redsand
Forum Replies Created
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Forum: Reviews
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] Seems to do the job. Widgets don’t workI’m glad to see that you monitor our support forums. However, our response to your issue was accurate and appropriate.
I’m sorry that you found it frustrating, but it’s perfectly reasonable to ask users to spend a few minutes working through Troubleshooting Guide and FAQs.
And I got the same rude and argumentative response to my reporting that as you.
No one from our team has made rude or argumentative responses. Please don’t misstate facts. We work extremely hard to provide outstanding support, and I stand by everything we have posted to the forums.
You have the right to disagree, but please don’t slander us.
– Scott
Forum: Reviews
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] Seems to do the job. Widgets don’t workOne of the reasons we have such an excellent record (and reputation) with tech support is that we have an outstanding diagnostic process.
We’ve done tech support on tens of thousands of WordPress sites. We’ve got this down to a science.
As noted on our support page, we ask all users to work through the FAQs and Troubleshooting Guide before submitting a support request. From a technical point of view, it’s just requiring a user to click a few links.
Perhaps try to imagine it from our perspective before criticizing our tech support requirements. We have a quarter million users of our plugins that we provide free tech support for…we have to have a system that is practical, otherwise this would not be possible.
We are always willing to help users, and sometimes spend hours helping a user diagnosing and fixing tech support issues. It’s quite fair for us to ask users to spend a few minutes to work through the FAQs and Troubleshooting Guides.
I think this is going a bit too far.
The site is literally only requiring users to click on a few links. I’m not sure how that can be considered unreasonable. I’m sorry if this was frustrating to you, but the vast majority of users have no issue with this.
It insists that I haven’t read a plugin conflict page which I know I have read.
The error message you received explained that you had skipped Step 2 of the Troubleshooting Guide: Check the Known Issues and Plugin Conflicts. Checking for known issues/conflicts is an important step in order to rule out a number of preventable issues.
Again, I could not submit my bug report because your site rejected my repeated efforts to do so.
I’m sorry but this simply isn’t accurate. I’ve personally verified the support system data and server log data. Our site is quite a bit more advanced than you may realize, and has a number of checks in place to make sure everything is working properly. However, even if the site was wrong, all you would need to do is click the link and visit the page again. Compared to the amount of time we’re going spend helping you resolve your support request, how is it an issue to take a couple seconds and click a link?
Don’t get me wrong…we’re extremely willing to help our users…but there has to be a balance here.
Regarding the issue with the widgets, as explained, these were fixed in version 1.9.9.9 which was release several days ago.
– Scott
- This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by redsand.
Forum: Plugins
In reply to: [Contact Form 7] How to use PHP code inside readonly input field ?Hi @panatapattu,
As far as I know, there isn’t a way to do it in the form itself, and it has to be done in post-processing. Your best bet is the
wpcf7_mail_componentsfilter in theWPCF7_Mailclass.You would need to add some code to your theme file’s custom
functions.phpfile. The best way to do this is to not edit theme files directly, but rather make a child theme, and edit thefunctions.phpfile. Something like this should work:if( defined( 'WPCF7_VERSION' ) ) { add_filter( 'wpcf7_mail_components', 'your_custom_function', 20 ); } function your_custom_function( $components ) { extract( $components ); $subject = get_the_title(); $components = compact( 'subject', 'sender', 'body', 'recipient', 'additional_headers', 'attachments' ); return $components; }This exact script isn’t tested yet, but is similar to one we use. It might need some tweaking, but at least this should get you started.
Hope that helps!
– Scott
Forum: Developing with WordPress
In reply to: Replacing name / last name fieldsWe’ve got an FAQ that addresses this exact question: FAQ 12 – Q: The registration anti-spam protection feature adds 3 extra fields to WordPress registration forms. Is there a way to remove these?
Hope that helps!
– Scott
Forum: Plugins
In reply to: [Instant Articles for WP] Unable to Download VideoHi @hafizrahim,
WP-SpamFree is no longer maintained. WP-SpamShield is the replacement. You might be interested in this thread. Hope that helps!
– Scott
Hi,
I had already asked questions on support forum. In a week without answers…here is my review.
After installing these plugin:
1. After of installation and cache cleaning site was down for a 2-3 hours – 502 error (it’s not hosting issue – I have powerful VPN hosting);
2. Increasing of 502 errors in Google Search console.
3. Redirects all subdomains on root domain. Decreasing of traffic -20% (organic traffic from Google) for a month of using this plugin (because of that this plugin has “one star” mark from me).After of fixing these issues this plugin it can be useful in future.
Hi @webilav,
I’m sorry to hear that you had this issue. However, I can confidently say that the plugin does not cause 502 errors, nor does it cause search engine ranking issues. This is one of our areas of expertise, and we do this day in and day out for clients. We would never let one of our plugins cause SEO issues. If you are experiencing 502 errors or search engine ranking issues, it means that there is a configuration issue on your site. Unfortunately, you are incorrectly attributing the cause of the issue to this plugin.
