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os commerce and bought templates open disscussion


urbanegos

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Hi ALL

I thought i would open a topic for discussion

some of the points in this topic are covered in replies to other people but i feel it is justified to open it up to a wider discussion in its own right.

I bought a template.

 

Ok i know we bought templates from template monster. However i have been over this forum for a number of days now and i see a LOT of people have bought templates. This is

1) most of us didnt know os commerce existed in the first place and merely wanted a shop template.

2) Buying this template has opened our eyes to the world of os commerce. ( in hindsight ) is always any easy thing to say. However we have bought them and they do have error messages.... so the point is os commerce must have bug fixes somewhere because of the huge volumes of numbers of people who are buying these and acccessing os commerce this way? Any comments on this ?

Please let me know as i have this template now and would like to work on it for a while. If it so happens that it never works i am happy to continue using os commerce basic template. This will however mean i have to design it anyway. Not a problem but i had dreamweaver for my basic html and flash and fireworks for the fancier swish stuff and i find that we have to use photoshop and ftp for .php. I have purchased these now so again not a problem as i intend to stick with os commerce for the long haul.

However these templates are out there we are buying them so what to do?

 

any discussion would be great!

julie

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Hi ALL

I thought i would open a topic for discussion

some of the points in this topic are covered in replies to other people but i feel it is justified to open it up to a wider discussion in its own right.

I bought a template.

 

Ok i know we bought templates from template monster. However i have been over this forum for a number of days now and i see a LOT of people have bought templates. This is

1) most of us didnt know os commerce existed in the first place and merely wanted a shop template.

2) Buying this template has opened our eyes to the world of os commerce. ( in hindsight ) is always any easy thing to say. However we have bought them and they do have error messages.... so the point is os commerce must have bug fixes somewhere because of the huge volumes of numbers of people who are buying these and acccessing os commerce this way? Any comments on this ?

Please let me know as i have this template now and would like to work on it for a while. If it so happens that it never works i am happy to continue using os commerce basic template. This will however mean i have to design it anyway. Not a problem but i had dreamweaver for my basic html and flash and fireworks for the fancier swish stuff and i find that we have to use photoshop and ftp for .php. I have purchased these now so again not a problem as i intend to stick with os commerce for the long haul.

However these templates are out there we are buying them so what to do?

 

any discussion would be great!

julie

When someone trashes osc and puts it in a template, they should be providing support to fix the errors or offer to give back your money.

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When someone trashes osc and puts it in a template, they should be providing support to fix the errors or offer to give back your money.

Thats right i have contemplated that one aswell.

However what about the error reports does os commerce have fixes for those?

any comments?

julie

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Thats right i have contemplated that one aswell.

However what about the error reports does os commerce have fixes for those?

any comments?

julie

There are fixes for just about everything. However, the people on this forum do not know of changes that a template has made, and since they give their time for free, it is unfair to expect or demand answers on this forum.

 

Example, you buy a hotted up car, do you expect the manufacturer to fix any problems for free?

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There are fixes for just about everything. However, the people on this forum do not know of changes that a template has made, and since they give their time for free, it is unfair to expect or demand answers on this forum.

 

Example, you buy a hotted up car, do you expect the manufacturer to fix any problems for free?

Thats right as well. I could sit on template monster forum and hold the same discussion. This is a free site and a discussion site at that. So the best place to discuss these questions is an os commerce forum. Its up to the individual to answer or not. When a person comes on this site its not like they are throwing a candle into the wind they are asking specific questions on a specialist site. Most people on the forum who are on for free are there for mutual exchange, so probably are not that fussed to be asked a question and are happy to help. I have found their support invaluable!

However we still have the template monster issue.

Might it be an idea to add a catagory: bought templates and recent bugs that list the common problems? That way novices don't bug the forum where their are os commerce specific issues to be discussed. That we we look along the list and find our problem? any thoughts on that anyone?

julie

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Each template is differently coded by some "Dreamweaver Script Kiddie" who knows nothing about osCommerce or how it works.

 

So they make a mess of it.

 

Then someone comes along and buys the template and "Surprise!!" it doesn't work.

 

The buyer goes back to the company they bought the template from, and again "Surprise!!" - they don't even get a reply.

