View source for TMM Insider Newsletter November 2008 (Vol. I, Issue 8)

== Recent News and Beta Features ==
=== New NATS3 Biller: Oakbill ===
We just finished integrating Oakbill into the NATS biller framework.
You can learn more about their services or read about how easy they are
to setup in NATS using the following URLs, or you can 
[{{ts}} submit a ticket to start using them today.]

* https://www.oakbill.com/
* [[Oakbill|Oakbill Setup Instructions]]

=== NATS4: GXBill Canada 900 Changes ===
To correctly record Canadian [[GXBill|GXB900]] transactions, you'll need the
transaction patch we're currently testing.  Please 
[{{ts}} submit a ticket if you're interested.]

=== NATS3: Netbilling Free Initial Authorization Amount ===
We've received complaints that members can activate a free initial
sign-up using Netbilling with an account that can't pay the rebill
charge -- so the member gets the free trial without ever intending to
pay. A new configuration option allows you to set the credit card
authorization amount (up to the rebill amount), which can help prevent
sign-ups from members without enough money to pay the rebill.

If you want to take advantage of this feature, please 
[{{ts}} submit a ticket] and we'll install this upgrade on your system.

== Recent Additions and Bug Fixes ==
=== NATS 4.0 ===
==== Extended Sales ====
Extended sales in NATS4 let you pay affiliates based on actions that
happen outside of NATS. If you're interested in the feature, please
read [[Extended Sales|the article]] or 
[{{ts}} submit a ticket] and we can enable it in
your program.

==== Fraud Report ====
If you're used to the NATS3 Fraud Report, you're going to love the
improvements we've made to the NATS4 Fraud Report. The new fraud report
loads faster because NATS now updates the statistics once a day instead
of every time you generate the report. And NATS now lets you give
specific weights to particular actions so you quickly find affiliates
that engage in a small number of high-probability fraudulent activities.

==== Epoch Color Settings ====
We changed the color settings for [[NATS4 Epoch]] in the biller info so that they
match the rest of the page layout.

==== Auto-Campaign Creation Date ====
When a new campaign is created using [[Automatic Campaigns|auto-campaigns]], NATS now stores the
creation date and displays it on the Affiliate's My Account page.

==== Faster Uploads ====
NATS now downloads remote files without using as much memory. You'll
definitely notice the speed increase when you upload large [[ct#Adtool|adtools]]. You
might not notice it, but your system will now use less memory when
performing other tasks also.

==== Extraneous Transaction Types Removed ====
Old and unnecessary transactions types have been removed from the
Biller Charges screen.

==== Linkcode Fallback Sites ====
When a surfer follows a linkcode to a site that isn't in the program
used to create the linkcode, NATS finds the next program with a similar
type that both the affiliate and the site belong to.

==== New Multiple Choice Options in Admin Adtools ====
If you edit or create a new adtool type and configure a multiple choice
option, you can now also setup the multiple choice options in the
adtools admin.  You can add, delete, and change the
order of options in the list.

==== Affiliate Duplicate Email Address Error ====
If an affiliate tries to sign-up up with an email address that is already
in the NATS database, NATS now displays an error.

==== Linkdomain URL Validation ====
NATS now checks for a redundant  "http://" or trailing "/" when you
enter a linkdomain in the Sites Admin.

==== Updating Adtool Types No Longer Requires New Name ====
Updating an adtool type previously required that you change the name of
the type because of an extraneous duplication check.  We removed
that extra check.

==== No Logging Enabled ====
NATS4 ships without any logging enabled in the Logging Admin. After
enabling logging, you previously couldn't completely disable logging.
Now the most recent versions of NATS let you disable all logging.

==== Automatic Adtool Thumbnail Field Creation ====
NATS now automatically creates the thumbnail field when you create an
adtool type with images so that you can display a thumbnail image on
the Affiliate Adtools page.

==== All Template Functions Accept Prefix Parameter ====
Every Smarty variable NATS creates using a template function can now be
assigned a custom prefix.  Please see the 
[[assign_prefix|NATS4 template function reference manual]] for details.

==== Tour-Specific Join Info Bug Fixed ====
In some recent versions of NATS, NATS printed an error when you tried
to adjust the tour specific join information. We've fixed this bug.

