Vodes
Version
1.1 (last update on May 7, 2009)
Rating
Compatibility
Votes
Favoured
19
License
GPLv2 or later
Non-Commercial
Type
Views
69451
Date Added
5 March 2006
A plugin is included to allow you to restrict access to certain articles and require credits to read them. Additional plugins can easily be created and added to define spending of the credits according to your own needs. Also included is a module which displays your available credit balance.
The Vodes for Joomla 1.5 is following the native Joomla MVC pattern. A model is included which makes it even easier to implement the spending of the credits in your own applications. All extension parts are installed and uninstalled at once.
As stated many times in these comments, this extension is not for beginners. But if you have a good working knowledge of PHP, it seems simple to work out. I was able to work out how to display a points balance within 15 minutes of installing. I haven't done anything else yet, but I know that this extension was exactly what I was looking for: a deviantART-like points system that I can grow to my specifications.
In my case, I want to use it for amateur writers to publish & sell their novels in ebook format and earn credits from sales which may be able to be withdrawn or traded for other peoples' ebooks.
This extension fits in exactly with the business model I had drawn up, and I can build upon it to my liking with my existing PHP skills.
Let's be honest. If you really want all of it done for you, you should find a paid extension if one exists, or pay a web developer to code you one. Free lunches are rare - but this is at least a hearty snack!
In my case, I want to use it for amateur writers to publish & sell their novels in ebook format and earn credits from sales which may be able to be withdrawn or traded for other peoples' ebooks.
This extension fits in exactly with the business model I had drawn up, and I can build upon it to my liking with my existing PHP skills.
Let's be honest. If you really want all of it done for you, you should find a paid extension if one exists, or pay a web developer to code you one. Free lunches are rare - but this is at least a hearty snack!
This extension is very nice compared to the paid offering. The authors coding was so easy to understand that I had to modify it to work with date range for a project I was working on.
Made my version easier to work with by allowing the component detect the areas where it is needed via the category name.
Great job Emir!
Made my version easier to work with by allowing the component detect the areas where it is needed via the category name.
Great job Emir!
For those who just don't understand what Vodes is, consider it a framework for programmers.
If you're not a PHP programmer, Vodes is not likely what you're looking for.
Vodes is not an 'install and use' component. Rather, it is an excellent starting platform for creating _your own_ "token" or "credit" system for Joomla. The tedious stuff is done for you: payment processing & populating the database with credits for your users.
This is NOT an out-of-the-box system.
This IS a starting pad for your own development project.
What Vodes does, for real:
1) User visits Vodes' component page
2) User selects how many "Vodes" (site credits) they would like to purchase
3) User checks out with PayPal
4) Credits are added to user's account in Joomla
That is where Vodes ends, and _you_ take over.
With a little PHP/mySQL/Joomla know-how and some clever ingenuity, you can now create your own system using the credits Vodes has placed on your users to (for example) charge a number of credits for someone to download a file from your site, charge credits to access certain pages or features, or simply use credits as a way for your users to battle it out in a donation war (someone with the most credits gets a special reward, for example).
The options are endless, as long as you 1) know how to code and 2) have a great idea.
Thanks for Vodes. It doesn't do much for the lay user, but for the coder (such as myself), it really saved me a lot of time on my development project.
If you're not a PHP programmer, Vodes is not likely what you're looking for.
Vodes is not an 'install and use' component. Rather, it is an excellent starting platform for creating _your own_ "token" or "credit" system for Joomla. The tedious stuff is done for you: payment processing & populating the database with credits for your users.
This is NOT an out-of-the-box system.
This IS a starting pad for your own development project.
What Vodes does, for real:
1) User visits Vodes' component page
2) User selects how many "Vodes" (site credits) they would like to purchase
3) User checks out with PayPal
4) Credits are added to user's account in Joomla
That is where Vodes ends, and _you_ take over.
With a little PHP/mySQL/Joomla know-how and some clever ingenuity, you can now create your own system using the credits Vodes has placed on your users to (for example) charge a number of credits for someone to download a file from your site, charge credits to access certain pages or features, or simply use credits as a way for your users to battle it out in a donation war (someone with the most credits gets a special reward, for example).
The options are endless, as long as you 1) know how to code and 2) have a great idea.
Thanks for Vodes. It doesn't do much for the lay user, but for the coder (such as myself), it really saved me a lot of time on my development project.
While its implementation is very minimal, it is the perfect jumping off point for a project. It does everything that was advertised and leaves much of the customization up to you. I knew there wouldn't be a perfect fit extension for what I had to do, and this was the main portion, dealing with paypal apis, that I didn't want to mess with. This takes care of that for you and with a little work, was able to get where I needed. People that are complaining either aren't reading the description or don't want to put the custom work in after they've downloaded.
I tried this component today and the test just proved my suspect: a software not been updated for a year can't be good.
The most annoying problem is: it only supports Article system. If you want to charge credits for downloading, how?
The second worse problem is: When you enter the same article the second time, it will charge you again! That is to say, you read the same article one time, you lost 1 credit; then you read the second time, you have to pay again, because it just take away 1 extra credit automatically!
I understand now: this is the most simple and most useless credit system on Joomla. If you need a credit manager with wide 3rd extension support, and with adjustable rules, do NOT use this.