 

So we have a company who got paid to provide the template but won't fix it, and the Buyer who then expects (or at least hopes) that some poor schmuck on this forum will fix it for them for free.

 

Surprise!! It ain't gonna happen.

 

Why do most people buy templates from the likes of Template Monster in the first place? Usually because they're too cheap to pay for a custom designed site, or a template that actually works.

 

I have a few stock sayings I like to quote with regard to Template Monster templates:

 

1. Beware any company with the word "Monster" in their name.

 

2. You get what you pay for.

 

3. You pay peanuts - you get monkeys.

 

4. Buyer Beware! (a legal definition)

 

To be a bit more serious - these forums are so full of warnings about these Template Monster templates that you'd have to have not used the search function at all before buying one, or else believed that it wouldn't happen to you.

 

As for your question "So what to do?" - the answer is to consider it a lesson well learned, dump the template and move on.

 

Vger

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Thats right as well. I could sit on template monster forum and hold the same discussion. This is a free site and a discussion site at that. So the best place to discuss these questions is an os commerce forum. Its up to the individual to answer or not. When a person comes on this site its not like they are throwing a candle into the wind they are asking specific questions on a specialist site. Most people on the forum who are on for free are there for mutual exchange, so probably are not that fussed to be asked a question and are happy to help. I have found their support invaluable!

However we still have the template monster issue.

Might it be an idea to add a catagory: bought templates and recent bugs that list the common problems? That way novices don't bug the forum where their are os commerce specific issues to be discussed. That we we look along the list and find our problem? any thoughts on that anyone?

julie

But that is against forum rules.

The information exchanged on the osCommerce Community Support Forums must relate to a product or service osCommerce is providing. If you have a problem with a solution or service osCommerce does not provide, please refer to the relevant support of the solution or service provider involved.

 

So the product or service that OSC is providing is what is available on this website.

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p.s.

 

In my business I won't even take on work which involves trying to repair Template Monster templates. I used to, but got so sick of it I won't touch them now - not for any amount of money.

 

Vger

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Might it be an idea to add a catagory:

 

Yes, but unfortunately we can't really call it "Don't buy rubbish templates from Template Monster" - because I think their Legal Dept may be a bit more active than their Support Dept.

 

Vger

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If you have already bough a template and are plagued by errors then the best use of it is to just use the graphic parts of the template and not the full file set.

 

Something like this...

 

1. download and install the latest osCommerce MS2.2

 

1. Add the buttons from the template to the shop, for english they are in this folder: includes/languages/english/images/buttons/

 

2. Add the images from the template to the /images/ folder

 

3. Edit the stylesheet.css file to use the same colors as the template

 

4. Edit includes/header.php and includes/footer.php to use the graphics from the template...

 

NOTE: This will not give you the full template looks...but it will give you a fully working shop and save you alot of later head-aches!!!

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Yes, but unfortunately we can't really call it "Don't buy rubbish templates from Template Monster" - because I think their Legal Dept may be a bit more active than their Support Dept.

 

Vger

 

Thats understood. But what about people who are complete novices and dont know. I didnt know os commerce existed at all. Only ebay and my own dreamwever. i thought i might buy a template and put my stock on it. Thats all. Then i bought it i understood that os commerce is actually a system not the name for a type of template. Then i went to my host and they pointed me to this site. It was only after i bought the template that i even knew os commerce was a system. that still leaves us with problem of huge numbers of novices buying these and searching for help. You are right the legal department would have a problem, yet equally the forums do get clogged up with questions like these.

Have os commerce themselves, a site where they have listed these bugs? In one way templates highlight that there is a system called OS commerce out there thus increasing the number of users but in the negative it hinders the forums with endless streams of the same questions. What can the forum do

1) block anything with template monster in the discussion or

2) Perhaps offer a route to a list of common errors that os commerce has done

3) shove us back to template monster

This still leaves us with a gap between os commerce and the bought template exchange.

As for finances this right. Designing a template is specialist work and therefore specialists get paid to do this. However for start up costs for very small business web design is a large step however once the finances are in i for one would be happy to pay for that service.

So what next? Template monster are still going churn out these templates people are still going to buy them and these forums are still going to be clogged up. Does os commerce have a list of these bugs?

Thanks for the replies

julie

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Does os commerce have a list of these bugs?