==== Detailed Program Payout Display ====
The affiliate linkcode breakdown (Code Info) now displays information
about option- and biller-specific payouts. For example, the page now
shows you information about Build Your Own Anything program options.

==== Build Your Own Anything Module for NATS4 ====
We've finished the Build Your Own Anything (BYOA) module for NATS 4.
Like most NATS4 features, it's substantially easier to use. Feel free
to read the [[NATS4 Build Your Own Anything Module|updated documentation]] at the following URL or 
[{{ts}} send us a ticket] to purchase the BYOA module.

==== NetBilling Poll Updates ====
We've made a number of changes to the NetBilling poll so that it
works correctly on NATS4. We fixed the last polled date's display and
ensured that rejected rebills are handled correctly.

==== SegPay Poll ====
We updated the SegPay poll so that it works correctly on NATS4.

==== International Address Checking Reduced ====
We reduced or eliminated several automated checks on international
addresses so that you can accept affiliate sign-ups from countries
with address formats we didn't expect. You can re-enable or adjust
these checks in the NATS Payments Admin. Please see 
[[Creating and Editing PayVia Options and Dump Formats#Editing Pay Via Fields|the article]] for details:

==== NATS Now Records Tour Creation Date ====
NATS keeps track of when you created a tour.  The tour creation date is
now displayed on the Edit Tour page.

==== Jettis International Gateway Cross-Sales Now Supported ====
You can now make Jettis International Gateway [[ct#Cross Sell|Cross-Sales]] in NATS4.

==== Recurring Historical Payouts ====
As mentioned in the September newsletter, NATS4 now lets you make
payout changes that persist for the life of the members.  This enables
special, limited-time, promotions that affect rebills.

==== Additional Debugging Information Added to Payout Table ====
When NATS records a payout, it now records an identifier which points
to the payout information.  This makes the above recurring historical
payouts work and will make it easier for TMM technical support to
diagnose problems.

==== License Verification ====
When performing your regular license updates, NATS will now verify that
the license it downloads looks valid before trying to use it.

==== Admin Areas and Support Pages Daily Update ====
As mentioned in the October Newsletter, every time you log in to NATS4,
it updates the Support Admin and generates a list of links to other TMM
products you own -- the Admin Area links. Updating this every time you
log in wastes time if you log in frequently and gives you outdated
information if you stay logged in for a long time. We updated the
back-end architecture so that the links are updated once a day no
matter how often you login in. We also check that the updated links are
actual URLs so you don't get bad information.

==== Combined Data Array for Gateway Sign-ups ====
You can now get variable data about the member from the {$combined}
data array.

==== Epoch Instant Upgrades ====
You can now make Epoch Instant Upgrades to NATS4.

==== CCBill Paid Program ====
NATS4 now lets you pay your affiliates for sending sign-ups to a CCBill
join from through the CCBill reseller system.  This system works the
same in NATS4 as it did in NATS3.

==== Displaying CCBill Paid Program Members on the Active Member Report ====
Because CCBill paid programs don't have payments in NATS, the program
members are excluded from the Active Member report, but you can add the
following configuration variable to include them on the report:

<pre>
$config['ACTIVE_MEMBERS_CCBILL_PAID'] = 1;
</pre>

==== Faster Results When Searching for Specific Transaction Types ====
The members search report will return much faster now when you search
by transaction type.

==== Input Forms Accept Foreign Languages ====
You can now enter special and foreign language characters into all NATS forms.

==== Billers Can Create Members That Never Expire ====
Billers can now send an expiration data of "0" to create members that
never [[ct#Expire|expire]].

==== strack Links Missing http:// ====
A display bug printed strack links without their leading "http://".  We
fixed it so links print correctly.

=== CARMA 1.3 ===
==== Variable Content Escaping ====
CARMA now escapes specific characters when you copy and paste text into CARMA
so that special characters don't cause errors later.

==== Memory Cache Option Limited to Supported Servers ====
The CARMA memory cache option is now only displayed on servers that
support memory caching.

==== Flash Movie Regeneration ====
The Flash movie regeneration feature, mentioned in the August TMM
Insider, is now included in all new versions of CARMA.

==== Watermark Resizing ====
You can now change the size of a watermark in CARMA before placing it on
an image.

==== Site Copying ====
For some releases of CARMA, sites couldn't be copied.  Trying to copy a
site generated an error.  We've fixed this error, and if you encounter
this error, please [{{ts}} submit a ticket] so we can upgrade your CARMA.

