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orbster
Newbie
Joined: 22 Jun 2006
Posts: 1
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 sell downloadable media files
I create desktop videos and save them as .wmv files. I would like my buyers to be able to download and pay for the movies with paypal. I have a verified paypal account.
This is my first experience with a shopping cart, this area of web mastering is totally new to me.
My goal is to learn about agora shopping cart, integrate paypal, and allow my buyers to add various desktop instructional movies to the shopping cart. I want them to be able to put a check mark into a box for each video. After they pay for their videos via paypal, I wan them to be able to download each movie the page. After they have completed their downloads, they will not have access again to the same page to download a second time.
Can someone shed light on this topic? Is this "media download query" something that can be done with Aogora Shopping cart.
I am member in good standing at www.prolinkhosting.com
Thanks
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| Thu Jun 22, 06 5:51 am |
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scottcrew
Moderator
Joined: 13 Feb 2004
Posts: 7516
Location: The West Side of MI USA
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The downloads feature is only available on the Version 5.0.0, which is currently only available to pro members.
_________________ God Bless!
Bonnie - AgoraCart Moderator
Get a Gold Membership
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| Thu Jun 22, 06 6:29 am |
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chlooi
Newbie
Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 3
Location: Asia
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scottcrew wrote:The downloads feature is only available on the Version 5.0.0, which is currently only available to pro members.
Hi! I'm a new member. I had covered much ground searching for such a downloadable feature for intangible products.
I did take a look at the version of AgoraCart that came bundled with cPanel-x which didn't mention anything about such a feature.
For now, Kagi offered the down-loadable script and is installed and setup to work off my web pages. Well, the service is totally free.
Kagi only takes percentage cuts from whatever transactions that goes through their merchant front. This is for information only.
I'll be most keen to have the latest release of AgoraCart installed/setup on my website, if it is hassle-free. 
I'm just a 'hard-knock' webmaster, learning from trial-n-error, so I guess if the latest release helps in this way, I'll be in the
pro-members list soon.
Last word, I honestly think the digital file download enhancement in version 5 should not incur additional cost to members.
Thank you.
_________________ --
CHLooi
http://www.tinkerdoo.com
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| Sun Jul 23, 06 12:29 am |
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scottcrew
Moderator
Joined: 13 Feb 2004
Posts: 7516
Location: The West Side of MI USA
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Version 5 is currently only available to pro members.
_________________ God Bless!
Bonnie - AgoraCart Moderator
Get a Gold Membership
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| Sun Jul 23, 06 2:25 pm |
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mgerney
Newbie
Joined: 09 Jul 2009
Posts: 6
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Downloadable module
Am I reading this right - the only way to sell downloadable products in Agora is to buy the booster pack? It doesn't quite make sense that a Gold Membership is $55 - for a lifetime, which I have, but to be able to sell downloadable products (which for me is the PDF versions of what's available in the print version) is $39 with a required renewal of $27/year? Seems expensive for a "free" shopping cart. Also, I need a way to "secure" the pdfs from being redistributed - the only solutions I have found are between $500 and $3000 - anybody know a less expensive piece of software?
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| Tue Jul 28, 09 4:26 pm |
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scottcrew
Moderator
Joined: 13 Feb 2004
Posts: 7516
Location: The West Side of MI USA
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Yes, you are reading that correctly.
The shopping cart is free but there are some modules that have been specially developed and are offered as add-on products. In order to access some, it only requires a basic membership, others require a lifetime membership and yet others require the booster pack. Still the booster pack modules can only be access with having both a lifetime membership and a booster pack license.
It costs money to develop some of these special features and to support the development of AgoraCart.
As far as securing your .pdf's, you can set copyrights and permissions through Adobe Acrobat.
_________________ God Bless!
Bonnie - AgoraCart Moderator
Get a Gold Membership
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| Tue Jul 28, 09 5:52 pm |
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mgerney
Newbie
Joined: 09 Jul 2009
Posts: 6
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Thanks for the reply. I just want to clarify - the $27 is a per year fee ongoing forever?
And the security provided by Adobe Acrobat does not limit redistribution, i.e., I can password protect, but that password can be distributed with the pdf file. Just wondered if anybody was using some security on files to prevent that.
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| Tue Jul 28, 09 6:16 pm |
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salta4
User - Two Blades
Joined: 26 Dec 2006
Posts: 116
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The booster pack fee is annual. But, you can let it lapse at any time.
If you buy it once, you get the modules/files for the booster pack features.
If you decide not to renew the Booster Pack membership after the first year, you can still continue to use the Booster pack features. However, you will not have access to any updates to those features, or any new features that are added in the future as Booster pack items.
