Deanos Module Updates.

Hello everyone. Sorry for the delays. I know a lot of people are waiting for updates to my modules for dolphin 7.3.

Updates are under way, and the first module updates will be released in about a week.

For quite a while i was trying to determine if i was going to continue to develop modules for dolphin. I finally reached that decision, and will continue, but i needed to address some issues first.

So, as of module releases for Dolphin 7.3, all my new updates will require a license key to operate the modules. Modules will run for 14 days after the first install without a key to allow plenty of time to get the key. The process to obtain the key is simple, and is explained in each module. Keys are obtained at http://licensing.deanbassett.biz/

I apologize for the delay. Updates are now well underway, and will be released as fast as possible.

I also apologize about requiring a license key for the new versions. I know it will upset a few people, bu i needed to do it.

Expect the first few releases in about a week. The first ones out will be....

Block Tools
Maintenance Mode
Head Injections.

And

Web Comics.

The head injections module has been improved. Matching is now done by url instead of title to make it easier, and there is also now per page injections after the opening body tag and before the closing body tag as well as the head.

The current version of the web comics module is no longer updating comics. As of a few weeks ago, the servers i was getting the comics from stopped providing comics, so it stopped updating. The new version has a new feed, and the number of available comics has been increased from 129 comics to 414 comics, and most now have larger images so they will look better on full width page blocks.

More updates will be on the way as soon as i can get them out.

It's a shame anyone would be upset with needing a license key. Pretty silly, too.

The system you have in place was very easy and quick to accomplish.

Sure glad you're sticking with Dolphin, Deano! 

Nice to see you back.

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Michel ✈ Meta-Travel.com
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Well, one of the reasons people will not like it is the restrictions the licensing places on the module.

Currently people can run my modules on as many websites as they want. The license key restricts it to one website. Additional copies would have to be purchased for other websites.

Another reason for a key, is it allows me to disable the module if someone does a charge back. The licensing system allows me to do that.

The last reason i needed to do this is due to shady practices that have been done in the past. For example, a web site developer purchases a module from a module developer on their clients behalf. But then turns around and installs it on other clients sites as well and charges them for it. Now i have seen this done only once in the past a few years ago. I can't even remember who was doing it, but what bothers me is i don't know if any others are doing that, or how many. With the licensing system, that will no longer be able to be done.

So there are a number of reasons why i did this, and it basically is those restrictions a single site license puts on the module that will be what people will not like about it. They will no longer be able to do the things they did before and some will not like that.

Glad you're sticking with us :-)

Could you please include Deano's Tools module in updates as soon as you can!

Thanks

Hi Deano. It seems to me that the people that wouldn't like it are the ones that would intend to misuse or duplicate use of the mods.

It's likely the vast majority of users won't have a problem with it. I use the 1col and 3col mods and those devs use a similar system to stop that sort of misuse of their modules. I see no problem with it.

Hi Deanos. Just trying to understand what each of the mods do below.

I can't seem to find the "Block Tools" under your Market account?

The maintenance mode makes sense.

The Head injections, would they be different to what is already available in 7.3 Injections section in Basic settings?

Deano, I am glad to see you will continue with Dolphin.  One of the reasons I have not upgrade was waiting to see if you would continue or not as I would have to consider your modules not working after upgrade.  Yes, I noticed the Web Comics had stopped posting new comics.

Deano, can you tell me how the licensing will work?  My only concern with licenses is that the module quits working if your licensing server goes down.  This is a real concern because another developer on here had a licensing server and it would go down and then their module would quit working.  Another concern is that I run a test site that is a clone of my live site; I do all work on the test site before applying anything to the live site; it is important the test site is a perfect clone.  I hate to think that I would have to buy new licenses for the test site when that is all it is, a testing ground to prevent changes from breaking my live site.

 
Downtime was considered when i designed the license server. The module only checks with the server once every 7 days. It also allows a grace period of several days if the server happens to be down at the time it rechecks.

The modules also run for the first 14 days without a license.

At the moment, there is no developer keys, but that is also planned. When done, you will be able to request a developer key for testing that expire after a couple of weeks. Only so many of those per module will be able to be requested per year to prevent abuse. The limits on expire time and number of reissues per year on developer licenses i will have to figure out.

I also have plans to add a license key file system. This will allow for the use of permanent license key files instead of a server. This would only be used in rare cases. I also have a bypass system planned to be able to bypass the licensing if i should decide to stop development work on the modules.

Anyhow, server downtime should not be a issue. I believe i have that covered. As for developer licenses, i will be doing that as soon as possible. I want to get most of my modules upgraded before i go back to enhancing the licensing server.

 
Block tools is here. https://www.boonex.com/m/Block_Tools

As for the injections, yes, it is different than what is in 7.3.

The injections in dolphin 7.3 is new as of that version, and is very limited. The injections built into dolphin are site wide. All pages affected.

Mine are on a per page basis by url. So injections can be added to only one page. If for example your adding a jquery slider of something to a specific page, you can target only that page to inject any code needed instead of having it on all pages which would not be needed and could cause conflicts. Per page targeting is a better solution for injections.

Hi Deano,

My concern is pretty much the same as geekgirl's.  

I also have another concern (which does NOT pertain to your modules tho cause I actually TRUST you),  But my other concern is about other dev's slowly using this practice as well.  The practice itself is practically fine, but the only thing I dont like about this practice is dev's knowing or having my site address.  I personally hate when other ppl from boonex are crawling around on my site being nosey or whatever they are doing.  But this stems from not wanting to be copied, and keep what works for me exclusively working for me only.

