Title: [Plugin: podPress] Premium Content problems
Last modified: August 19, 2016

---

# [Plugin: podPress] Premium Content problems

 *  [mk1623](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mk1623/)
 * (@mk1623)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-podpress-premium-content-problems/)
 * I have been using PodPress since 2008. I was using PodPress because I was able
   to use Premium Contents. For a long time, the PodPress has not been updated. 
   Then, I recently noticed the updates and I updated it. Then, problems occurred.
   In the newest version, premium contents said “a dir under your web root. It should
   be a dir outside of the web root so that users cannot simply browse to the dir
   and get access to the files.” However, it should be under the web root and there
   were only one Location of the Media Files setting. So, I have been using fake
   enclosure.
 * My problems are:
 * 1. I cannot change it out side now. Even I set it outside of the web root, it
   will go to normal media files and will not recognize the premium folder I set
   with the absolute path to protected media.
 * 2. I have quite a few premium content in my blog already. How can I change all?
   Is there any way to search the posts with premium contents?
 * This new feature that enable to set the directory for the premium contents outside
   of the web root is wonderful itself but to add it without considering the users
   who have been using premium content already is, I think, awful.
 * Could someone help me?

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

 *  Plugin Author [ntm](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ntm/)
 * (@ntm)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-podpress-premium-content-problems/#post-1730263)
 * Hello,
 * I have made this option available (again?) in one of the last versions of podPress.
   It was as a comment in one of the PHP files and I have activated it. But I have
   to admit that have not tested this function. That was not very responsible. I’m
   sorry!!
 * That this feature does not work might be the reason why it was not active all
   that time.
 * I will look into this matter and will find a solution or hide this option with
   upcoming version again.
 * But to clarify it: The fake enclosure functionality still works for you as it
   has in previous versions?
 *  Plugin Author [ntm](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ntm/)
 * (@ntm)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-podpress-premium-content-problems/#post-1730280)
 * Now, I have looked through the plugins code and it is no wonder why inserting
   something into the Absolute path to protected media field does nothing. This 
   path is not used by an other part of the plugin.
    So please do not try any further
   to use that.
 * It is very likely that I will take this option back (hide it again) in the next
   version of podPress. The main reason is that there is nothing behind this input
   field.
    Once again, I’m sorry for the confusion I have obviously created by activating
   the related lines of code!
 * But it would be great if you could confirm that the other Premium functions are
   still working. (I have tested them again and they seem to work as intended.)
 * Regards,
    Tim
 *  Thread Starter [mk1623](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mk1623/)
 * (@mk1623)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-podpress-premium-content-problems/#post-1730327)
 * Hi Tim,
    Thank you very much for getting back to me.
 * The premium functions seems working if I keep the files in the same files with
   other files. But fake enclosure feature seems not working because it shows the
   file address in the end!!!
 * Thank you very much for your help.
 *  Plugin Author [ntm](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ntm/)
 * (@ntm)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-podpress-premium-content-problems/#post-1730330)
 * > But fake enclosure feature seems not working because it shows the file address
   > in the end!!!
 * Are you absolutely sure about that?
 * I cannot reproduce such a behaviour. If you use this feature then podPress adds
   an enclosure to the feed but the file name resp. the URL is not the original 
   one.
 * But if you are logged in and you watch the feed with your browser then the feed
   will contain the real link to the media file because the login status is in the
   cookies and the function which adds the media files checks whether you are logged
   in or not.
 * Please, check that again.
 * (You should also clear the cache memory of your browser after you change the 
   login status and before you open the feed.)
 * Regards,
    Tim
 *  Thread Starter [mk1623](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mk1623/)
 * (@mk1623)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-podpress-premium-content-problems/#post-1730331)
 * Hi Tim,
    I have checked with the fake enclosure when I log out, after clearing
   the cache. I tried to download the unprotected file, it shows the fake link first
   and then shows the real link before the download started. It is brief but it 
   clearly shows the link. So, anyone can see where my files are stored. I am using
   Safari.
 * Second question, about the premium content. If I move the premium content files
   back to the file directory, can I have folders within the file directory, so 
   that in the future, I can move the folder?
 * Or could you put it back to type the file names as it were before? Then, I can
   use relative path like “/../../filename.txt” etc. Now the files can be only chosen
   from the pull down menu and I cannot type the file name.
 *  Plugin Author [ntm](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ntm/)
 * (@ntm)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-podpress-premium-content-problems/#post-1730333)
 * > It is brief but it clearly shows the link.
 *  In which situation?
 * If I’m logged out and view for instance the feed with the name podcast in Safari