In terms of 'expensive for a free shopping cart'. 
The free cart is a good basic cart for people who don't need anything fancy.
As you have probably noticed in the pro forums, there are several people who do some free coding to help people out 'just for fun'. That's well and good, but in real life, programmer time costs $$$, and new features, depending on their complexity, can take from hours to months to write and test. In order for Agora to keep up with the procession, so to speak, the cart can't rely entirely on the spare time and whims of volunteers. Most free carts offer additional modules for a price. Even with the pro fees, agora is darn cheap software.
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| Tue Jul 28, 09 6:53 pm |
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mgerney
Newbie
Joined: 09 Jul 2009
Posts: 6
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Its not that I don't appreciate the programmers and I admit they have to make a living. Its just that this site is a very vertical market, I'm not sure it is economically viable and am trying to spend as little as possible upfront before the business model is proven. I don't want to commit to an annual fee - I'm not sure we'll still be selling this in a year - I'm not looking to making money on the backs of programmers - I just don't want to lose money on a "hobby". Thanks for the info - we'll have to decide whether to go with that option. The support from the forum has been great and I do appreciate everybody's efforts.
Regards
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| Tue Jul 28, 09 7:32 pm |
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salta4
User - Two Blades
Joined: 26 Dec 2006
Posts: 116
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No problem, I understand. 
The basic pro version or free version is for folks just like you - startups with a hobby. Heck, that's what I am. I'm not even a programmer - search for my earliest posts on this forum and you'll know how truly clueless I was.
My advice would be, $39 for one year of the downloads, is not so bad if you think it would increase your sales. I mean, worst case, you're out 39 bucks, less than a night out at Applebees. Best case - your site takes off and you spend the rest of your life making a decent enough living at something you love.
And you know we'll all do as much as we can to help you out.
That said, you gotta find a viable way to protect those pictures before you shell out any $$ for shopping cart features. I got nothing for you on that front but I'll keep thinking.
http://webdesign.about.com/od/graphics/a/aa102406.htm
If you like I can try to help you implement a javascript technique, of course nothing is foolproof, but any deterrent would help.
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| Tue Jul 28, 09 7:57 pm |
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mgerney
Newbie
Joined: 09 Jul 2009
Posts: 6
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Thanks - I'll keep investigating the possibilities with the files. And you're right $39 is not a killer - the big question is do we release the PDFs by finding some way to protect them - or just not offer that method. And then of course I don't need the downloadable option. If you stumble on something, let me know - and I'll keep looking. Thanks.
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| Tue Jul 28, 09 8:23 pm |
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mgerney
Newbie
Joined: 09 Jul 2009
Posts: 6
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Digital download
I may have found some software that will give me some protection when distributing my PDFs in a digital form. Its not perfect, but I'm willing to give it a try. But the way it works is to redirect people from my "thank you" page to another URL. If I get the download booster pack, will I be able to do this. Right now my "thank you" page is generated either from authorize.net or Paypal. Does the download module allow you to redirect? Thanks.
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| Fri Jul 31, 09 2:25 pm |
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scottcrew
Moderator
Joined: 13 Feb 2004
Posts: 7516
Location: The West Side of MI USA
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It would allow you to do such a thing with a bit of coding, depending on what it needs to be redirected to.
A question, though, the place is where they get the file, but once they have the file, what would keep them from redistributing????
The download module already affords protection from others getting in and downloading because you can either limit the number of download attempts or limit the number of hours they have to download a file.
_________________ God Bless!
Bonnie - AgoraCart Moderator
Get a Gold Membership
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| Fri Jul 31, 09 3:17 pm |
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mgerney
Newbie
Joined: 09 Jul 2009
Posts: 6
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What I'm testing is software that creates an .exe version of the PDF and assigns an unlock code tied to the IP address. Then you can monitor the IP address and deactivate the access if it comes from an unauthorized IP address - its not ideal, but probably a warning that they will lose their ability to open the file if they distribute it would be enough to discourage them from doing it We don't care if they make a hard-copy - it is VERY expensive to print the PDFs. But since we are selling "sets" of golfers - they may only want to print their "favorites" and not the whole set - so it makes it more economical for the buyer and us to offer a download of the PDF. But you raise an idea - is it possible to provide them with a link whereas they can view/print the file but not actually download it - that would work if you could hide the actual link name so they could only get it from their own machineor through an email which hides the "real" link name. It's terrible to be so mistrusting - but I also don't want to be a sap.
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| Fri Jul 31, 09 3:45 pm |
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