My suggestion is: try AlphaUserPoints.
The most annoying problem is: it only supports Article system. If you want to charge credits for downloading, how?
The second worse problem is: When you enter the same article the second time, it will charge you again! That is to say, you read the same article one time, you lost 1 credit; then you read the second time, you have to pay again, because it just take away 1 extra credit automatically!
I understand now: this is the most simple and most useless credit system on Joomla. If you need a credit manager with wide 3rd extension support, and with adjustable rules, do NOT use this.
My suggestion is: try AlphaUserPoints.
Owner's reply
You need to learn to read my friend. The Vodes is the payment processor and crediting system. It is NOT intended for spending credits! The spending part is left to the user to implement in the way he wants. The included spending plugin is merely for example purposes. That's very clearly explained above. Now if you are not able to implement it then you are right: don't use it.
Try many two weeks get this to work. No instructions to follow. Or way contact support. They say go fourms witch i have and decinded me many times to join . So i can not ask for help. Even email them said this was not very professional in handling bizz even if a free product. because if your product is free and very good one we may would like to buy others you may have.
If there was more instuctions and able access your fourms . maybe i would like your product. I never done any reviews this first . For me write one . Have say very angery how I was handled.
Thank you for your time.
If there was more instuctions and able access your fourms . maybe i would like your product. I never done any reviews this first . For me write one . Have say very angery how I was handled.
Thank you for your time.
Owner's reply
This is a free product but there is no free support. You can pay for support if you need it. Although many users have been able to use it without problems. Access to forum is granted if you enter a valid reason on registration. Just entering "Vodes" or "Support" doesn't count as valid reason and such registrations are declined due to spam.
Considering how many different modules and components I use I should write more of these. I was concerned about using this component because of some of the reviews. This was just what I was looking for and I had it up and working in less than 5 minutes. Of course I have experience and don't mind digging into code. I didn't need to do any of that to get this working.
My only request is that it could work with authorize.net as well.
My only request is that it could work with authorize.net as well.
Just install the component and plugin add users and credits, after that in plugins manager in plugin configuration select the category of restricted articles. In article add readmore and thats it. I figured that after 2 days of working alone because the developer didn`t gave a install guide.
After messing around with this solution for several days I finally gave up. The package provides no help on setup, paypal IPN settings or anything else needed to make it work.
Their forums are dead and as much as i could tell this product never received any support or 'fixes' since it was introduced. I don't review many entries here but i feel I needed to warn others that may have ideas of getting this thing to work within joomla 1.5.
I know extensions.joomla.org cant review and keep up with all entries submitted, but its entries such as this that should be removed from the site.
For a solution that is well supported - and FREE! try this one - implantation
Their forums are dead and as much as i could tell this product never received any support or 'fixes' since it was introduced. I don't review many entries here but i feel I needed to warn others that may have ideas of getting this thing to work within joomla 1.5.
I know extensions.joomla.org cant review and keep up with all entries submitted, but its entries such as this that should be removed from the site.
For a solution that is well supported - and FREE! try this one - implantation
Owner's reply
Why should it be removed? Because you couldn't get it to work. It works well, it's fee but it is unsupported, as simple as that. If you can't get it to work move on, or pay for support.
Vodes does exactly what the developer says it does, no more no less. It provides a page for users to purchase credits via PayPal, and then immediately adds those credits to the database. Indeed there is no method of credit distribution, which the developer makes very clear. However, this leaves the designer with limitless possibilities for creating their own system for using Vodes.
Vodes is very easy to customize, and you can work the concept into your site with very little work, just some simple editing of the language file. Yes, creating a distribution method takes some work and some knowhow, but usually this is true with anything worth doing. I am using Vodes on a high volume site and it works perfectly. It is a solid component that is easy to implement. A great concept that is well executed and very versatile.
Vodes is very easy to customize, and you can work the concept into your site with very little work, just some simple editing of the language file. Yes, creating a distribution method takes some work and some knowhow, but usually this is true with anything worth doing. I am using Vodes on a high volume site and it works perfectly. It is a solid component that is easy to implement. A great concept that is well executed and very versatile.
It should be clearly stated that the Vodes component is made ONLY for automatic purchase of credits using PayPal and auto-adding of credits to a user account. It is not made for spending the credits! The credits are, however, stored in the database but you need some coding skills to implement a solution. The Documentation is sparse so if you can't get your hands dirty, stay away from this one.
Owner's reply
It is clearly stated.
The spending part is only a matter of subtracting values from the databese and implemented with 2 lines of code:
http://www.sakic.net/forum/vodes/install_was_ok_now_what_any_manual-t12.0.html;msg40#msg40
You can set manually credits (vodes) to a registered user. But that's about the only thing you can do. Development has stoped supporting this.
If only more people would see the excellent idea of having a creditsystem where user can spent on downloads or exclusive pages etc in your entire site. It's a fact user will spent more this way.
If only more people would see the excellent idea of having a creditsystem where user can spent on downloads or exclusive pages etc in your entire site. It's a fact user will spent more this way.
Owner's reply
You completely missed the point. This component is the automatic payment processor using PayPal IPN system. You don't have to add credits manually, they are added automatically to users as they pay.
Then the spending part is left to be implemented by webmaster in a way he wants it.
