This is not a review of the free plugin here. So, having got your frustration out, I assume you’ll now be updating it to provide a review of the plugin that is actually available here.
And, by the way, I’m not a coder at all and yet run several complicated sites using s2Member without difficulties.
Andrew Nevins
(@anevins)
WCLDN 2018 Contributor | Volunteer support
Generally plugins upsell their pro version on the plugin in some way, so we allow reviews of that. It may be the case that people are reviewing the wrong product by mistake, but this is introduced when authors advertise commercial services on their free plugins.
KTS915 – you hit the nail on the head; “run several complicated sites”
That’s the very thing, this is a dream for highly experienced people with plenty of time. For myself I prefer a different layout.
There is no denying the features are rich, but this plugin is living off past glory and ranks pretty low amongst the newer ones (that are above a year old e.g. Memberpress.
S2member as with all commercial plugins gave a great sales pitch, on asking for support I am greeted with a lesson in business capacity! !?!?
Whether free or not; the plugin is highly outdated. For example you cannot even protect an image (but you can protect the text :/) without having to access FTP, hard code back into WP. Why not integrate to the media upload? Because its time consuming and costly coding. So instead we settle for a free plug in that is highly flawed.
I just warn those that do not have time (I mean hours on hours, not just a few hours) will find themselves having to problem solve a lot and read countless unanswered posts on their now closed forum.
this plugin is living off past glory and ranks pretty low amongst the newer ones (that are above a year old e.g. Memberpress. … the plugin is highly outdated.
You jest, of course. Have you ever tried protecting an HTML or SVG file using MemberPress? Hint: It’s not possible. Apparently, it hasn’t yet caught up with HTML5!
Only rasterized graphics in 2016?! No ability to use HTML files generated by specialist software?! Give me a break!
Yet I can protect both file types seamlessly using s2Member. So I know which plugin is really up to date.
KTS; I do not want to offend you. We will never agree; hence I am giving my opinion. With any plugin there are advantages and disadvantages.
Along with their virtually impossible 30 day refund policy this plugin is far too technical for the average user; you are clearly not the average user!
@appears-appears: While I might no longer be an average user, I was a complete novice (with no tech background) when I started using s2Member. But, because I was such a novice, I read s2Member’s detailed inline instructions carefully, and I looked up the references to which they pointed. If I am not an average user now, it is actually largely thanks to the s2Member devs.
I have no problem with an honest opinion based on the user’s own experience with a plugin. Everyone’s use case and preferences are different, and so it’s inevitable that one plugin will never suit everyone.
What I do have a problem with is when a user starts bandying about wild generalizations that are simply untrue.