 

Yes, they do. Those bugs were resolved in the last two updates to osCommerce 2.2 RC1 (discounting the latest RC1 release).

 

What you and many others have done, if you installed osCommerce first, is to reimport old bugs and security exploits contained within the template (which uses osCommerce code which is years out of date).

 

You can get the osCommerce 2.2 MS2 (060817) release from sourceforge.net by searching for osCommerce, and this release includes the manual updates to earlier versions (like those used by Template Monster).

 

However, that will not resolve all your problems - because Template Monster templates of themselves introduce bugs which are nothing to do with osCommerce (just bad coding by Template Monster).

 

Vger

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What can the forum do

1) block anything with template monster in the discussion - sounds good

2) Perhaps offer a route to a list of common errors that os commerce has done - if installed correctly, there aren't any

3) shove us back to template monster - sounds good

 

So what next? Template monster are still going churn out these templates people are still going to buy them and these forums are still going to be clogged up. Does os commerce have a list of these bugs? How would osc have a list?

 

Did you see Nicks post?

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Yes, they do. Those bugs were resolved in the last two updates to osCommerce 2.2 RC1 (discounting the latest RC1 release).

 

What you and many others have done, if you installed osCommerce first, is to reimport old bugs and security exploits contained within the template (which uses osCommerce code which is years out of date).

 

You can get the osCommerce 2.2 MS2 (060817) release from sourceforge.net by searching for osCommerce, and this release includes the manual updates to earlier versions (like those used by Template Monster).

 

However, that will not resolve all your problems - because Template Monster templates of themselves introduce bugs which are nothing to do with osCommerce (just bad coding by Template Monster).

 

Vger

 

I could try all of the above. I could also make use of the Images buttons etc: However i shall probably just start afresh its easier for me with an os commerce template. Put it down to experience. I shall stick with os commerce all the same. I shall stick with this forum as well. However there must be hundreds of people like me coming on to this forum asking the same old questions, only finding out afterwards that they buught trash. Then they start clogging up the forums. I expect when i start my new template and only ask os commerce specific questions i shall get frustrated with the same old template monster questions from others aswell. You are all right. However it might be easier if os commerce themselves pin a list of error reports from templates on this site in a separate catagory, perhaps once or twice a year. Not so often as most of these templates are years old so it wont be hard to define the common problems. That way novices and idiots like me that bought the template go straight to the catagory and the rest of the os commerce users are left in peace. I doubt Template Monster would ever do that so no matter what happens in the future, people are going to flood this forum with template monster questions this is because it is completly related to os commerce, the template monster templates proclaim an os commerce affiliation and this forum it is the best i have found so far.

there needs to be a solution but what is the solution?

julie

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Let's make this perfectly clear - no matter how many people ask, or how often they ask - there is NEVER going to be a forum here with bug fixes for Template Monster templates.

 

They sell them, it's up to them to repair them.

 

Vger

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I could try all of the above. I could also make use of the Images buttons etc: However i shall probably just start afresh its easier for me with an os commerce template. Put it down to experience. I shall stick with os commerce all the same. I shall stick with this forum as well. However there must be hundreds of people like me coming on to this forum asking the same old questions, only finding out afterwards that they buught trash. Then they start clogging up the forums. I expect when i start my new template and only ask os commerce specific questions i shall get frustrated with the same old template monster questions from others aswell. You are all right. However it might be easier if os commerce themselves pin a list of error reports from templates on this site in a separate catagory, perhaps once or twice a year. Not so often as most of these templates are years old so it wont be hard to define the common problems. That way novices and idiots like me that bought the template go straight to the catagory and the rest of the os commerce users are left in peace. I doubt Template Monster would ever do that so no matter what happens in the future, people are going to flood this forum with template monster questions this is because it is completly related to os commerce, the template monster templates proclaim an os commerce affiliation and this forum it is the best i have found so far.

there needs to be a solution but what is the solution?

julie

 

 

The best solution is that people who have bought a template monster template contact template monster support about any errors and get their included support there.

 

If they should come to this forum and ask questions related to buggy purchased templates, then the solution is that they get a reply that they should go get their support at template monster.

 

 

Then no clogging, and a quick answer which any can by given any of this forums members and many have done so already :thumbsup: ....

