Amember 4 feature list tracking thread

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

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.

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

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?

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'.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

upgrade

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

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