   then I see the list of posts with podcast files. If i click on a usual (free)
   media file then the download starts resp. Safari starts to play the file. That
   happens while I’m logged in and also whiule I’m not logged in.
    But if I click
   on the fake enclosure file with the name podPress_Protected_Content.mp3 I will
   lead to the main blog page or I get a message that the page/file does not exists
   depending on the current Permalink setting and whether I’m using the podPress
   stats or not. This happen while I’m not logged in. But when I’m logged the feed
   view shows (as described above) the real file name and of course the real URL
   and Safari starts to play or to download the file. That the feed includes the
   real URL while you are logged in is no bug and if you hover with the mouse cursor
   over the media file link then you will see the complete URL in the status bar
   as long as you don’t move the mouse away. That is the same behaviour as on the
   blog page. If you are logged in (and you have not disabled the function) you 
   will see below (or somewhere else in) the post the player element and probably
   a download link. If you move the mouse cursor over one of these links the status
   bar shows also the complete link (while you are logged in).
 * So my question still is: Does the download of a premium file start when click
   on the fake enclosure link while you are logged out?
    (What do you mean with “
   unprotected file”? Do you mean by “it shows the fake link first” that in feed
   view only the fake file name is visible?)
 * to the second question:
    I’m not sure whether I understand the question. If you
   are using the “Absolute path of the media files directory” (podPress – General
   Settings) then the podPress box below the post/page editor shows a dropdown menu
   where you select the media files which has been uploaded to this directory. But
   it has also a element which says “Specify URL …”. When choose that you will see
   a long input field which you should use to insert the full URL (not a relative
   one) of a media file. If you do that then the media file may be located in a 
   different folder or maybe it can be on a different server. In other words, if
   you want to put your premium files not into the same folder as all the free content
   then place them somewhere else and specify the URLs for these premium files.
 * Regards,
    Tim
 *  Thread Starter [mk1623](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mk1623/)
 * (@mk1623)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-podpress-premium-content-problems/#post-1730428)
 * Hi Tim,
    I am sorry that I could not reply to you earlier.
 * > It is brief but it clearly shows the link.
   > In which situation?
 * For instance, if I attach pdf file. Firstly, when I logged in, it shows fake 
   address briefly at the beginning, but final page, it shows the actual address.
   You said that this is not a bug but I am not happy about it because all premium
   readers know where all files are stored for premium contents. I would like to
   keep the fake address when it downloads because at the moment, premium contents
   are stored in the same folder. Secondly, when I am not logged in, Premium contents
   are showed as “protected Content.” But if they tried to download non-premium 
   contents, they can find out where the premium contents are stored. Thirdly, the
   link to the login page with the link to “register” If there any ways to link 
   to a page, not to the login page? I know I can set it at the general setting 
   by take off ” Anyone can register” but I would like to keep option Anyone can
   register only after understanding what they can do and cannot do if you just 
   register as a user. I would like to explain to register does not mean automatically
   become premium readers.
 *  Thread Starter [mk1623](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mk1623/)
 * (@mk1623)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-podpress-premium-content-problems/#post-1730429)
 * Hi Tim,
 * I asked this question before, but is there any way to search the posts with premium
   contents?
 *  Thread Starter [mk1623](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mk1623/)
 * (@mk1623)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-podpress-premium-content-problems/#post-1730430)
 * I am just wondering if in the end shows the real address for the premium readers
   and it only shows the log in page for the non-premium user, what is the point
   of fake link?
 *  Plugin Author [ntm](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ntm/)
 * (@ntm)
 * [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-podpress-premium-content-problems/#post-1730432)
 * > For instance, if I attach pdf file. Firstly, when I logged in, it shows fake
   > address briefly at the beginning, but final page, it shows the actual address.
 * When you are logged in and you take a look at your normal blog page then all 
   links you will see are the real, the right links to the media files (e.g. .mp3
   or .pdf files). But if you are using the statistic feature of podPress then all
   links will getting masked. For instance: [http://example.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/hello.mp3](http://example.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/hello.mp3)
   becomes [http://localhost/wp30mu/podpress_trac/web/123/0/hello.mp3](http://localhost/wp30mu/podpress_trac/web/123/0/hello.mp3).
   If you click on such a link and it is e.g. a .pdf file then podPress counts with
   the help of this special URL schema the download and hands the browser the original
   URL and when your browser shows the .pdf in the browser windows itself (and does
   not show you a download dialogue) then you will see the complete URL in the address
   bar of your browser.
    Is that what you have observed?
 * The URL masking of the statistic funtion has nothing to do with the fake enclosure.
   