 

Then the clogging and support should happen where its supposed to be..at the purchasing source...

 

So join up, and next time someone ask about a buggy template monster template..just reply that they should contact template monster support....

 

Let this be your part in keeping this forum unclogged and best able to support osCommerce and its contributions as it should......

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Let's make this perfectly clear - no matter how many people ask, or how often they ask - there is NEVER going to be a forum here with bug fixes for Template Monster templates.

 

They sell them, it's up to them to repair them.

 

Vger

I agree. However that doesnt solve the problem of people asking. It is an ever decreasing circle. The only solution is to open up a forum that discusses bought templates and os commerce solutions and fixes. That way when someone types in google "bought template need os commerce solution" they go straight to that forum and by pass this one. It seems the only way to cut down the volumes of bought templates questions on this forum.

How affliated is this forum to os commerce? I found this forum by going to oscommerce main site and saw forum. Is run by os commerce themselves or is it an independant forum that is endorsed by os commerce. Surely os commerce see the logic in helping with certain fixes for bought templates at the end of the day the users are still dialling into the os commerce live shops campaign?

julie

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I agree. However that doesnt solve the problem of people asking. It is an ever decreasing circle.

 

 

EASY AND AUTOMATIC SOLUTION: Any questions containing monster template should be instantly deleted and a message pop-up saying that for problems with monster template templates you should contact monster template support.

 

The templates contains changes , non standard code and bugs which differs greatly from the standard solution and as such the support should be done where the templates was made and where they should know them well.

 

So stop complaining here and ask template monster to post a error/bug list with possible fixes for THEIR TEMPLATES at the template monster support site.

 

Actually they do have some fixes and tutorials in this respect there already, which maybe you should read too.

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EASY AND AUTOMATIC SOLUTION: Any questions containing monster template should be instantly deleted and a message pop-up saying that for problems with monster template templates you should contact monster template support.

That is the best idea!!!!

I would endorse that. If i had seen that i would have gone on to bug template monster more. I have had invaluable help here i dont deny that but i might have moved on sooner. Then come back when i open my os commerce template. Another way may be to state straight away the affilliation with os commerce, as at first i thought os commerce ran this site? then i expected os commerce to help me.

So NO TEMPLATE MONSTER QUESTIONS! banner and then add the affiliation with os commerce and what the forum will offer help with that way you move traffic around quicker..

julie

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That is the best idea!!!!

I would endorse that. If i had seen that i would have gone on to bug template monster more. I have had invaluable help here i dont deny that but i might have moved on sooner. Then come back when i open my os commerce template. Another way may be to state straight away the affilliation with os commerce, as at first i thought os commerce ran this site? then i expected os commerce to help me.

So NO TEMPLATE MONSTER QUESTIONS! banner and then add the affiliation with os commerce and what the forum will offer help with that way you move traffic around quicker..

julie

 

This is the official osCommerce support forum...

 

osCommerce is given freely but without any promised support.

 

The support is done by volunteers and users for FREE....

 

osCommerce is an open source ecommerce software which template monster uses for a basis for some of their shopping cart templates...and so do many other template makers out there without being affiliated with osCommerce.

 

In such cases the companies who have modified osCommerce and sold an altered version offer their own support as they see fit and according to their stipulated purchasing conditions.

 

Also from the forum rules:

All external solutions (Contributions) discussed in the forums must be freely available under the GNU General Public License (GPL) and must also be freely available for download at the Contributions section on the osCommerce support site. Links to contributions must be to the relevant page in the Contributions section and not to external sites.

 

Support for contributions must also be provided on the osCommerce Community Support Forums.

 

 

Ie. support here is intended for original osCommerce and for contributions/templates/add-ons which is available for download from this site only.

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This is the official osCommerce support forum...

 

The support is done by volunteers for FREE....

 

osCommerce is an open source ecommerce software which template monster uses for a basis for some of their shopping cart templates...and so do many other template makers out there without being affiliated with osCommerce.

 

I hope this discussion has made others aware of the problems with bought templates.

In summary the forum could post a banner stating the statement :

 

"The support is done by volunteers for FREE....

osCommerce is an open source ecommerce software which template monster uses for a basis for some of their shopping cart templates...and so do many other template makers out there without being affiliated with osCommerce."

