The Joomla! Extensions Directory ™

shassler

Reviews(9)
 
byshassler, March 10, 2012
JConverter
OMG! After I figured out how to use this, it was so fast I thought it had failed. In fact, you'll get an error message that it failed but check your articles and they'll be there. 1) If the WP database is on a different server, export it and import it into a new DB on your server. 2) Install the component on your Joomla site. 3) Open JConverter under Components and enter settings for your new WP database in JConverter's Global Configuration. 4) Hit Start Conversion! Laugh your head off because you're done. I didn't set it to import categories so I still have to do that but ALL my posts and pages are in my Joomla articles. Kudos to SopanTech for an excellent extension. Please send these guys a few bucks after you see how much time they save you.
Owner's reply

Glad to hear you found JConverter useful.

byshassler, January 13, 2012
Redirect
I had a landing page temporarily set up on an unrelated site with a domain name forwarded to that single page. It had some nice backlinks and I wanted to send those to the new full website after launched. This did it exactly what I needed. Downloaded and set up in two minutes (remember to publish the plugin!). Selected New under the component, entered old source address, entered new address and saved. Then unpublished the old page. Done. Can't praise enough! Fantastic!
byshassler, June 4, 2011
CB Advanced Search
Wow! Everything on the wish list in these reviews seems to be included. Results can be vertical or horizontal. Lots of requests for CB search module so that's included. Blank fields don't show up. Easy set up, maybe 10 minutes (less if you read the manual). A little extra styling and it's perfect! I highly recommend this CB Advanced Search component and module.
Banner Slider
I needed a non-flash banner effect for a client who wants compatibility on iPad so I tried about a dozen extensions. Had conflicts with most; several couldn't get to work. This one was easy to set up. Fast loading. Using new BETA version 2.2 and testing so far shows it records clicks accurately. Love ProJoom Multi Rotator but this is perfect if you need a nice fade effect without Flash for iPad users.
ProJoom Multi Rotator
I've been using this banner rotator for a few months and recently tweaked a few settings without writing down what I changed. Didn't realize until days later that my clients' banner links no longer worked. I logged in at the ProJoom Multi Rotator site, contacted support, and had an answer (my error, of course) within a few hours on a Sunday. That's crazy-good support for an already terrific extension. I'd rate it 6 stars if I could!
iNow Twitter Widget
Tried 4 other top rated extensions here and found several unreliable, often "no tweets" displayed. This is a beauty. Fast, easy set up; then style in the module php file. Plus I wanted a scrolling display so I could offer more tweets but in smaller space; set height to 400, tweets to 10. Perfect! Highly recommend.
Googlemaps Plugin
I found the Googlemaps plugin easy to install and set up following the docs provided. After using it for a few weeks with my Community Builder member profiles, it was displaying my default latitude/longitude for one member who had an unusual street address. I sent a support ticket and Mike replied a couple of days later, actually apologizing for the delay because he had been out of town. We emailed back and forth as I tried his suggestions, and then I realized I had changed the name of the zip code field in Community Builder. I corrected that field in cb_googlemap in my database, and Googlemaps works perfectly again. This problem was entirely mine but Mike couldn't have been more gracious. Besides being a great plugin with lots of flexibility, the support is crazy good. I rarely get this kind of response for a paid extension... so I sent a small donation, which considering the quality of this plugin and the time and frustration Mike saved me, was well worth it. I highly recommend GoogleMaps to newbies, novices and experts!
Community Builder Search
I'm sorry that Joomjason missed something and gave this a bad review, because I installed it and had it running in literally two minutes. I wanted to be able to search for words contained in Community Builder custom profile fields I set up (cb_company, cb_category, cb_summary) and it does just that. There are just 10 parameters to consider and I changed only one: I dropped those 3 cb field names into "Fields to be searched" and hit "Save." Back on the frontend I tried it using the standard joomla search input box and was able to find my members' profiles on words in their company name, category and/or business summary. You'll get this going so fast, you'll think it can't possibly be that easy and work that well, but it's just brilliant!
Account Expiration Control
Being a first-time AEC user and still struggling with Joomla, too, I needed a lot of help so I paid for the 4-month support package. I've seen complaints about Valanx going commercial and charging for this product but AEC isn't some simple little plugin that animates your mailbox icon! It offers a ton of features and options which makes it extremely versatile though complicated for a newbie like me even with the great step-by-step videos.

I don't know if Jake sleeps or if there are a dozen guys named Jake, but I received timely responses to my ticket requests. Sometimes a response seemed like it was delayed but it was because Jake was logged in to my site finding the solution (usually I had checked the wrong box or unchecked the right box) and then he emailed what he had done or what I should do so I would know for the future.

When I compared what I would pay for Valanx support to what I'd pay on a Joomla-programmers-for-hire site, the fee was a bargain! Look at other payment systems: Amember Pro costs $199US, doesn't offer as much, and, if you're in the U.S., you'll wait at least a day to get a response from Alex (though he's a great guy). Compare CB Subs that starts at $134US with fees adjusting upwards based on number of members and number of sites! We're spoiled as Joomla users and expect everything to be free but AEC's competition isn't free. Why should they give it away?

I think the switch from free to commercial has been rough on this company. They lost all the great reviews they had as a free extension plus they get complaints because they don't give free support and don't give out an "AEC for Dummies" manual. They're currently offering a tiered fee system so if you're smart enough to figure it out, you don't have to pay the higher fee for help. If you're not clever enough, you need to pay for the support and stop your whining. Personally, I believe if they ditched the tiered fees, charged one flat fee for the product (like the competition) and included support for 6 months or a year, no one would complain. I highly recommend AEC with the paid support!