   The so called fake enclosure are only visible if you use a feed reader to view
   e.g. the RSS feed of your blog. If you are not logged in then the feed reader
   will show instead of the real media file a place-holder file with the name podPress_Protected_Content.
   mp3 independently of the type of the real file (instead of e.g. mypremium.pdf
   it will podPress_Protected_Content.mp3, too). Furthermore the URL of such a fake
   enclosure will be different from the real URL, too. If someone has not the rights
   to read, listen or watch the premium files, he has at least to guess the location
   of the files. But as the description of the premium feature says: _“Keep in mind,
   that this does NOT protect your content if someone discovers the URLs, it only
   hides the location from showing up on the site or in the feed. To fully protect
   your files you can use this feature in combination with an external service […]”_
 * If a feed has no enclosures then iTunes and other feed readers will not show 
   enclosures. But if a feed includes at least fake enclosures then e.g. iTunes 
   will show at least them. In other words if there no enclosures iTunes shows no
   new “episodes”. If you are not using fake enclosures then the default RSS feed
   of your blog contains the posts of the premium content but without enclosures.
   That may be no problem but all subscribers which are using e.g. only iTunes to
   follow your blog will not get noticed of new posts resp. episodes (if there are
   no enclosures in the posts in the feed). The point of having fake enclosure is
   to show that a post contains an media file.
 * Enclosures are special elements (not only) of RSS feeds ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_enclosure](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_enclosure)).
   They contain an URL usually to a media file, the size (in Byte) and the type 
   of the media file. The fake enclosures which podPress creates are like that but
   with modified URLs.
 * If you want to protect your files better then you could use external services
   or if you are not afraid of technical things then you could put your premium 
   files in different folders which you can be protected with passwords. One way
   to protect folders on Apache webserver with passwords is to use .htaccess and.
   htpasswd files. Such a login would be independently from the blog login (but 
   you could use the same login names and passwords). I’m no an expert for this 
   technique but you can find many guides and How-Tos if you search the Internet
   e.g. for “password protection htaccess”.
 * > is there any way to search the posts with premium contents?
 * You mean tell the internal blog search “give me all posts with premium content”?
   
   Maybe. If the content or titles of these posts have a special string like e.g.“
   Premium” or if the posts with premium files are in a special category or if they
   have same tags then you can find them.
 * Or if you want to retrieve the IDs of posts with premium content then the SQL
   query string could look like this:
 *     ```
       SELECT DISTINCT post_id FROM wp_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'podPressMedia' AND INSTR(meta_value, 'premium_content')
       ```
   
 * Regards,
    Tim

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

The topic ‘[Plugin: podPress] Premium Content problems’ is closed to new replies.

 * ![](https://s.w.org/plugins/geopattern-icon/podpress_f79938.svg)
 * [podPress](https://wordpress.org/plugins/podpress/)
 * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/podpress/#faq)
 * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/podpress/)
 * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/podpress/active/)
 * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/podpress/unresolved/)
 * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/podpress/reviews/)

 * 10 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [ntm](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ntm/)
 * Last activity: [15 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-podpress-premium-content-problems/#post-1730432)
 * Status: not resolved