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Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc,

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Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc,
I know there have been several threads on this, and I posted some ideas a few weeks back, but today I got two inquiries, and I'll address this.

I have addressed many parts of this in different scripts/programs I have written getting my sites back up, but it's a matter of putting it into one place, and making it user-friendly.

I can have a program out in a few days to a week, if there is interest, and that means $$. I hate to do this this way, but many (most) of you are familiar with my situation currently, and if I take this sort of diversion from what I have to do, I need something tangible to offset the panic that will set in. Seriously, we've had our new servers up for 2 months, and I still don't have all my sites back on-line, and there are still broken things in several that are -- all because my ISP "forgot" about our backups.... Anyway.

I have parts of this done for another project, and there will of course be upgrades:

1) When a link is uploaded, it can have an expiration date set by the admin (hard limit) or the user can pick a date either x-days in the future or on a specific date. This code needs a lot of tweaking for the finer points, but the basics -- 30, 60, 90 and "on" dates are there.

2) A cron job expires the links by checking the expire-on date to the current system date. It sets the Expired field to 1/Yes. I use that field to decide to show the links or not. (It could also set isValidated to _No_)

3) I can add in a mail feature that will mail link owners at say 15 and 0 days their link is expiring/expired. The cron job will manage that.

Admin features are lacking at this point, since the basics are what I concentrated on. The expire date shows up in the standard admin editor.

Before I commit, what other features would you want in this first release?

Other things built in, or considered, are in this post: http://www.gossamer-threads.com/...orum.cgi?post=183632

How are you managing payments for the ads?

Is this a subcategory for ads, or is the the whole Links installation with expire dates?

Caveats - the search and links counts are not accurate, since the only flag field Links uses is isValidated, and this would need to also check isExpired. I _hope_ alex is still considering the various shemes and plans to be able to add additional user flags to the system :) This _could_ be fixed somewhat by also setting _isValidated_ to "No"

Feature Addition: If there is sufficient interest past the basics, the best way to manage this in the current links system, is to create a new table for holding "expired" or pending ads. When an ad expires, it's removed from the Links database, and inserted into the "expired" table. The LinkID can be preserved, and re-inserted into the old database, or it can be assigned a new ID. But, the main key on this table would be the Username/LinkOwner field. A link owner could pull up a list of their expired ads, and resubmit the ones they wanted. Because Links is only managing "new" and "active" ads, the benefits of this sort of system start to become pretty obvious.

Feature Addition: The big one is "modify"/renew or edit the ad. Simple renew, without edit is easier, but once the ad is changed, it would need to be re-validated (or are you auto-validating ads?)

The interface issues are more of a problem than the management code, so "time" is a real factor in designing this.

The down and dirty - I need a show of hands as to interest. That means who would purchase this mod if it was set at $75 with free upgrades, but I could have it out in 10 days (or say a week from this friday) (give myself some breathing room). I could probably have a beta out by friday, that would let you start taking in ads, but managing them would have to be from the standard admin or MySQL man directly, until I got the edit code done.

I don't want to see the hands here in the forum :) Please send me a private message here, (the best way) or an email to my listed email address (not so good, as my mail client is having heart failure). I really need 4-5 people willing to pay for this before I can commit to it. (or one person willing to fund the whole thing, I guess).

DO POST suggestions or features here, since it's easier to plan for them from the start than to back hack them in.

Other things being worked on:

1) updating the existing plug ins, I still need to get the 2.1 versions on-line.
2) Image/File upload - I have a set of steps to get basic file handling working in Links, but the multiple attachment system is still being re-done for 2.1. I posted a thread asking for comments from people using the current built in system. I'm back to pretty much my original release schedule, if you substitute 2002 for 2001 <G>.
3) postcards.cgi is working, and available for purchase. It can accept any URL as the image url, so you don't need a modified copy of Links to run a postcards directory in one subcategory -- just add an"Image" field to your Link record, and pass that to the program.
4)... other stuff.

Anyway, I got two requests/iquiries today on the xpiration mod, so I thought I'd post this offer.

I know there is at least one, maybe 2 other similar plugins in the works, maybe they'll be finished first.


PUGDOG� Enterprises, Inc.

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Last edited by:

pugdog: Mar 18, 2002, 10:11 AM
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Re: [pugdog] Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc, In reply to
>>but today I got two inquiries, and I'll address this. <<

Hmm by the same person who emailed me I bet :)

I guess we better decide who does it to save someone a lot of time.

Last edited by:

Paul: Mar 18, 2002, 10:35 AM
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Re: [Paul] Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc, In reply to
Well, I know I private msg'd you both, but I did not make -two- inquiries with pugdog. At any rate, you are correct that you should decide who does it to save someone time. From reading http://www.gossamer-threads.com/...orum.cgi?post=181959, it appears that Webmaster33 is very near completion of a plugin for this.
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Re: [Andrew Mitcham] Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc, In reply to
I did say Two inquries, meaning two people, not one.


