Nothing worse than browsing a site seeing ad after ad with bad graphics.  

Cleanup can be a very time consuming task using the standard admin tools available in most TAE scripts.  

This technique shows how to use a couple simple SQL commands through your CPANEL account to quickly do that cleanup.

First, hover over each bad button image and write down the ID number – if status is turned on in your Chrome browser, you will see the URL displayed at the lower left corner of the browser screen.

Login to your CPANEL and launch phpMyAdmin.  Open the database (most likely, xxxxx_site)

Click on the Buttons table.  You will be browsing the banners table.

Click INLINE.

Here is the SQL to change these ads from active and approved, and return them to the member’s account so they can re-submit them.

UPDATE `buttons` SET added =0,
STATUS =0 WHERE id IN ( 709, 536, 628, 477, 65, 310, 298, 757, 226, 476, 474, 534, 266, 76, 385, 311, 472 )

Note that the standard admin tools typically only provide the option to DELETE the ad.  My opinion: since the member either purchased those ads, or traded points or commissions to acquire those ads, I hesitate to delete them from their account.  A better option is to position them as inactive so the member can re-submit them.

 Rich Moyer

I’ve always thought there had to be a better way to implement the entry of  600×300 login ads than what we see with the limited function html editors in most of the TAE and safelist scripts.  It doesn’t matter how explicit the instructions, there are so many people who simply get it wrong  or deliberately submit anything BUT 600×300 graphics in their login ads.

I found the solution.  CKEditor.

This HTML editor is feature rich, fully customizable, and IT WORKS.  It has an INSERT IMAGE button that pops up a modal window with input lines for the IMAGE URL, Alt, and a previewer. Full control for sizing, padding, and border.

On the LINK tab, there is an input line for the TARGETURL, and a pull-down for the target options that include _blank.  (I’m going to research how to  customize the code so there is no option other than _blank.)

Here is a screenshot of the image input panel.

No more 728×90 images – give instructions to make sure the “lock” is locked, and set the width to 600

And the screenshot of the LINK tab

Be sure the pull-down is “_blank”

Here is a screenshot of the finished product.

Check out the video

https://youtu.be/AHAXQgA–uk

And here is the code to make it happen.  You will have to edit the /members/addlogin.php file.  Be sure to make a backup before making any changes.

Download the attachment HERE for the full code set.

At the top of the file, the next line right after the “<?php, insert these lines of code

?>

1. autoresponder.php – change the query to:

   select * from autoresponders order by days
   
   

2. memberadsremaining.php – almost the same code as adstatus.php
   
   See the post – customized for each system.
   
   Gives a count of all ads of each type that have been used, and the number available.  Also shows promo codes used. 
3. fixed Custom Pages
   
   The problem was not that the program was broken, but I was unaware that the custom pages were inserted into the NAV menu starting with sequence #10.  Numbering caused the problem.The fix:  number your Start button, and critical items like upgrade, at a sequence number LOWER than 10.  I recommend creating a blank entry with sequence number 10 and turn it OFF.  Leave a big gap between 10 and the next sequence number (suggestion: 50).  All of your custom pages will be inserted after 10.

    

4. rjmsendarmsgs.php Utility to dump autoresponders
   
   I never realized that the autoresponder messages were a “blob”.  I created a program to send each autoresponder output to email.  I then created a label in gmail and now have a listing I can forward or capture. 
5. update.php. HTML strip of autoresponder message ad body
   
   Small change in update.php now formats autoresponder emails 
6. edit.php – add preview to each page

    Preview code:
   
   <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
     function previewad(htmlcode)
     {
     var win
     win = window.open("", "win", "height=700,width=700,toolbar=no,directories=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,dependent=yes'");
     win.document.clear();
     win.document.write(htmlcode);
     win.focus();
     win.document.close();
     }
     </SCRIPT>Then add this line in the <form>
     <INPUT TYPE="button" value="Preview " onClick="previewad(htmlcode.value)"> 

While most functions you need to perform are via your TAE Admin panel, there are some things you just need to do some raw database queries to get the information.  Your TAE database will not function without the database – gone are the old days of flat files.

In CPANEL for your TAE hosting site, there is a program called phpMyAdmin.  This is the “window to the world” of your site’s database.  

A “database” is a collection of tables

A “table” is made up of “rows” (or records) and “columns” (or fields)

Each field in the table has a specific name, and format

Key tables

settings

members

transactions

*_ipn

oto, offer, etc.

