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Serious Plugin issues in the Store and the Developers | Forum

Topic location: Forum home » Support » Oxwall Store
Webster Molaudi
Webster Molaudi Feb 23 '16
Dear Oxwall,

I have been using oxwall for almost 3 years now and with 50 to 100 plugins running on my network - http://www.myvirgo.info i have invested a lot of money, time and effort to get my oxwall website to be where it is now.

I have 2 serious issues that i want to talk about which are very worrying and if Oxwall doesn't listen to us the user they will experience its growth and lose current users.

1. Free Plugins 

I have noticed a lot of developers load free plugins onto the store to get or rather gain popularity and use us as website owners as bait for new possible plugin buyers as we download and install their plugins, after they get enough downloads and positive reviews, they start to charge for it and on their next update you find that you've been using a free plugin now you have to pay to get it to work. Now with the 1.8.1 Oxwall we are forced to buy new plugins that we got for free because if we don't put a license the plugin on the next cron automatically disables itself.  I find this very unfair and abuse of users or site owners if you offer something for free then after few months you charge say so in the Description so we dont bother.

SOLUTION :

Developers we know you want to benefit from your plugin but if you give a free plugin rather make another plugin which is premium

* ( Plugin 1 - Lite Version is FREE with limited features )
* ( Plugin 2 - Premium Version is Paid with more features)

This way we both win, now we have sites with 10 / 15 free plugin forced to pay for which is unfair.


2. Dev's Plugins not Updated & Developers not Attending Issues

We have bought plugins that have more wrong than rights or work as advertised, when you talk to developers via inbox or Forums they don't respond to your messages. I had issues where by i bought plugins and API's of Facebook / Youtube / Twitter / LinkedIn changes and Developers don't update their plugins and we end up with useless plugins that don't work even though we paid for it and they break our website.

SOLUTION :

Oxwall needs to look into these issues i ahve spend close to $350 on Purusothaman some work and some haven't been updated since last year march i tried to mail / inbox with no luck. He's a good developer but now i have 10 plugins of his that haven't been updated and are not working on my site and some API's have changed like Youtube and Twitter. As for YouNet i spend $150 and none of their plugins work and they refuse to fix and if they fix they charge extra for the plugin that never worked.

They claim to have 14 days money back guarantee but when you inbox them they take 15 days to respond and say they will charge to fix and when you ask for refund they say you wont get any refunds as you've passed the 14 days refund window.

---- SOME DEVELOPERS ARE JUST HERE TO MAKE A QUICK CASH AND SELL US PLUGINS THAT ARE NOT 100% WORKING, OXWALL LOOK INTO THAT PLEASE ----

The Forum post is edited by Webster Molaudi Feb 29 '16
DeFender
DeFender Feb 23 '16
+1


it is zero reaction, because half of plugin developers are oxwall team :D

Oxwall script is free, but they(oxwall) decided one plugin per one domain, it is funny, and you know why.

The Forum post is edited by DeFender Feb 23 '16
Marcel
Marcel Feb 23 '16
+1
Anitaku
Anitaku Feb 23 '16
+1
Steve
Steve Feb 23 '16
+1
tammy harris
tammy harris Feb 23 '16
these and many more problems i have shown oxwall over and over 

3 years now and oxwall has done nothing 
i even give them screen shot proof of younets scam 
and nothing 

guys the only choice we have is make a class action against oxwall 
oxwall is a joke and i for one want out 
and want every cent i spent on plugin refunded 
so i can go to another platform 

and leave this shit fight 
tammy harris
tammy harris Feb 23 '16

Quote from Chris_W +1

Anyone else agreeing with this, please +1 it so Oxwall staff can see the level of discontent.
oxwall will see it and do nothing 

well they will do something in few months when no one is looking they will remove this thread so no one else see it 
tammy harris
tammy harris Feb 23 '16
All you will get as answer is we are a small team and we are going to change the store when we have time


But thats been the same answer for over 3 years

And in that time they have found the time to make mobile site and new admin and licance checks and so much more 


And we all know if and when they do anything to the store it will be like everthing else only half done and create heaps more problems


Side note its great to see oxwall team treat there paid plugins the same as they do the core lol



The Forum post is edited by tammy harris Feb 23 '16
ketkew
ketkew Feb 24 '16
And that's exactly the reason why I pulled the plug out of my projects. (actually I migrated them to another platform). Because I can't guarantee my clients a successful future with the current strategy of Oxwall. (small team, the way how plugins are managed in the store, no listen to the community.. uservoice for example,etc,etc,etc..)

