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1. malawimama
   Member
   Posted 4 months ago #

   I need some advice on this one, was hoping someone out there might know of a plugin I could use for this. I tried searching, but maybe I'm not searching for the right terms in the Plugins section.

   My client has an idea to give out codes to people where they would be able to access certain content (videos, downloads) and then they would sign up for a membership on the site. The problem is that the codes are all unique, so they can't share them. I thought about using the codes as passwords and prompting the user to change it as soon as they sign in - however there's no way to know who these people are, since he's not getting any personal info from them at all when he hands out the codes, so we can't set up accounts with passwords first. That's the main problem.

   I can't find anything that works like this, where you enter a code that's not assigned to a person. Anyone have any ideas?

   thanks!

2. deepbevel
   Member
   Posted 4 months ago #

   try a plugin called s2member. It has various ways to manage access to premium content, very flexible.

3. malawimama
   Member
   Posted 4 months ago #

   I have used S2Member but I've never set it up this way, do you know if I can set up accounts without names and emails? I was trying to contact them, but they require you to post in the forums so haven't done that yet. If S2 allows accounts without names/emails, I could set it up to prompt the user to enter a new password (I think) when they first log in with the code they have. It's a little awkward but it's the only solution I can think of - create a ton of fake accounts with the codes as passwords (could be hundreds!) and then prompt them to change the code into a unique password. The problem is setting up hundreds of accounts. My client is a Speaker, so he's handing these codes out at schools so we're talking hundreds of kids.. accounts.. but again, it's the only solution I can think of.

4. deepbevel
   Member
   Posted 4 months ago #

   what is the basic goal, in simplest terms? trying to limit content to a specific user, and not just user id?

5. malawimama
   Member
   Posted 4 months ago #

   There are Pages with videos, and downloads that would be accessed only with a code - everyone with a code would have access to the same pages (videos/downloads) so it's not user-specific. Since the codes will be unique, we can't just add a password to the page itself. And after they Register (pay for membership), they will have access to the rest of the content.

   So basically, they go to the site and enter a code somewhere - then get access to a few pages with videos and downloads - then at they have the option to Register (pay) to gain access to the entire site.

6. deepbevel
   Member
   Posted 4 months ago #

   they go to the site and enter a code somewhere - then get access to a few pages with videos and downloads - then at they have the option to Register (pay) to gain access to the entire site.

   why not just make the initial codes expire after first use, then have ability to sign up for more? s2member can do that.

7. SwansonPhotos
   Member
   Posted 4 months ago #

   I think the way most would do this is to create a sub-site as pvt (registered users only) and the main site as public...all registered users are redirected on login

8. malawimama
   Member
   Posted 4 months ago #

   That normally would work and sounds like a good idea, but how would you integrate the codes then? Does S2Member do something like that with codes instead? That would be perfect. (The codes are not all the same, each one is unique.) So you're saying S2Member allows you to enter all the codes in the admin somewhere, you mean as coupons or something? But he doesn't want to get any names or emails when they enter those codes in (because the site is for children, he doesn't want to get their info unless their parents Register them). So yes, the coupons could expire after a specified timeframe (say 1 week after they are first used) then the user would be prompted to Register when they get the message that says they no longer have access.

   Then after they register, they could be forwarded to a subsite? I think that would be redundant to have 2 sites, because he would have to enter those pages all over again - users would still have access to those initial pages still after they register, so it would be strange to have to log in to 2 admins and manage those same pages twice.

   Unfortunately, we can't have a public site and private site, some pages will be public anyway, but the codes would give them access to certain pages and he already had the codes all printed up on hundreds of wristbands to hand out, so that's already in the works.

   I guess I'll have to tell him that he has to get all their contact info first, or find someone to custom program a plugin that does that.

   Thanks for your help, I appreciate it :)

9. deepbevel
   Member
   Posted 4 months ago #

   whew, I'm confused. I wish I had a better grip on what you're doing,
   but I'm afraid any more advice on my part would probably miss the mark. Good luck just the same:)

10. SwansonPhotos
    Member
    Posted 4 months ago #

    the majority of it is actually done with http redirects in your .htaccess file and some added security hardening..these are quite advanced topics and you may want to post in that forum area and/or hire a dev.

11. malawimama
    Member
    Posted 4 months ago #

    Ok, thanks for your help :)

    anyway, I'm going to try and talk him into just forcing them to register for a free account - way easier than using these codes!

    cheers!~

12. deepbevel
    Member
    Posted 4 months ago #

    one more attempt, i think I may at least understand what you're doing now (but maybe not)

    You say the codes are already set, being printed on bracelets..
    you could take each code and make it a password for an annonomous user. Then you can get a plugin which disables email verification, so you could enter any ol' fake email for each account. Then the kids would log in with "user" as user name, and the code as password..
    Once logged in, they would have access to the content as permitted by what ever premium content method you are using, based on that log in id.

    ?

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