Just wondering what happens after a paid listing expires?

- Does it go 'unvalidated'?
- Or does it just drop back to be a free listing?

I'm looking to set up my directory so I have a basic free listing, and then paid listings each of which display more information in each link. So what I'd like to know is...

- Is there an easy to way to have paid links drop back to a free link when they expire?
- If I set up listings - Free, Bronze, Silver, Gold - can I use these tags in the link.html template with "if" tags to hide information depending on the payment level?
- Can a user currently 'upgrade' to the next payment option in the system? ie. if they purcahse a Bronze listing but want to upgrade to a Gold, can the system handle this or is it possible to implement?

Thanks!

Regan.

Is this possible? When payment is optional, a user thinks that they will have their link as a free listing after the payment period expires. If they choose to pay again, the link will go to the paid links again. Anyone is using it this way? Thanks for any suggestions

You would have to write some code to do this, and this code would have to run nightly. Basically, it would go through the links which have expired, and then if it's possible (ie. the category allows free links), downgrade the link to be a free link, otherwise leave it as expired.

Adrian

What are the changes in the database required to convert a paid to a free link and the other way around?

The ExpiryDate column determines whether the link is a free, paid, unpaid, or unlimited. If you look at the top of Links.pm, there's a list of the constants used:
So if you wanted to turn a link into a free one, then you'd just set ExpiryDate to FREE, and for the other way around, just set it to the unixtime of the date you want the link to expire.

Adrian

Thank you for your reply. I will try and see what would be the easiest way to use it.

I want the same functionality...
When a link expires, I want it to become a free link.

Is there a plugin, or edit that can be made to the source code to accomodate this feature?
Example please.

How about a hack to just display "expired" links?
( rather than perform a Hudini act on them )

Thank you
RGB World, Inc. - Software & Web Development.
rgbworld.com

Since a new major version of LSQL is coming out soon, I would like to outline a payments scenario, that I think it would be useful for many LSQL users, so it would be interesting if this setup can be an alternative to the current:

1) As in previous message an expired link becomes a free link.
2) Link owners -when they log in- they can see in the modify page listing their links, a specific link next to each one to convert to a paid link, if currently it is a free link.
Also they can see their paid links and the date they expire so they can renew if they wish.

if this is true that a "paid link" becomes a free link when it expires, then this is not good.
This should definately be modified, so that when a link expires the administrator of LinksSQL should get an e-mail that a link will expire. Additionally the Link-owner should get an e-mail to renew his link and pay for one more year (or moth or whatever).
If this feature is not yet build in into LinksSQL, please update with this feature in the new version.


Best regards,

Erich

Me thinks that this already happens "out of the box" with Links 2.2.1 (it does on my installation without any mods being applied);

1) Paid links become free links when expired - as I would expect.
2) The link owner is emailed that they should renew their payment (you need to set up a cron job to do this - but this is mentioned in the setup).
3) When the link has expired, there is a link added below it to allow the owner to renew payment.

You can't beat doing an install of the latest version of Links (2.2.1) to discover all of this.

Cheers,

Piers

1) Paid links become free links when expired - as I would expect.

This is not true. Paid links become expired links. Expired links do not show up in the directory listing at all. The only person who can see a link that has expired is the link owner, and they must be logged in and on the modify page.

Current scenario:
I add my link to your directory as a free link. At some later date I decide to pay for my link so it shows up above all free links. Once my paid period of time expires, my link simply disappears out of the directory. This is just bad logic. Paid links need to revert to a free link when they expire. After all, if you are allowing free links, all the user has to do is login and make it a free link. Why not just make that the default?


RGB World, Inc. - Software & Web Development.
rgbworld.com

A "paid link" does NOT become a free link when it expires. LSQL does do the emailing to the admin and link owner as you would expect, but if I (as the link owner) choose not to renew my paid link, it should not be ommited from the directory (as is the current behavior), especially if your directory allows for free links.

RGB World, Inc. - Software & Web Development.
rgbworld.com

Maybe, if the link has expired, to give the ability to the LinkOwner to change it to a free link? With just a link from the LinkOwner's modify page? Anybody can advise how to implement that (it shouldn't be difficult)?

What you describe IS the way LSQL works out-of-the-box. That is... when a link expires the link owner can simply make it a free link (from the modify page). If they do not perform this menial task, their link will not be displayed in the directory at all.

My point is.. Why make the Link disappear? LSQL should email the link owner and tell them that their "paid" period of time has expired and that the link is now diplayed with all the other free links (bottom).
If you would like to re-subscribe... login and upgrade to a paid link.

FYI, I have my directory fixed. It displays ALL links regardless of the payment status.
This fixes the disappearance of "expired" links. They are technically still "expired", but they display in the directory.

I also made a mod to send payment status to link.html for ALL links. This allows me to then show different options depending on whether the link is paid or not.

For an example, see http://www.supportmusicians.com

Thanks everyone for your input. It was LSQL support that gave me the solutions necessary. Thanks

Chris
RGB World, Inc. - Software & Web Development.
rgbworld.com

Could you post this modification? TIA