Problem: I really want to add a subscription feature to my site! The value to subscribers is they can escape advertisements, but I can't do this if I already have site members. Either I kick off all the current members and ask them to reapply with a password (obtained after they pay a fee) or I create another class of membership called subscribers who I promote to "subscribers" after then pay a fee.
Solution: All that's needed is an adjustment to the ad display toggle that erases ads for a custom class of users that I'll call subscribers.
Bigger Wish: Create a fully integrate subscriber option with payment system run through Wikidot's backend computers.
Is this an easy solution or is something bigger in the works?
Dave
There have been several wishes in the past that have asked for some expansion of the groups of users we can have. If you check this page, you'll see that they have all been rejected. This wish is the oldest and had the most discussion. I'd really, really like to see something like this implemented, but based on past discussion it sounds like a project that the devs do not want to tackle.
Your particular situation would require a change to the options for displaying ads as well. We would have to be able to assign visibility to a selected number of user groups.
Community Admin
The most basic need is the ability to give a select group ad-free access to the site. I can do the rest of the work myself. Otherwise, I will have to kick off all my members and just use the current options to not show ads to members. Wikidot can take a cut of the fee if they can streamline the process. Not a problem since I'll be making revenue I can't already get.
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The only option right now is:
The problem with booting your members is that you can only hide ads from Wikidot users who are signed in, not just members of your site. They could still create a Wikidot account without joining your site and the ads would be hidden if you disabled that option.
Community Admin
I see. Yeah, that would be a problem. Looks like that solution is no good. My wish is the only way forward, unfortunately.
WikiWealth.com - Stock, Fund, Commodity & Currency Research | SWOT Analysis, WACC
Is it not possible to use the SUO snippet to wrap adverts?
I don't think that would work unless you bypassed the built-in management for ads and used your own html blocks. Plus, SUO is currently limited to 101 users (although I don't think it would be that hard to expand). I think trying to manage a fairly large number of subscribers this way would quickly become a hassle.
Community Admin