hideCategories

[Figster]

This product sounds like it is down loadable, is it a membership fee, or do they pay by the download? What product type are you listing it under? Is the file for download stored in your zen cart media file? Do you have virtual product checked in your admin product listing, do you have Admin>configuration>Attribute Settings> Download options set correctly?
Do you have admin>configuration>sessions>prevent spider sessions set to true?

Zen cart can handle download products.

Figster

[s_mack]

Ok, it looks like we need to make clear what HideCategories is NOT!!

It was NOT developed to hide things from Google (although, that seems to be a logical extension but it depends on how you set things up)

It was most definately NOT developted to prevent users from accessing pages! Quite the opposite! It is intended to VISUALLY hide the pages from links and such, but still be available by direct link. Using that as a way to prevent non-paying customers from reaching the page... well, that's just not going to happen.

In fact, its quite likely that one person could have paid for the membership and then passed around the link to a million others. Its just a link. It seems like it would be far better for you to take advantage of Zen's built-in downloadable products features (of which I have zero experience).

HideCategories is a layout tool more than anything. Not a security measure.

- Steven

[redheads]

In fact, its quite likely that one person could have paid for the membership and then passed around the link to a million others. Its just a link. It seems like it would be far better for you to take advantage of Zen's built-in downloadable products features (of which I have zero experience).

HideCategories is a layout tool more than anything. Not a security measure.

- Steven

Understood that this mod is not a panacea to my self-created membership issues - LOL.

I will clarify what is happening. Peope are not sharing the link, as that is taken care of via the downloadable products features (which I use a LOT). I was able to see which of my customers downloaded the items, all throught their *own* accounts (they were not members of the forum which has the link). I cannot pretend peope never share links or logins, and I will never try to - LOL.

Google did find the items, thought I could not figure out how it would have found the items if the only links were direct links from a password-protected forum. So to find out where the links were coming from...

Customer to the rescue... I heard back from a customer concerning how they reached these items. What happened is that a customer purchased an item and then got the little 'people who purchased this item also purchased' box (which I am turning off). and they clicked to add these items to their cart. I had already turned off 'new items' and 'all products' boxes, thinkning I had efectively hidden the items.

I was using the mod as a way to set up members-only items. My bad. Now, I have already set up 200+ people to access certain files this way, and I do not want anyone else to be able to access these files. I have disabled these items, but people have already paid for access. Need to grant access to certain items/categories to certain people only... How to accomplish that... if anyone knows, feel free to speak up - LOL.

Lori - off to read the forums from A-Z again... LOL

[redheads]

This product sounds like it is down loadable, is it a membership fee, or do they pay by the download? What product type are you listing it under? Is the file for download stored in your zen cart media file? Do you have virtual product checked in your admin product listing, do you have Admin>configuration>Attribute Settings> Download options set correctly?
Do you have admin>configuration>sessions>prevent spider sessions set to true?
Zen cart can handle download products.
Figster

Thank you for your help brainstorming this... what a mess I have made - LOL.

Yes on all of the download options/attributes questions as well as the spider settings, that is not where the problem was. The file is stored correctly.

Here are the details on how I had set it up... just FYI for those who think this is a good idea - LOL. Do not try this at home...

People are paying for access to the PHPBB forum, they pay by adding the item to their cart. This item is not hidden. I verify them as a person who has completed the training required to gain access, and then grant them access to the private forum which has the direct links to the goodlies we give people who have done the work. I had attempted to erase all other methods of reaching these links (direct link only). Apparently since they were still showing up in the 'people who bought this also bought' box spiders/google/non-members could get to them to - of course that did not show up in my testing as nobody had purchased these items yet.

Problem with back-door access links existing solved (I think)... now, how to set it up for those who already paid their membership and I have turned off the categories.. LOL

Thanks to everyone for their help on this, much gratitude shooting your way!
Lori

[redheads]

Ok, my temporary fix is:

1)turn off all extra boxes at the PHP level so nobody will be offered extra stuff to buy (the bad news is that I am turning them off after learning that they really DO boost sales/downloads - )

2)change the category IDs on every hidden category so the google cached pages give only a 'this product was not found'

3) linked the sticky notes in the private PHPBB areas to the new categories

have I missed something which would keep my 'stuff' hidden until I can do a rework of the whole thing?
:-)

Lori

[s_mack]

probably would have been easier to adjust hideCategories to apply to the "also purchased" module. I think I gave hints in the readme.

- Steven

[redheads]

probably would have been easier to adjust hideCategories to apply to the "also purchased" module. I think I gave hints in the readme.
- Steven

I may have missed it somehow when I read it again earlier this morning, but now anyone who reads this thread and missed the hints in the readme knows to disable the "also purchased" module if they wish to truly hide some items

I followed the readme step by step and missed this important step. I am not at all upset at your insructions or the mod, and hope no offense is taken.

I apparently stretched the mod uses in ways which were not forseen, and despite my disabling all of my sideboxes, all products, and search functions items appeared.
oops. it happens. no biggie!

I post my journey here in order to help anyone else who may get the <not so> bright idea to use this as a membership moderator. Since if I had read notes like this it would have saved me a few minutes today -- LOL.

Overall I am hoping to tweak the mod to work as I need it, as it still has the most useful set of tweaks I have found so far.

Thank you for your work on this, I really do appreciate the time you have invested, and the fact that you shared it with us.

Lori

[Boggled]

Lori,

I don't know if this will help in your situation at all, but I'll mention it here just in case it might help someone else.

I sell on eBay and direct my customers to my website to pay via credit card.
I enter the auction item in a completely hidden category using the eBay item # as the model #. They can only put it in their cart by typing in the eBay item # on our eBay Auction Checkout page (quick order mod).

I was running into the problem of non-eBayers still finding these items and buying them since the 'add to cart' button was showing and active.

I discovered I could mark these items 'call for price' (but still enter a price) and no Add to Cart button would show. I replaced the 'call for price' button with a 'sold on eBay' button and the text to say 'already sold, etc.'

This has completely done away with 'accidental' purchases. The item still shows up in 'Others who purchased this' and my 'What's New' box, but even if they click on it, they can't buy it.

If anyone wants to see how it works, just go to my Driftwood site, enter 1234 for the item # and add to cart.

The cart is live, so please don't actually buy it!

HTH

[redheads]

Lori,

I discovered I could mark these items 'call for price' (but still enter a price) and no Add to Cart button would show. I replaced the 'call for price' button with a 'sold on eBay' button and the text to say 'already sold, etc.'

hey, I like this idea, thanks for posting it -- it might just work... I add the link and item number in the forum and they can quick-order the items to their cart from there. I will play with it a bit and see where it leads!

Thanks! You Zenners are awesome!

Lori