I have a challenge, and I wonder if you have the anwswer -- or can simply direct me to where I can find it.

As many of you know, I have a membership site at www.TheCopyDoctor.com, and use another software as a CMS (which is less than desirable). The folks that support the CMS are great guys and all, but I've have so many problems with them -- they're slow, and their empty promises are starting to get the best of me... and my paid members, to say the least.

I love WordPress. Thing is, I need a subscription-based process, where people can subscribe (for example, using PayPal or PayDotCom), and gain access to the site. I've looked high and low for a WordPress plugin that would do this. Surely, it must be available or easy to do.

Do you know of someone who can offer this? Or program one for a fee? If not, how or where can I get such a plugin? The important thing is, when someone cancels their subscription, they no longer have access to the site. Also, I'd like to have roles/levels for basic and premium members, if possible.

Thank you so much for your help.

Michel,

First of all, thanks for putting together this forum.

It is a truly amazing resource!

I don't have a instant solution for you, but I hope to point you in the right direction.

Let me state that I am not a web coding guru, I know enough to be dangerous.

WordPress is built using PHP and MySQL, which is good news.

However, as far as I know, WordPress does not use any User Accounts... Meaning that there is the Admin, and then everyone including the public.

So in order to have a "Member Only" section on your site, you would have to tweak the WordPress Database, and add a few tables to hold "User" data (username, passwords, payment status, etc...)

You could then utilize the PayPal IPN (Instant Payment Notification) to upate the "status" of each members payment status... Meaning if you do monthly billing, is the user current?

I have only played around with WordPress, and I am not familiar with the level of complexity of the code... But most PHP/MySql based applications are not impossible to customize.

However, oftentimes it is easier to start from scratch and have exactly the site that you need built from scratch.

That might seem more expensive, but if you think about it from the standpoint of a web developer, starting from scratch allows you to:

1) Avoid having to learn another developer's coding design/style
2) Reuse your own code, from past projects.
3) Create something that fits the client's exact need, and at the same time add to your code library collection, that might be used for future clients.

Meaning less money, and a better end result.

I outsource all of my coding projects, and have had over a dozen web sites developed. In fact, had 4 developers working for me at one point, so let me know if you want to outsource the project.

I wish I had a quick fix for you, but I don't know of one...

I found a few solutions. amember is creating a plugin just for me -- WordPress has a plugin called "Post Levels," which gives people a post level (in addition to user level). And one can define a post as being private, readable by a certain level only.

http://dev.wp-plugins.org/wiki/PostLevels

Also, a very prominent CMS designer/programmer (offering a customized package of WordPress as a CMS), personally told me he is currently writing a subscription script to work with WP for himself, and may share it with me. Stay tuned...

If any of these don't work, I might have to commission specific work.

Dear Michel,

I am now in the same situation as you were then.

Wanting to offer information to members in a password protected part of my wordpress blog site.

What did you finally settle on, and are you able to share it?

Also, while I have you here. I have about ten thousand different passwords and blogs and websites and just stuff to organize.

Do you know of a software program that helps folks like me organize all this stuff - preferably in levels of security and in categories?

So, for example, I can give my CFO all the info she needs on financial stuff - bank accounts, passwords, etc. Or give my content manager all the blogs and social membership stuff, but no bank account stuff.

These days one's lacking a password can set the world on its ear. So how do you keep it all this organized yet available to those who need it?

Thank you
DD

Well that was more than a year ago.

I use amember with the new WordPress plugin (created because of me).

Thank you, Michel.

Two more questions.

Any recommendations for a program that keeps passwords organized - preferably in levels of security and in categories?

With your theme (right column) software, my blog page is 2" wider than your blog. I assume you've tested page width. Should I make my blog page narrower?

Thank you for your time.
cyberdd

1. Not sure what you mean by "organized." If what you mean is giving access to specific members to specific categories or pages, then you might want to use a separate plugin for this, such as "Groups" and "Group Restrictions":

wp-group-restriction - Google Code

2. I didn't design that theme. It was designed by Cory Miller, based on my blog's theme (which I did design myself). It's just a preference. But if you want to find out why (or more), see:

Cory Miller Media | Blog Design & Custom WordPress Themes

Michel,

Have a look at PayBox. It's a new Wordpress plugin designed for membership sites and hooks nicely into Paypal.

It's at Welcome :: Gootix.com

I think it will be just what you're looking for.