality
    • Recurring/Not-Recurring Coupons
    • Reworked signup/profile forms code
    • AJAX enhancements of signup form
    • 2-tiers affiliate program
    • Drop Smarty

    Requested

    • Support for single page signup
    • Passwords and credit card #s stored as md5 hashes
    • Better grid control (sorting columns, etc) in report panel.
    • Web based Report Maker
    • Support for complex queries when exporting data or creating reports
    • Better support for user activity tracking (Google Analytics plugin perhaps?)
    • Support for protecting content stored on Amazon s3 storage
    • Amazon payment API plugin
    • Unencrypted code (no Ioncube or Zend)
    • Open source widgets for supported third party plugins (log in boxes for wordpress, etc)
    • Ajax for things like duplicate name check and city state drop down population)
    • Dynamic file list with links for protecting folder(s) and displaying links to all files in the folder on your pages
    • Database Improvement to remove login delay issues
    • Support for using Gmail/Google Apps as a SMTP (ie support for SMTP TLS Port 587)
    • Facebook / Open Social Support
    • User determined pricing
    • Ability to set TimeZone
    • Send Email based on product or by Payment type
    • Support for a Mix of CheckBoxes and Radio Buttons on Signup

    Questions?
    • When will it be released?
    • Will existing custom developed plugins continue to work?
  2. tomfra

    tomfra Member

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    If I may add one feature request:

    Better support for EU VAT tax. The built-in tax system has some important restrictions when it comes to EU VAT, so in my opinion, EU VAT tax calculations should be added as a separate feature.

    Tomas
  3. microlinx

    microlinx aMember Pro Customer

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    Wow, version 4, you guys are really optimistic...
    With basically zero feedback from the author, I am about ready to write off any expectations of a future version and try to find another solution that will keep up with the times. aMember is great, but the lack of any information on a future version is not wise on the part of the developer. I hope I'm wrong, but it's been too long without any word from Alex. We don't need a release date, just some word if it's still in development and maybe a ball park estimate for a beta.
  4. tomfra

    tomfra Member

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    Microlinx,

    I believe that Alex mentioned quite a few times the version 4 is indeed still being developed, just that there is a delay. Since I have been involved in software development myself (nothing related to aMember to avoid confusion), I know very well that there is almost always a delay and that asking for a release date multiple times does not speed up the development.

    Sure, some update always helps ;)

    Tomas
  5. jenolan

    jenolan aMember Coder

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    If the current version manages your site why would you change simply because of new shiny car syndrome?

    You can easily tart up the signup pages and whatever as much as you please all of the background work is still going to be background work and it is actually the important part .. aint it?
  6. skippybosco

    skippybosco CGI-Central Partner Staff Member

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    If your only need is to "tart up" the sign up page, then yes modifying the existing template allows for that.

    Looking over the above list (derived from feedback in this forum) it seems needs are deeper than that.

    Using your car analogy, a number of us instead see version 4 as a salvage for an abandoned car (~2 years old) as opposed to a shiny new car with a new model every week.

    While the original car worked for our original needs, time has a way of impacting our customers needs and steps necessary to stay competitive.
  7. jenolan

    jenolan aMember Coder

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    Just goes to show we have differing priorities my car is 12 years old it still goes well I find no need to get something else just 'because'.
  8. microlinx

    microlinx aMember Pro Customer

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    I agree with skip...
    Nearly 2 years of no updates or script improvements, my duct tape fixes are wearing out.
    There are several area that could be improved, like the affiliate system and some database issues, (can't do a daily search beyond the current year with the script whacking out the server) even after jens db rebuild patch.
    I'm beginning to question the security of this "12 year old" car.
  9. flfootytv

    flfootytv New Member

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    i dont question the security whatsoever.

    it just really badly needs some updated features such as support for ssl smtp (gmail) and the like. it's perfectly fine for what it does but at the price we pay for it, I do think that we should get a lot more feature updates.
  10. drgrant

    drgrant New Member

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    I'd like to add to the features list (especially if there's a shopping cart feature) - Self Determined Pricing, where users could pay whatever price they wanted for products.
  11. skippybosco

    skippybosco CGI-Central Partner Staff Member

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    that is an interesting suggestion drgrant (i've added it to the list).. can you describe a scenario?

    I've seen a variant of the model on http://amiestreet.com/ where they start with a set low price and it increases as the file becomes more popular.
  12. culverin

    culverin New Member

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    One thing I would like to see in the new version is a more secure directory structure for amember. In particular, I would like to see all the administrative and backend (payment processing, admin, db access, etc) code segregated from the public areas, so that the minimum number of files is accessible from the webroot.

    Something like this:

    /private (directory hidden from view, not in web root)
    ../admin
    ../plugins
    ../templates
    ../etc.