I prefer (and my clients) to pay money for a social network which works out of the box and have all standard social network features available then get a free product which call itself social network software.. but for the most standard features you have to pay plugins which aren't supported or updated and an unclear vision about the future/roadmap.
 
The Forum post is edited by ketkew Feb 24 '16
tammy harris
tammy harris Feb 24 '16
The dev make fake profiles and rate there own plugins 


Then theres so many idiot that rave on about how good this dev is that completely  crap

tammy harris
tammy harris Feb 24 '16
Then theres some ilike istupidheaddargonsolution if u rate his plugins bad he revokes your licance to the plugin so it removes the bad rate
Webster Molaudi
Webster Molaudi Feb 24 '16
Hi Franz,

I did get a refund from paypal once or twice...Problem with Younet is you buy from their Site with your card hence its tough to get a refund, that's another reason....they refuse to sell on the Oxwall Store and i dont know why oxwall let them do that.

Quote from Franz Stollenwerk I think, we ALL should report PayPal the non working scripts we purchased. Only then there is a Chance for a cleaner Oxwall and the bad developers will get a problem with paypal. But I think, there are not much customers which do that. Did anyone get already once a refund from Paypal?


tammy harris
tammy harris Feb 25 '16
Younett demo site has versions of there plugins that work 

The ones in store do not

They then ask you to pay them to get tje plugin working

I have show oxwall proof of them be different  but nothing has ever been done

Den Team
Den Feb 25 '16

Webster Moluadi


Let's take it deeper into your both issues. 


Quote from Webster Molaudi
1. Free Plugins 

I have noticed a lot of developers load free plugins onto the store to get or rather gain popularity and use us as website owners as bait for new possible plugin buyers as we download and install their plugins, after they get enough downloads and positive reviews, they start to charge for it and on their next update you find that you've been using a free plugin now you have to pay to get it to work. Now with the 1.8.1 Oxwall we are forced to buy new plugins that we got for free because if we don't put a license the plugin on the next cron automatically disables itself.  I find this very unfair and abuse of users or site owners if you offer something for free then after few months you charge say so in the Description so we dont bother.

SOLUTION :

Developers we know you want to benefit from your plugin but if you give a free plugin rather make another plugin which is premium

* ( Plugin 1 - Lite Version is FREE with limited features )
* ( Plugin 2 - Premium Version is Paid with more features)

This way we both win, now we have sites with 10 / 15 free plugin forced to pay for which is unfair.
So, you suggest to make it required for developer to have any free plugin version before he could submit any paid plugins? This is very serious step as it could really destroy the real developer's community. And there should be really serious reasons/arguments before we could move with this, if you are talking from community interests in general, not just yours. Provide us with them if any please. 


Also, would you provide us with the list of "with 10 / 15 free plugin forced to pay for which is unfair"? This is a serious signal from different developers, if true. 


Just to remind, there weren't any force from 1.8.1 according to license/domain policy. This is something that has been defined from the beginning with OCSL license (check it with Google Cache for sure). Each commercial Oxwall plugin covered with OCSL have to be installed only on one domain. 

With 1.8.1 update we just forced license key on plugin installation to reduce OCSL violation and WAREZ plugin distribution. And it just started to work, as it is already working with another software/CMS all over the world :)




Quote from Webster Molaudi
2. Dev's Plugins not Updated & Developers not Attending Issues

We have bought plugins that have more wrong than rights or work as advertised, when you talk to developers via inbox or Forums they don't respond to your messages. I had issues where by i bought plugins and API's of Facebook / Youtube / Twitter / LinkedIn changes and Developers don't update their plugins and we end up with useless plugins that don't work even though we paid for it and they break our website.