How to find duplicate IP addresses in “members” table

Many TAE owners are not techies like me.  I’m a little rusty since I retired 13 years ago, but I still have some skills.  I spent 24 years in data center operations and distributed systems operations,  network engineering, systems engineering, and IT management, but the difference is that I had surrounded myself with smart people who told me, “we got it boss, don’t touch the keyboard”.

The trouble is that all those smart people retired the same day I did, and scattered to the wind, so I had to learn all over about building and supporting systems.

I do like to pass on some nuggets, tips, and techniques.

My sites were recently, ACTIVELY hacked, while I was IN THE SITE trying to cut him off.  He was good.

I want to pass on some tips

Use STRONG PASSWORDS on your User account, Admin account, CPanel account, and Database.  Here are 3 really good password generators:

>>>> http://strongpasswordgenerator.com/

>>>> http://www.random.org/passwords/

>>>> http://passwordsgenerator.net/

TAE Admin Control Panel

• Just about everything is fed with a database, but you should be in your sites not only as admin, but as a user.  Any hint of a problem, get help.  
  
  
• Look at your Edit Pages.  Most admins don’t have Preview on those pages, so every day, check your INDEX pages, Login Pages, and OTOs.  Copy and paste the HTML code into an HTML editor (in html or source mode).  DO NOT use a WordPress blog – WP does some screwy things with your code.  Use this free HTML editor.  
  

>> http://html-color-codes.info/html-editor/

Colors.  Even the best cannot match colors.  Don’t guess, generate the hex codes for the colors you want with these tools.

>>>> http://html-color-codes.info/

>>>> http://www.w3schools.com/colors/colors_picker.asp

Coding Changes

• If you are making any code changes, ALWAYS make a copy of the php module before you make any changes.  I usually just copy to the same filename and tack on today’s date.  For instance:  advertise.php copy is named advertise.php20170129 (use this format so it collates properly in file manager)
  
  
• Use a Code Checker.  Copy and paste your php or html code into this PHP Code Analyzer BEFORE saving it.
  

>>>> http://phpcodechecker.com/

• Enlist the Pros.   Roger Hoover.  Reasonably priced, extremely responsive, super tech. 
  

>>>> http://hoover-usa.com/

Get to Know Your Database

• I have to admit that I am not a supertech with SQL but I can get things done.  I will tell you some basics, but this will not qualify to put on your resume’ as a DBA.  This is a whole article and video itself. You will be using Cpanel with the graphical database management tool phpMyAdmin.
  
  

Key Tables – a hacker can do the most damage without much effort by getting into these pages

• settings – CHECK THIS FIRST THING!  Your admin ID and password, pricing, Paypal and Payza ID’s are in this table.  
  
  
• members – all the information about your members, their id’s, passwords, Paypal, contacts, points, EVERYTHING ABOUT EACH MEMBER.
  
  
• pages – this is where all of your OTO, offers, index pages, advertising area, login pages, member area pages , headers, footers, TOS, Privacy page, earnings disclosure, etc. are stored
  
  
• navigation – controls what your members see on the NAV menu, how it looks, and what happens when they click a button.
  
  
• transactions (there may be more than one).  Commissions may be based on this data
  
  
• paypal_ipn, alertpay_ipn – anything with *_ipn these are transactions to each payment processor – could affect commissions.
  
  
• promo_codes and promo_used – not only the promo codes you offer, but who has redeemed them – could mean lots of lost revenue if they are able to redeem codes more than once.
  
  

Doing Backups – use CPANEL Backup (not the wizard) – same cpanel folder as File Manager

• NEVER do a whole site backup. Always do separate backups for Home directory, each database, and any forwarders
  
  
• You’re not done!  Those key tables above, I want you to access each using phpMyAdmin and Export to SQL.  Move these files to secure storage – accessible. OneDrive, GoogleDrive, or DropBox will allow you to share links to those SQL files with Roger or other tech.
  
  

Every TAE site that uses OTOs or Login offers,  you have a link at the bottom of the page for “No Thanks – take me to Member Area”

I make it harder to find that link, while getting exposure to ads (banner rotators, etc).

Many programs have “code” to display their badge or rotators.  Get the HTML code from their website promotional tools.

Put the rotator code in the SITE FOOTER.

That way when they hit END to move them to the bottom of the page to find that “No Thanks” link, they will unconsciously look at those ads while searching for the link.  

In a week, I got 2,002 credits from City Pennysaver for putting their banner rotator code on my sites.  

Do YOU want YOUR banners and links there too on MY SITES?  

Want to LEARN how to do this yourself?   ASK!

Rich Moyer
1-484-902-8819 m-f 8am-5pm EST
Email: richard.moyer.1953@gmail .com
I am a CONSULTANT FIRST and FOREMOST.
Paying It Forward…