PUGDOG� Enterprises, Inc.

The best way to contact me is to NOT use Email.
Please leave a PM here.
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Re: [Andrew Mitcham] Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc, In reply to
Hi Andrew,

I have to correct your post a bit.
Quote:
it appears that Webmaster33 is very near completion of a plugin for this
This is not really correct. I finished the Expirator mod itself for Links 2.0, but the Expirator plugin development for Links SQL 2.1 is not started, yet. The Link Expirator mod developed by me for Links v2.0, currently still works fine on my site.

Currently, I'm preparing to upgrade my site from Links 2.0 to Links SQL v2.1. I did many modifications for Links 2.0 to have special features on my working site. To do the upgrade, I need to develop those plugins for my site to have the same features as I had in Links 2.0.
This means, I also need Link Expirator plugin and I will develop it for myself. Of course once it is finished, anybody will be able to buy this plugin to have the same functionality as my site.
My site should be upgraded within 1-2 months, so the Link Expirator plugin will be finished & released sometime within this interval. So should be available within 1-2 month.
It is very likely, that even if Pugdog develops his own Expirator, I will still develop my own one, because I have special needs for my site.

You will see which one will fit better your needs:
Link Expirator [by Webmaster33] or Link Expirator [by Pugdog],
then you can choose which one you want to buy.

Remember, this is not about to compete with Pugdog. I need to develop the plugin anyway for myself.

Best regards,
Webmaster33


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Last edited by:

webmaster33: Mar 18, 2002, 7:10 PM
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Re: [webmaster33] Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc, In reply to
I understand that :) Everyone has different needs, and no two programs are going to work the same way, especially when they start to get into details.

My "code" is started, but it isn't a plugin yet. Unless there is a show of interest, my plugin will probably be released after yours, again, because I have my own needs, for something to work the way I need it to on the back end, mostly.


PUGDOG� Enterprises, Inc.

The best way to contact me is to NOT use Email.
Please leave a PM here.
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Re: [pugdog] Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc, In reply to
Yep, I also understand that :)

Something that you write for yourself to make your life easier, mostly doesn't really need user insterface. But if something is going to be released for the public, it needs more than that... Needs user interface, documentation, etc., all what you would not need for yourself...

Best regards,
Webmaster33


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Re: [webmaster33] Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc, In reply to
Making it pretty is the biggest problem.

We griped for a plug in system, then we grip it's too complicated to use :)

Actually, I need to write a new shell, and have alex look at it, for any new improvements, then once I have that, stuffing in the files for each specific plugin is easier. My old shell worked for 1.1x and 2.0 but I don't think it will work for 2.1.

Actually, for me this is the stumbling block. Creating the base/default plugin code to create the install.pm module. It's a complicated bear to start from scratch, with the various nuances, but once it's written, and works, then pretty much every plug in can use it, and you just change the actual values and included files, not the syntax of the installer.


PUGDOG� Enterprises, Inc.

The best way to contact me is to NOT use Email.
Please leave a PM here.
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Re: [webmaster33] Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc, In reply to
In Reply To:
Hi Andrew,

I have to correct your post a bit.
Quote:
it appears that Webmaster33 is very near completion of a plugin for this
This is not really correct. I finished the Expirator mod itself for Links 2.0, but the Expirator plugin development for Links SQL 2.1 is not started, yet.


Thank you for correcting me. I do recall you saying that now. Obviously, I was paying attention Blush. At any rate, I look forward to seeing both your work.

Thanks!
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Re: [Andrew Mitcham] Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc, In reply to
Hi All

Just checking on the status of things

Thanks. Smile Smile

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Re: [DogTags] Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc, In reply to
Hi,

Still here. I did not forget anything.
However, the developments are going slowly, depending my free time. Still not started the expiration plugin. I will post a notice here, when I started development of this plugin.

I can not estimate when I will start, but I also need the expirator, so this is a guarantee that I will do the development as soon as possible.

Best regards,
Webmaster33


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Re: [webmaster33] Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc, In reply to
No prob. Thanks very much. Smile

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Re: [DogTags] Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc, In reply to
I'm in the same boat, but I'll have a "window" people can look into to see where all the different programs are at by next week. Basically it will be a test site, with all my plugins in various stages of development. (it will be a wonder if it works, but we can hope <G>)


PUGDOG� Enterprises, Inc.

The best way to contact me is to NOT use Email.
Please leave a PM here.
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Re: [pugdog] Expirator, Expiration Mod, etc, In reply to
Hi,

when is the expiration Mod ready to use?????


Best regards
Sven