SOLUTION :

Oxwall needs to look into these issues i ahve spend close to $350 on Purusothaman some work and some haven't been updated since last year march i tried to mail / inbox with no luck. He's a good developer but now i have 10 plugins of his that haven't been updated and are not working on my site and some API's have changed like Youtube and Twitter. As for YouNet i spend $150 and none of their plugins work and they refuse to fix and if they fix they charge extra for the plugin that never worked.

They claim to have 14 days money back guarantee but when you inbox them they take 15 days to respond and say they will charge to fix and when you ask for refund they say you wont get any refunds as you've passed the 14 days refund window.

---- SOME DEVELOPERS ARE JUST HERE TO MAKE A QUICK CASH AND SELL US PLUGINS THAT ARE NOT 100% WORKING, OXWALL LOOK INTO THAT PLEASE ----

And Oxwall team look, believe me. As this is obviously destructive to activate/suspended plugins each time by individual reports, we implemented Review system to allow community take a vote. The team check and approve each item/review before make it public. We also ask everybody share their experience with others by submitting the review. As this is a standard working way how each Store works. 


Webster Moluadi, have you reviewed any of the issued items? 


No doubt, there are a lot of things that could be changed to improve quality and community engagement. Like make reviews easier, hide bad quality items automatically, etc. 


Our main issue with this is that there are only a few customers who is ready to make a reasonable suggestions from community view/side, which work for each sides, not only personal. Unfortunately, the some reporters just ignore standard ways of feedback delivery and try to be noisy by blaming Oxwall software and team in their troubles each time they have a bug. This is intuitive behavior sometimes , but confuse others and should be prevented.


Quote from DeFender +1


it is zero reaction, because half of plugin developers are oxwall team :D

Oxwall script is free, but they(oxwall) decided one plugin per one domain, it is funny, and you know why.

As I stated before, this requirement has been defined from the beginning by OCSL license, http://www.oxwall.org/store/oscl . So, what do you mean? 


Quote from Franz Stollenwerk I reported Paypal the purchase of a non-working script (Profiles View Counts) from the developer "Discount Dollars". Paypal is reviewing the case. After downloading and decompress the zipped file, I found, an empty ini.php. So, I asked myselfe ... how can so many user rate this script positive? I wonder how it can work well for them.

There are several standard checks on Oxwall Store to avoid such cases. I've reported the item to team, they will take a look and check it. 




The Forum post is edited by Den Feb 25 '16
HW
HW Feb 25 '16

Quote from DenSo, you suggest to make it required for developer to have any free plugin version before he could submit any paid plugins? This is very serious step as it could really destroy the real developer's community. And there should be really serious reasons/arguments before we could move with this, if you are talking from community interests in general, not just yours. Provide us with them if any please. 
I don't think he's saying that at all.  I think he is saying that if a developer offers a plugin for free initially and people download it then (for free, with the understanding it is free), if the developer later decides to charge for it, that the paid version should be a second plugin so that people are not forced to buy a license to continue using the free version, since they downloaded it with the understanding it was free.

Personally, I haven't run into this issue, but I've only been using Oxwall since October and haven't upgraded 1.8.1 yet because I hired someone to do a custom code modification I don't want to lose.

Quote from DenAnd Oxwall team look, believe me. As this is obviously destructive to activate/suspended plugins each time by individual reports, we implemented Review system to allow community take a vote. The team check and approve each item/review before make it public. We also ask everybody share their experience with others by submitting the review. As this is a standard working way how each Store works. 



Please look at this item:  http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/684

All recent reviews and posts indicate it does not work.  I made a post about it here as well:  http://www.oxwall.org/forum/topic/44019 ; This plugin is really out of date and causes users to be unable to edit their profiles.  The developer can't be reached/does not respond/has vanished.  Yet people can still waste their money on it as I did?  This is the sort of thing that leaves a bad taste in a customer's mouth.