    /public (directory for non-members who haven't signed up)
    ..signup.php

    /members (directory for members who have paid)
    ..member.php
    ..thanks.php
    ..etc.
  13. ronniead

    ronniead Member

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    Dec 20, 2007
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    My 2cents

    I look every single day to see if there is an upgrade for amember...so I'm really happy you've started this thread...

    Some features I'd love are:
    • more reports, or a report maker. Also, have an area on the forums where users can upload their custom reports so we can share.
    • I'd like to use more than one paypal account for different products
    • Autoresponder for PENDING users
    • Support to add a potential new subscriber to an autoresponder series. Using a free subscription kinda works, but then once they have signed up, they are asked to login...it seems a little clumsy. Then when they decide to purchase they have to pay via the members.php page which is also not ideal.
    • offset timezone so people who are on shared hosting can set their timezone to whatever...
    • Support for Multiple Emails. I run a few websites, and would be nice if amember could send emails from different addresses.
    • Support for mixture of radio and checkbox's when purchasing a product. For example someone purchases a yearly membership, and also checks "I'd like some fries with that". I know there is support for multiple checkbox's but this would look so much nicer...I would LOVE this, and this would increase my sales quite significantly.
  14. skippybosco

    skippybosco CGI-Central Partner Staff Member

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    Quick disclaimer, this thread is by no means official (not even sure if Alex has seen it).. Just a forum to vent and wish while we wait for the ACTUAL release to be finished.

    That being said, great suggestions ronniead, I've updated the list.

    A few of them seem doable today:

    What if you make a copy of your PayPal plugin and put it in a new directory (have to hack the plugin name in the php file).. <- Guessing

    You can set the # of days after non-payment to email a reminder to a customer today, would that serve the purpose?

    Granted it would be hard coding, but this seems doable today with a modified signup page?
  15. jazzedge

    jazzedge Member

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    Over 2 weeks have gone by and Alex has not even weighed in on this post. I agree with the fact that software development takes time.

    However, when you say that something is going to be ready in XX months, miss the deadline, then say XX months, miss and so on, I myself start to get restless.

    Unless the upgrade is going to be $50 or less for those of us that have been waiting upwards of years for a new release, I think I'll stay put.

    As far as Alex not seeing this post, I'd find that odd because the forum is really the only way for us as a customer base to connect with the developer. The trouble ticket system is not appropriate for a "wish list", there is no 800#, and this post comes up at the top when searching for new posts.

    Amember is a really nice script, but the development cycle leaves me wondering about its life cycle. I'm surprised that another developer has not seen an opportunity here and created their own script to compete (feature for feature) with Amember.

    I don't want to see Amember go under. However, I'd would appreciate a more realistic assessment of when the software will actually be released.

    Skippybosco, I appreciate your list and the time taken to compile it. Good job!

    But, are we going to be talking about Skippy's list in 6 months still waiting for a v4 that was supposed to come out last year?

    Alex, please respond to this post and give us at least an update so we know how long we are going to wait. Many of us run our businesses on your software. Can you give us some reassurance?

    Thanks. Sorry for the rant.
  16. miso

    miso aMember Pro Customer

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    Meh...

    All those features are nice, but I still wish there was a support for an actual shopping cart feature, AND more importantly (as far as integration with other software goes and security checks), integrating USERS and ADMINS tables together, into one, or at least being able to register a USER from an ADMIN, so that the same username ADMIN can be a user as well (or at least just add an option in the ADMIN creation process that allows us to generate a regular user under that name too, and when he logs in through the regular user login.php he gets access to all the admin functions as well).
  17. microlinx

    microlinx aMember Pro Customer

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    I'd have to agree with jazz...but then again, I'm not expecting to see any new version at all. The trouble here is the lack of competition. If people are buying the script and sales are solid, what motivation is there to develop further? I'd wait on making and "feature request lists" until after a beta test version would be completed. That is something I no longer expect to see anywhere in the next year, or three...
    I hope some sharp programmer picks up the opportunity to create a similar product to freshen up the membership management software niche.

    Although aMember still works, I'd personally pay anything for something new with added features & functions. I run 3 plugins and with more than one subscription, the login time is ridiculously slow. Other scripts are advancing and as they do, aMember and its plugins will eventually be left behind.

    Thumbs down for lack of response from the author.
  18. sourabh_

    sourabh_ New Member

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    I would like to have a task manager...and a post box like thing for bulk mailing users...the bulk mailing should be task based and automated...I do not like to keep looking at my web page while the mails are being sent out.
  19. blgts

    blgts New Member

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    upgrade

    Hi ,
    What about upgrade procedures ? Are we going to install a fresh installation of amember 4.0 ?
  20. chrome62

    chrome62 Member

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    What version 4.0?
    There is no such beast on the horizon.

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