In a week without answers…here is my review…
We did respond to your question.
As noted in the plugin documentation, here on the forums, and in our response, all support requests need to be directed to the plugin’s official support page. We never received a support request from you. We could have helped you diagnose the real cause of your issue, and resolve it.
After of installation and cache cleaning site was down for a 2-3 hours – 502 error (it’s not hosting issue – I have powerful VPN hosting)…
Again, the plugin would not have caused this. This would have been caused by a configuration issue on the site. Incorrect configuration can cause even good code to trigger an incident, but it’s important to correctly identify the real issue. The “power” of your web hosting isn’t relevant to the issue…it’s the configuration. Configuration is ultimately up to the website owner, not the web host. “VPN hosting”…? Unless you’re talking about using a VPN connection to access your server, I’m assuming you mean “VPS hosting”. A VPN would not affect the robustness of your server, but a VPS would.
While I genuinely do understand the frustration associated with an issue like this, I have to ask, why would you post a negative review without even submitting a support request first?
We really do offer outstanding support. You should give us a chance to help you.
It is important for all plugin users to familiarize themselves with the plugin documentation. If you need further help, then we are happy to provide support.
Please ask yourself this…When developers spend so much time developing free plugins for the WordPress community, is it really ok to post a 1-star review without making any reasonable effort to receive support? That’s simply not the right way to handle things.
If you have an issue with something, submit a support request first, and give the author time to respond. We provide free support for our plugins…all you have to do is submit a support request at the official plugin support page. We provide some of the best support out there.
You might want to take a moment to check out these two posts:</p>
I would ask that you reconsider your rating, as it simply isn’t accurate or fair. No one is asking for a 5-star review, just a fair one. It can be updated by going to: https://wordpress.org/support/view/plugin-reviews/scrapebreaker#postform
Reviews like this simply do not help the global WordPress community.
– Scott
- This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by redsand.
Forum: Plugins
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] redsandmarketing 403 ForbiddenPerhaps I can clarify. We don’t provide support at the WordPress forums here, but we do provide exceptional support at the plugin’s official support page.
Getting a 403 Forbidden error isn’t a tech support issue for the plugin developer. That’s a computer tech support issuer for the user browsing the web. A site would rarely be set up to block all traffic, so you should assume it’s something specific to your network/computer/browser/etc. (To be clear, this does not mean you’ve done anything wrong! No one is saying that.)
An HTTP request could be blocked by one of several levels of firewall, including the web host’s, in which case it’s out of the hands of the site owner. Even if you see a custom 403 page at the site, that’s just the page that the server is configured to serve when a request is blocked. It doesn’t necessarily mean it was blocked at the application level…It could have been blocked at the server level.
In general if you get that kind of error at a site, you need to check your computer and network for security issues, make sure you’re using an up-to-date browser version, and an up-to-date operating system. Make sure you’re using good security software on your computer and scan it for malware. Make sure that the network you’re using (or proxy/VPN/etc) to access the internet is not on common blacklists. If you still can’t access a site, then try to access it from a different physical location (in other words a different ISP), such as a friend’s house, work, school, mobile, etc.
Hope that helps!
– Scott
- This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by redsand.
Forum: Plugins
In reply to: [Visual Form Builder] Massive spam issuelHi @jorgenhanisch,
I can confirm that WP-SpamShield will stop all of the spam. The plugin just has to be activated on each site – it cannot be network activated. No spambots can get through it. However, it cannot stop spam if it isn’t activated (on each individual site). We had a situation previously where a user was confused by this since he had activated it on the main site. Once he activated it on the other sites, all spam was instantly eliminated.
Fighting spam is often confusing for users with multisite installations because of these nuances.
– Scott
- This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by redsand.
Forum: Reviews
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] quit working after upgradeHi @frogola,
I’m sorry if you misunderstand my tone. I’m not angry, just pointing out something that doesn’t seem quite right to me. I understand that you were frustrated.
I would like to ask though, how is our fault if you did not read the minimum requirements, and then installed software not compatible with your server?
It’s an end-user’s responsibility to check the requirements before installing. That’s not said to place any kind of blame or to sound rude. Just making an observation.
Like I said in my initial response, “No one is asking for a 5-star review, just a fair review.” I would never ask you give it a 4 or 5 star review if it doesn’t work for you. However, it certainly does not deserve a negative review.
I’m honestly not concerned with “ratings”. I just want to get across accurate information to users. I would ask you to reconsider out of fairness and accuracy. I’m sure if you were in the reverse position, you would request the same consideration.
Take care.