Or look at this one, not updated since Oxwall 1.7.4 and has a known bug several people have complained about.  No response from developer.  Still for sale.  http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/829

If developers abandon their plugins and stop fixing bugs and making sure they are compatible with the latest updates, in my opinion, these plugins should not cost money anymore or should be offered for a pittance of their original price.  If I get a free plugin and it doesn't work, oh well.  If I pay for one that doesn't work properly and there seems no hope of it being updated or fixed?  That is upsetting and frustrating.

Perhaps there should be a grace period (I don't know how long; two months after a release?  maybe until the next release so they can always be one behind?) for developers to fix/update their plugins.  If they don't update to make them compatible with the latest versions of Oxwall (or if they do not fix known bugs), then Oxwall should change them to free plugins.  I suspect that might motivate some developers to update/fix things and also leave customers less upset if something broken at least didn't cost them any money.

Overall, I am fairly happy with my Oxwall experience so far, but the store could really use some pruning.
Webster Molaudi
Webster Molaudi Feb 25 '16
+1 i think HW clearly explained our issues Den and my explanation
Quote from HW
Quote from DenSo, you suggest to make it required for developer to have any free plugin version before he could submit any paid plugins? This is very serious step as it could really destroy the real developer's community. And there should be really serious reasons/arguments before we could move with this, if you are talking from community interests in general, not just yours. Provide us with them if any please. 
I don't think he's saying that at all.  I think he is saying that if a developer offers a plugin for free initially and people download it then (for free, with the understanding it is free), if the developer later decides to charge for it, that the paid version should be a second plugin so that people are not forced to buy a license to continue using the free version, since they downloaded it with the understanding it was free.

Personally, I haven't run into this issue, but I've only been using Oxwall since October and haven't upgraded 1.8.1 yet because I hired someone to do a custom code modification I don't want to lose.

Quote from DenAnd Oxwall team look, believe me. As this is obviously destructive to activate/suspended plugins each time by individual reports, we implemented Review system to allow community take a vote. The team check and approve each item/review before make it public. We also ask everybody share their experience with others by submitting the review. As this is a standard working way how each Store works. 



Please look at this item:  http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/684

All recent reviews and posts indicate it does not work.  I made a post about it here as well:  http://www.oxwall.org/forum/topic/44019 ; This plugin is really out of date and causes users to be unable to edit their profiles.  The developer can't be reached/does not respond/has vanished.  Yet people can still waste their money on it as I did?  This is the sort of thing that leaves a bad taste in a customer's mouth.

Or look at this one, not updated since Oxwall 1.7.4 and has a known bug several people have complained about.  No response from developer.  Still for sale.  http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/829

If developers abandon their plugins and stop fixing bugs and making sure they are compatible with the latest updates, in my opinion, these plugins should not cost money anymore or should be offered for a pittance of their original price.  If I get a free plugin and it doesn't work, oh well.  If I pay for one that doesn't work properly and there seems no hope of it being updated or fixed?  That is upsetting and frustrating.

Perhaps there should be a grace period (I don't know how long; two months after a release?  maybe until the next release so they can always be one behind?) for developers to fix/update their plugins.  If they don't update to make them compatible with the latest versions of Oxwall (or if they do not fix known bugs), then Oxwall should change them to free plugins.  I suspect that might motivate some developers to update/fix things and also leave customers less upset if something broken at least didn't cost them any money.

Overall, I am fairly happy with my Oxwall experience so far, but the store could really use some pruning.

