Why Is AAM Blackmailing Users To Change Reviews Before Fixing Problems Caused

See the post I am referring to here https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/restore-default-wp-permissions?replies=8

Hi FashionGHANA,
Thank you for your time. Our advice: “Please take your time to learn the very basic things about websites (database, PHPMyAdmin, HTML, PHP etc)”.

We can’t afford to spend more time to teach this.

Good luck.
Vasyl

If you are so attentive to issues, why don’t you simply provide the restoration files for all roles as opposed to asking people to pay for it.

I only decided to remove your plugin when the upgrade didnt work for me, not because i have an issue with a distorted plugin but because I thought it was an issue specific to my heavy built website and found it inconvenient to trouble myself for resolutions. Where my problem comes in is that you have made something that is very sensitive and deals with a sensitive part of websites, and yet you refuse to support people who realize the plugin in is not working for them, meaning that they are stuck with your services regardless of the situation. That is not fair.

There is no rule, nor will there ever be one, that a plugin developer has to provide free support in the WP forums.

There is, however, an expectation of free support, and with that in mind, so long as the plugin page says this clearly (which it does not, @vasyl_m so please take that into consideration), it’s all above board.

So what really needs to happen is AAM needs to make it clear in the plugin’s readme (and the FAQ) that support isn’t free. And that’s fine.

Hi Mika,
We spent over 2 hours with FashionGHANA & his hosting support team to help him to resolve the issue (it was a free support).
In matter of fact the issues where caused because user does not have understanding how WordPress works and as a result did critical changes to his admin rights.

We always give free support if it relates to AAM. We do not blackmail anybody and we remain professional even when user uses inappropriate verbiage (which happened few times with FashionGHANA).

FashionGHANA please treat somebody the way you want to be treated. From this point we can’t offer you free support. Please consider to hire us or any other freelancer to help you with your heavy website.

Mika, thank you again for your input.
It is very helpful, as usual.

Regards,
Vasyl

If you were offering support for the problem I wont be here in the first place.

In regards to the mod, I don’t expect anyone to offer free support, but at least WordPress should take some accountability of who you let put plugins, if you dont believe me why dont you have a look down through the support forums for this plugin, why dont you read the comments by the conversation I quoted.

I have no problem with broken plugins, plugins that arent what I expected, infact I dont have a problem with plugins that dont work with my website, and I have no problem if I have to pay for support to get it right. All of that is fair.

What I have a problem with is a plugin that doesnt work for my website and when I want to remove it, it messes my website even more, so much so that I am stuck with an old downgraded version of it.

For Vasyl. I do appreciate the help you provided the first time round, even more so than you know, despite the fact it is your plugin. But I cant disguise the fact that a website that has taken almost two years to build with a database of so much information is nearly destroyed, and you dont expect to be having a two hour conversation with me everytime you upgrade your plugin. So to make matters simply, ‘BY EMAIL’ I kindly requested that your plugin is not working for my website and at this point I fear it cud get worst. I made it clear when I removed it it also misconfigured the roles. Imagine what wordpress would be if every plugin author was creating plugins that will mess their website when removed?

In your comment, you said, Please take your time to learn the very basic things about websites (database, PHPMyAdmin, HTML, PHP etc)” If I new all of that what would be the need of a plugin?

All I am saying is be fair, you dont have to give me any private support, just make sure your plugin can be uninstalled without issue. Is that hard to ask for?

My reply is lengthy and I apologize, but it’s needed to explain the whole drama :/

So we removed the plugin, after doing so, the permissions were messed up and all over the place.

Let’s do this one first, and there’s a backstory you should understand first.

The shenanigans and machinations of any plugin that messes with access permissions and user roles is not fully the fault of AAM, but in the not-very-sustainable way WordPress handles them to begin with. Have you ever actually looked at WP’s permissions? They’re one entry in the database, with serialized content. Nightmare-ville.

The best any plugin might be able to do is have a ‘reset’ button, so that when it was activated, it backs up your original roles so it can be reset. Of course, many people manage to mess up their roles to the point that even the admin can’t log in, so then that does them no good. (This is actually why I tend to NOT recommend anyone use a plugin that messes with rules – nothing meant to AAM or UAM or any of them personally, it’s that the whole process is busted that makes it a problem.)

So! How DO you reset your permissions back to WP bog standard?

In general, I suggest installing a clean version of WP somewhere, and then getting the wp_user_roles value and copy that into your old DB (same place). That usually gets you back to standard WP and you can restart.

Now for the rest.

I think what AAM is saying is “We can’t give you more free support than the support we’ve already provided. At this point, you need basic webhelp, and not as specific plugin help.” And that is fair to say.

In regards to the mod, I don’t expect anyone to offer free support, but at least WordPress should take some accountability of who you let put plugins, if you dont believe me why dont you have a look down through the support forums for this plugin, why dont you read the comments by the conversation I quoted.

I am both a moderator here and a plugin reviewer. Both jobs (such as they are) are volunteer and performed 100% out of the strange goodness of my hear ?? I read both the threads you linked to and the comments you quoted, and while I totally understand your feelings (and indeed feel they’re valid points of frustration), they’re not something we would close a plugin over.

We have plugin guidelines and we enforce them. AAM hasn’t broken them by their letter nor their intent (which is mostly ‘don’t be a darn dirty spammer!’).

In your comment, you said, Please take your time to learn the very basic things about websites (database, PHPMyAdmin, HTML, PHP etc)” If I new all of that what would be the need of a plugin?

I get why you think that, but you’re a webmaster. WordPress does make it easier for you to manage your database (PHPMyAdmin), HTML and PHP etc, but that doesn’t mean you should remain ignorant of those things if you want a more advanced website :/ A website is work. There are a lot of things you need to master in order to do everything you want exactly the way you want.

Thanks for the reply, I read all and will do as you stated with the database. Whilst you are here (moderator) can I ask, does this plugin only alter the wp_user_roles in the database? I am hoping that by following your steps I would be free of any alterative. For example if i have an events plugin, I would hope all access is determined in the wp user section you recommended.

On that note, What happened when they didnt work? I researched solutions, paid for help, found an alternative, or simply I removed them and went back to normal.

I don’t want to destroy anything going for AAM, why my initial attempt was a private email. I see the amount of time and effort they are applying to all the queries which is great on their part, in fact it was the amount of time they spent on the first issue that in consideration of not disturbing them again I thought without the plugin. I am currently using 85 active plugins on my website, this is why i am worried becus there cud be an issue somewhere I wouldnt know of until months later, it is also why when something goes wrong I don’t automatically assume its the fault of the AAM plugin, it most likely could be my site. My only problem is it would be considerate of them to ensure the files to reset the roles is atleast available somewhere. ie. click here before uninstalling, etc. We are a daily news website, we do not have the luxury, to be fixing things live. I actually wanted to uninstall and come back later. Thats just a thought we can both disagree on. Anyways, no more from me on this issue. Will wait for your reply and leave it there and you can close this as you wish