Again, this doesn't pertain to you at all because I trust you...but is there a way that this can be done without disclosing the site url/domain?  I truly wish that boonex would implement this for their licenses as well. 

Sorry, but no. Licenses are tied to either a domain or url.

However, None of that information is publicly displayed. Only you will see it if you need to reset/reissue the license. It's in my database as well once the license key is used, but i certainly do not have the time to go though thousands of entries to find sites to nose around on.

Considering information in a licensing system is not available for public view, no one is going to get that information. As for boonex and their licensing, other than the admins, no regular members here can see your domain unless you posted it in the forums somewhere.

Could the URL be encrypted before storing in the database?  That might help to eliminate the fear that JUN10R presented about someone gaining the information from the licensing server.

If the Licensing Key is on Zarconia and the Dolphin Site is hosted with Zarconia; then if one is down, the chances are the other will be too.

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Michel ✈ Meta-Travel.com
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I don't understand why anyone would invest money in a website and not want people to find it.

Hi Deano. I may not know what I'm talking about here, but can't you just buy/use a third party licensing server from somewhere instead of re-inventing the wheel?

 
Yes i can.

The only one i found that integrates well with PHP scripts is WHMCS with it's licensing add on. But it does not quite have the features i want.

Anyhow. I am a developer that works with dolphin, so why not develop one that is a native dolphin module, and because i am a developer, i can write one that works exactly the way i want it to, instead of just accepting what features a 3'rd party system has.

 
Not everyone is hosting with zarconia.

And i will eventually be adding a server for backup. Because my primary server is with zarconia, my backup will not be, or if i do, it will have to be in the eu datacenter.

In thinking about the question that JUN10R raised; his concern about protecting his site's URL and your interest in protecting your modules from redistribution; I think encrypting the site URL and storing that on the server servers the interests of both concerned.  That way you can not see the site URL and your module is protected; the interests of both parties is served.

OK, I'll be the one that asks the morbid question.  What happens if you get hit by a bus, or otherwise suddenly meet your demise?  Who then maintains the licensing server?  When a large corporation does this, I have no concerns, but you as a sole proprietor should have some sort of "Plan B".

Morbid but true. If there's anything that life teaches us is that life is unpredictable, no one can know what will happen tomorrow with any high degree of precision. That's why as you mentioned, in business there's something called "succession planning" (which includes the unexpected passing, demise, etc of the company lead).

 Then the modules will no longer be updated either.

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Michel ✈ Meta-Travel.com
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i had the same concerns.

There are tons of free tools online to decrypt the code, just remove the license functions or null the call backs, and move on with your life.

What are you trying to do, make Deano leave?  Don't listen to this Deano.

I have been thinking about this; wondering if there is not some way to secure a module without using a licensing server.  I understand what Deano is saying and I have no problem with him wanting to secure his module against those that would resell or redistribute.

haha funny, i knew there will be people who would try this, so when i was making our licensing system i made sure to make the life of those people who tried this very very hard, its almost unfruitful at that point. I am pretty sure Dean has put some sort of defence too.

Wouldn't it make sense to get Boonex themselves to make such a licensing server (with all the security bells and whistles) ?

I remember some months back Boonex created a forum topic similar to this ie. how to help mod developers more.

This will allow all Dolphin developers to spend more time on modules instead of developing licensing servers, wouldn't it?

How are you getting on with these updates?

Do you have a roadmap of which modules you'll upgrade/work on?

How are the Social Login mods coming along?

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Michel ✈ Meta-Travel.com
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Deano, you have been a great help to many here, and I totally respect you. I am almost ashamed to even have to ask, but unfortunately, because I deal mostly with a mental health related site, HIPAA compliance is important. How does this new licensing affect a site?

Does not affect a site in anyway. License checks are internal to the module, and when a check is done, it's to a SSL enabled server.

I don't see a issue. No different than any other script that performs license checks. Including dolphin itself.

 even this has concerned me. not exactly sure how a license check is done and possibility of info being accessed using the licensing code.

Might as Well ask again:

Deano, how are you getting on with these updates?

Do you have a roadmap of which modules you are upgrading/working on?

How are the Social Login mods coming along?

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Michel ✈ Meta-Travel.com
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I don't really have a road map.

Head Injections is the next one to be released, followed by Block Tools, then web comics.

Not sure when i will get to the connect modules. Facebook connect is down at the bottom of my list due to the number of changes that need to be made to get it properly work again with both dolphin and facebooks latest API.

The other modules i still have to deal with bugs in dolphin itself. Need to figure out how to deal with it. I got boonex to fix one issue with multiple auth buttons, but there are still more. Buttons are to large, they will drown out a page if all of my connect mods are installed. Some people will not like that. The text on the buttons also does not properly resize on mobile devices when the with of the buttons gets smaller. So there is still dolphin bugs slowing me down on those areas.

Happy that you remain among us Deano !

The module which misses us a lot is DEANOS TOOLS  !!!

It's a real problem because it allowed to manage the accounts effectively

We can pay for a tool so excellent

Yes, this ties into a rant on another blog.  Admins in Dolphin are not really admins; nor is their a super-admin.  This means we can not properly administrate a site and regardless of what another person may think, we have to have the ability to properly monitor content or we could face federal charges (such as distribution of kiddie porn).  The easiest way was to check content when a complaint has been file has been the use of Deano's Tools. 

However, I understand that Deano has to maintain first the paying modules; he has the responsibility to his paying clients first.