– Scott
Forum: Plugins
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] Tiny PHP Warning in error logs, not a big dealHi @harm10,
You’re very welcome! 🙂
Forum: Reviews
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] quit working after upgradeThis plugin worked well for over a year and several wordpress and plugin updates. However after the last plugin update to version 1.9.9.8.5 it stopped working and says it is incompatible with my nginx server. So I am looking for a replacement plugin now.
Hi @frogola,
I’m sorry that you were frustrated, but the plugin does not deserve a negative review for this.
WP-SpamShield has never been compatible with standalone Nginx servers. This has always been explained in the plugin Minimum Requirements, and in the Known Conflicts page.
The plugin requires use of an
.htaccessfile, which a standalone Nginx server does not use. Prior to version 1.9.9.8.2, if a site was running on a standalone Nginx server, there was a warning in the plugin’s settings page.In version 1.9.9.8.2, we added functionality to enforce existing plugin Minimum Requirement #3, “Your server must be configured to allow the use of an .htaccess file.” Accordingly, from version 1.9.9.8.2 onward, if a standalone Nginx server is detected, the plugin will now deactivate. Unfortunately despite the fact that there were warnings in the admin for a long time now (on the plugin’s settings page), not everyone paid attention to these, and it became necessary to add this functionality.
Even though some elements may work on standalone Nginx, not everything will work properly.
It’s not a matter of “adapting the plugin for Nginx”, or not “supporting Nginx”…Nginx just doesn’t have the capability to support all of the plugin’s features. Nginx is not a drop-in replacement for Apache…they have some differing features. Nginx does not have an equivalent to
.htaccess. (A directory level configuration file.)We previous had allowed the plugin to continue to run on standalone Nginx setups with the warning, but it’s become quite a headache because some users won’t read the instructions and then contact us with angry support requests, or leave angry negative reviews. (This review is an example.)
It’s a bit ironic if you think about it, because we are up front and tell users that not everything will work on standalone Nginx, and then some people come back to us angry because not everything works…on standalone Nginx.
So, unfortunately we cannot allow it to run on standalone Nginx servers, since they do not meet the plugin’s minimum requirements. It’s just the cleanest solution, and was implemented in version 1.9.9.8.2.
It is extremely important for plugin users to read the documentation, and at the very least, the Minimum Requirements. If you try to install software on your computer, would you fault the software if it would not activate on an incompatible system?
Additionally, if you had a concern, wouldn’t it have been more appropriate to submit a support request to inquire about the change instead of jumping right to a negative review?
Please ask yourself this…When developers spend so much time developing free plugins for the WordPress community, is it really ok to post a negative review without making any reasonable effort to receive support? That’s simply not the right way to handle things.
If you have an issue with something, submit a support request first, and give the author time to respond. We provide free support for our plugins…all you have to do is submit a support request at the WP-SpamShield Support Page. We provide some of the best support out there.
You might want to take a moment to check out these two posts:
I would ask that you reconsider your rating, as it simply isn’t accurate or fair. (No one is asking for a 5-star review, just a fair review.) If you are so inclined, your can be updated by going to: https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wp-spamshield/reviews/#new-post
Reviews like this simply do not help the global WordPress community.
– Scott
Forum: Plugins
In reply to: [WP-SpamShield] All my sites crashedHi @mikemacd,
No worries…I didn’t think anything negative of what you said.
You’re very welcome. 🙂
– Scott
Hi @spespam,
I understand your frustration. It’s important to realize though that if your site is down for days that’s not the fault of a plugin developer. Each site owner has to take responsibility for their site’s uptime or downtime. It’s important to employ site monitoring tools, like Uptime Robot, which is free. It can check your site every 5 minutes, and alert you via email, text alert, phone apps, etc. You can know if your site is down within 5 minutes. If you’re site is important, for any reason, but especially if you make money off it, this type of tool is a necessity. There are a number of others out there as well. Some of these can be integrated with other tools like IFTTT and PushBullet.
You can go a bit further and have scripts on your site that alert you to issues right away. We have these on every site we manage. We get alerted to issues within minutes, and keep downtime to a minimum.
If a WordPress plugin, theme, update, etc ever malfunctions, you can always manually remove it (at least temporarily) by going into your site’s file structure by FTP or with the file manager in your site’s web control panel. Just navigate to the
/wp-content/plugins/folder and delete or rename the folder of the plugin that you think may be causing the issue. That will force-deactivate the plugin.In addition to the site monitoring tools, you can use a backup tool like UpdraftPlus or VaultPress to create full backups daily of your site. This also gives you one-click restore functionality if something ever goes wrong on your site.
It’s important to remember too that this situation could happen to any plugin, even Akismet. It could happen based on configuration settings, conflicts between two plugins, or a number of other reasons.
Again, I understand your frustration completely. I hope this info helps.
- This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by redsand.