 

Then post a : "no bought templates discussion banner"

 

That way all the posts concerning these will be dramatciaclly reduced and bought templates customers move on from this forum and only come back when they are using the os commerce basic templates.

 

May save some forum members days waiting for a reply, and allow forum adminstrators and helpers to help only those with os commerce specific instructions. Though i will add i was not complaining merely raising a discussion that other bought template members may read and therefore not waste their own or forum members time posting template monster issues! I have been more than helped on this site and shall continue here with an os commerce template. Some members shall then move on to other forums immediatly or others like myself shall stay and use the offered free templates.

Please keep this discussion up as it is useful for members like myself who know what can be and cannot be offered in the way of help on this site.

best wishes and thanks for the replies in advance

julie

:thumbsup:

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That is the best idea!!!!

I would endorse that. If i had seen that i would have gone on to bug template monster more. I have had invaluable help here i dont deny that but i might have moved on sooner. Then come back when i open my os commerce template. Another way may be to state straight away the affilliation with os commerce, as at first i thought os commerce ran this site? then i expected os commerce to help me.

So NO TEMPLATE MONSTER QUESTIONS! banner and then add the affiliation with os commerce and what the forum will offer help with that way you move traffic around quicker..

julie

 

Now you template monster questions have been exhausted here's what to do.

 

Install the latest version of OSC, the easiest way for someone new to do this is via fantastico which is a one click installation feature and most hosts have this now with a control panel called cpanel, check with your host on this or they may even do a free install for you.

 

Then by editing only about 5 files you can get your stock OSC shop to look something simliar to your template see more info here http://www.oscommerce.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=139426

 

To make modification quicker and easier rather than change the file upload it to the server refresh the page to view the changes it better to get OSC running on your own pc, to do this easiest way is to install something called XAMPP which you download for free, you may have to do a little research and learning on this it's a subject all by itself.

 

Once you get the above done to change the code structure ie say you want your categories to view a bit differant then there is a contribution section on this site which come with very good readme files and show you how to implement the changes and there really are thousands there to use.

 

Thats about it, just write down all the bits that you need changing then work though the list one at a time. Ask your how to questions if you get stuck as you go and I have found these forums to be full of very helpful people.

 

Good luck with your site :thumbsup:

 

Ian

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EASY AND AUTOMATIC SOLUTION:

 

I have had my dealings with clients using these monstorous templates but I do offer a positive "osCommerce" solution that requires some work on the users part.

 

I think most of the people who buy these templates do not realize the PHP coding (or lack of) behind the scenes.

An easy solution would be to install a stock osCommerce and then add the Simple Template System contribution.

 

After that:

*STS Tip*

How to integrate a purchased template to STS:

 

To make an STS template out of a purchased osCommerce template,

  1. Install the store in a test directory (meaning, follow all of the installation instructions that came with your purchased template, but be sure to do this in a test osCommerce scenario. You will use these files in your final "live" osCommerce store.
  2. Open the store in your browser
  3. View the Source Code and Save the html code to your computer
  4. Use this html code as your default template (sts_template.html) and start replacing the different elements with their corresponding STS Tags.
  5. Use the boxes class (includes/classes/boxes.php) from the template you bought
  6. Modify the external stylesheet from the purchased template to your needs (if needed)

The above should get you started in the right direction.

 

Hope this helped,

Bill Kellum

 

Sounds Good Productions

STS Tutorials & more: STSv4.6, STS Add-ons (STS Power Pack), STS V4 Forum STS Forum FREE TEMPLATE

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Hi Guys. Template Monster appears to be a thorny subject, can I just ask one question. For us STS is a great templating solution, is there anyone out there creating STS templates and stylesheets for OSC store owners to use. We do not mind paying as this price will simply be relayed to our customers so they can make the final decision as to use the template or not.

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Hi Guys. Template Monster appears to be a thorny subject, can I just ask one question. For us STS is a great templating solution, is there anyone out there creating STS templates and stylesheets for OSC store owners to use. We do not mind paying as this price will simply be relayed to our customers so they can make the final decision as to use the template or not.

 

Hi

Thanks for your comments. Anymore on the subject will be greatly appreciated . Templates are out there so what solutions do we all have concerning these? Positive thoughts and negative experiences ?

julie

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