I am wondering if a new version is due to be released anytime soon. While yes, the script works well, there are many small issues that could be resolved. It's been nearly 9 months since the last release. Alex: If you need a list of these "small" issues, we can post them here, but I'm sure you have a list already.
Here's a few quick issues: 1. Database improvement - the old login delay issue. 2. Autofill for users last name does not work. Auto fill standardization. 3. When a admin session times out, logging in again produces a "nested" page display with two menu bars. 4. It would also be nice to have an option to display more than the last 7 days on the main admin screen. 5. Clicking on a day of the week brings up the daily detail page. But the "Display completed payments only" check box does nothing. I like to see attempted payments too, and have to select "List payments by > Record insertion date". 6. Bring back the option to receive an admin email on attempted "pending" signups.
1.. Would be great if we are able to show product wise stats on the main admin page.. i.e. product1 = 10/15 (expired/active) 2.. Coupon need to be more flexible.. we should be able to select whether the discount is for trial period or only 1st month or 1st three months only etc..
Another problem was discovered with the affiliate program... When the commission rate is set to 50% on a $19.95 subscription, it keeps reporting 20 as the affiliate commission. No dollar sign, just 20. How can that be on a subscription that costs $19.95? There needs to be some way of overriding commissions, to correct the amount, especially in the case of chargebacks, and script bugs. This used to work, but stopped working properly after upgrading to 3.0.8 Alex, are you still alive?
The reporting in general is the weakest link in what is otherwise a very solid, very usable program. The included reports are laughably insufficient. Unless I'm missing something, I see no way possible to do even the simplest of "complex" queries. For example: I can retrieve users who have product X. I can also retrieve users who expire on a certain date. But from what I can tell, there's no way I can get a simple list of users with product X who expire on that date -- without having to do an export of several tables and perform some tricky manual maneuvering in a database program of some sort. What should take seconds ends up taking HOURS and has a high chance of error. Why not allow users to build and store their own reports? This sort of thing is not only possible, it's *extremely* common in programs using a database backend. As much as I like aMember, I may be forced to look elsewhere if a plan to beef up the reporting isn't in the works.
If you want some 'reports' write me some spec's I have a planned addon for a user Journal (not a blog) and a user info screen. Additional reports I could do as a report pak. I have a few other items partially spec'd but Alex's announcement re a new release put me on hold as it would likely mean that what I did would not be easily transportable to a new release.
Does anyone know of alternative membership scripts? I found Easy Member Pro and am now considering switching over to their script. aMember seems to have died, at least from a support aspect. That's too bad.
Jenolan, I'm not sure of your intention here -- are you saying you'd write some addon reports for me for a fee? Or that you're already planning an addon and would possibly include some of my reports in that? If it's the latter, would you be charging for it?
My initial plan for a paid add-on pak .. if your reports interest me I might add 'em to the pak, otherwise if you want I could do them for a fee. But a clear detail of what is wanted and preferably a mock up would be appreciated.
I have contacted Alex about a new version of aMember, this was the reply: --- We are still working on it. There are a lot of modifications, so it was delayed. Beta will be available in this months. P.S. We will compensate unused upgrades subscriptions for our customers. --- So, not too long to go hopefully, can't wait to see the new version.
Hi, I do not know but to my knowledge Alex did mention that he will modify the beta and add JQuery + Ajax, which was my feature request in a thread before several months before the beta was just about to be due. If Alex decided to change and add some more features, it would ofcourse be in the interest of all the users. Further, my feature request of adding some Ajax qualities or functions was not an easy task. Also if he would bring out the first beta, then it would be difficult ot add those functions in the final or one has to make a second beta, etc. Also getting a beta + final out and later adding Ajax would mean that all users would have to apply patches in all the modified files. This is a headache indeed. A lot of work. So I would rather prefer to wait for a few months and be happy with the new version that includes Ajax. The aMember functions with out any problems. So why get into headaches of making several updates again and again? Here, I do not know if Alex was successful in implementing Ajax at all or how far is the work in this regards. I did not dare to even ask him in this regards. Just wait and watch....
I will say just this. With my experience of aMember and the fantastic level of customer support, it will be worth the wait. aMember keeps on getting better.
Well at least Alex is still with us, that good to hear. Not to delay the process more, but I have one other idea that could be implemented in the new version and it should be quite easy to do: Under Setup/Configuration > Email It would be nice to have a second field for email notification or better yet, just a field for cell phone / pager / pda notification and a template for the message to be sent upon new completed member signup. Right now I use a forwarder on my server to do this, but it send a dozen message on each signup, apparently splitting them up due to size. I will send this to Alex as a ticket.
Wow, still no word on a new version - It's been 10 months since the last rev. I even purchased a 6 month support contract, but for what? I'm really starting to wonder.
I'm not sure what is going on with amember...it used to be that Alex released improvements every few months, now it's about 11 months (almost a full year) since the last substantial update (3.0.9 does not count). aMember has a great product, but it could sure use some improvements along the way. I suppose when there is no real competition, you don't have to improve your product at all. If I knew of an alternative, one that is regularly improved, I'd certainly consider it. If we knew that something was in the works, that would be a different story. No deadlines or release dates needed, just SOMETHING to let us know aMember will continue to be developed. I'd certainly be willing to shell out $$$ for an improved version with better reporting, newsletter management, affiliate program, faster, etc.