Webster Molaudi
Webster Molaudi Feb 26 '16
Hi Den,

Here are the Plugins i have that haven't been updated which 95% is Purusothaman Ramanujam and 5% is YouNet Company ever since some from 1.7.4 and some since 1.8.0 and some not working at all or not working proper and some not for sale but are still i the store :



1. Bulk Registration - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/256
2. User Welcome Message - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/228
3. User Online - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/780
4. OxArt Speed Optomizer - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/547
5. Custom 404 Page - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/321
6. RSS Feed for Site Users -http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/467
7. Movie Roll - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/741
8. YNO Social Stream - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/659
9. YNO Ultimate News - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/636
10. Smileys - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/625
11. Admin Pal - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/221
12. Youtube Auto Poster - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/250
13. Member Awards - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/438
14. Twitter Tweets Widget - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/444
15. Member Locations - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/532
16. Photo Watermark - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/530
17. Auto User Purge -http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/549
18. Blog view Notify - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/245
19. Extended Event + Map - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/374
20. Custom Pal - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/354
21. Mutual Friend - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/324
22. Make Profile Picture - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/434
23. Classifieds Ultimate Pro - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/260
24. Birthday Greetz - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/223
25. Auto Blogger - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/214
26. Reminder Notifications - http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/234
27. Invite Friends by Email -http://www.oxwall.org/store/item/426

Thanks



The Forum post is edited by Webster Molaudi Feb 26 '16
tammy harris
tammy harris Feb 26 '16
lets look some the plugin u listed
1. Bulk Registration   dont know dont use it
2. User Welcome Message  still works but should be updated  has small bugs that needs fixing
3. User Online    dont know dont use it but he is a team member and is a joke he not update his plugins

4. OxArt Speed Optomizer  i have shown him many times it useless plugin and actualy slows oxwall down
     
he is a team member and is a joke he not update his plugins
     and i have seen proof he is charging ppl to make plugins to fix core problems WTF
5. Custom 404 Page    dont know dont use it

6. RSS Feed for Site Users   is useless plugin that does not do what it say its not rrs feed for site and users   its rrs feed for tiny part of your site and users 

7. Movie Roll   has few issues that have never been addresses
8. YNO Social Stream    bunch of scammers  that all i got to say 

9. YNO Ultimate News   bunch of scammers  that all i got to say 

10. Smileys yet another team plugin that theres no support on and it has huge problems of loading every dam smiley on every page and there so many places it dont work 
11. Admin Pal   still works fine  but could be more features 
12. Youtube Auto Poster  stoped working hmmm maybe a year ago now
13. Member Awards has few problems and just does not work how it should
14. Twitter Tweets Widget  dont know dont use it

15. Member Locations  dont know dont use it

 16. Photo Watermark   took me long time argue the dev to fix it  and is still working fine
 17. Auto User Purge  dont know dont use it

18. Blog view Notify  dont know dont use it

19. Extended Event + Map  dont know dont use it

20. Custom Pal   still works
21. Mutual Friend dont know dont use it

22. Make Profile Picture dont know dont use it

23. Classifieds Ultimate Pro  is basic and only half a plugin should not be call Ultimate Pro

24. Birthday Greetz does not have unsubscribe link so is against email sending policy's 

25. Auto Blogger still works but because of oxwall url rewrite problem makes it useless
26. Reminder Notifications does not have unsubscribe link so is against email sending policy's 

27. Invite Friends by Email does not have unsubscribe link so is against email sending policy's 
and uses the sites main email address so it get it in spam list quick 

tammy harris
tammy harris Feb 26 '16
now from memory theres only been 2 or 3 free plugins that after time was changed to paid 
one was country flag plugin 
Purusothaman Ramanujam is a ok dev and does try 
the only thing of his that really pisses me off is his video uploader plugin
that he signed a contract with someone that he can never ever fix the store item 
The Forum post is edited by tammy harris Feb 26 '16
Webster Molaudi
Webster Molaudi Feb 26 '16
Hi Tammy,

+1 I do agree i have never had issues with him and always respond but now he just vanished :( and 90% of my site depends on his plugins which is the core of it.

Quote from Tammy now from memory theres only been 2 or 3 free plugins that after time was changed to paid 
one was country flag plugin 
Purusothaman Ramanujam is a ok dev and does try 
the only thing of his that really pisses me off is his video uploader plugin
that he signed a contract with someone that he can never ever fix the store item 

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