==== Actor Photos ====
You can now add photos to an actor and display that actor's photo
anywhere you display actor data.  Interested?  Please read the 
[[Actor Photos|Actor Photos article]] on TMM Wiki.

==== Video Name Now a Template Variable ====
The template function, carma_show_video now outputs the filename in the
$name variable.

==== Video Size Now Output in carma_list_videos Function ====
You can pass the full_metadata parameter to carma_list_videos to get the
filesize for each video in carma_list_videos's output.

==== carma_show_video Respects TOUR_ALL_VIDEOS ====
You can now enable the configuration option TOUR_ALL_VIDEOS to force
the CARMA template function, carma_show_video, to show all videos on
tours.

==== Flash Now Uses Sort Files ====
CARMA now correctly updates data sort files for already existing
entries when it creates Flash movies.  This lets it recreate Flash
movies.

==== Start Parameter Added to carma_upcoming ====
We added the standard start parameter to the carma_upcoming template
function.  For details, please see [[The count and start Parameters|the article]]

==== More Statistics About Sites, Members, Content, and Actors ====
CARMA now tracks and displays additional statistics about your sites,
members, content, and actors. Admins can narrow down searches based on
different fields.

==== Deleting One Actor Photo Deleted All Actor Photos ====
The Delete Actor Photo button on CARMA's new actor photo feature
accidentally deleted every actor's photos.  We fixed this error.

==== Resizing PNG Files ====
CARMA can now resize PNG files.

=== NATS 3.1 ===
==== Epoch Color Settings ====
We changed the color settings for Epoch in the biller info so that they
match the rest of the page layout.

==== Uploading Changed Content Adtools by URL ====
In some cases, you couldn't replace content adtools by entering their new
URL. We've fixed this so that you can replace content adtools by either
uploading a new zip file or entering a new URL.

==== RSBilling Poll Changes ====
We worked with [[RSBilling]] to get rebill, credit, and [[ct#Chargeback|chargeback]]
information from RSBilling more frequently and to spread the load among
several RSBilling servers.

==== NetBilling Processor Option ====
NATS previously let you send the Processor option to NetBilling
for regular sales, but you can now send this option for [[ct#Gateway|gateways]]
sales as well.

==== DHD Re-integration ====
As announced in the September TMM Insider, we've worked closely with 
[[DHD Media]] to make significant improvements to our mutual integration.
Although we previously announced that these changes wouldn't affect
current DHD users, we hit a snag that requires DHD users upgrade.  If
you use DHD and we didn't contact you directly in the last month, please
[{{ts}} submit a ticket immediately.]

==== News Sections ====
You can now add news to different sections in NATS3.

==== CCBill Accounting Amount ====
CCBill is now sending an account amount in their regional pricing
transactions so that NATS always knows the value of the transaction in
U.S. dollars.

== On the Hotplate ==
=== NATS 4.0 ===
==== nats_list_linkcodes Available for Emails ====
We've made the NATS template function, nats_list_linkcodes, available
on email you send to your affiliates. Soon you'll be able to easily
send them current linkcodes. For details and examples, please see 
[[nats_list_linkcodes|the article]].

==== Making CCBill Refunds Expire ====
CCBill doesn't include expiration dates on refund transactions in its
poll, so NATS didn't expire the members. New code lets NATS expire the
members correctly even without that expiration date.

==== Extra Checking Prevents Expiration Errors ====
We've added extra checking to prevent expiration errors when NATS
tries to guess the expiration time.

==== Program Owners Getting Member and Affiliate Emails ====
NATS was sending owners copies of affiliate and member emails instead
of sending the email designed for the owner.  We now send the correct
emails to the correct person.

==== Pre-Sorting Administrator Overview Report ====
We now sort the administrator overview report the first time you view
it so you don't need to sort it yourself.

=== NATS 3.0 ===
==== Using the Webcams Amount ====
By default, NATS gets the transaction amount from the Webcams
Commissions field. A new configuration variable,
$config['POLL_WEBCAMS_USE_AMOUNT'], can be enabled to tell NATS to use
the Webcams Amount field instead.

== TMM Insider Tip ==
Do you hate the select box in the join option section of the NATS3
pre-join form?  You can easily replace it with a set of radio buttons.
On the Sites Admin, edit the Site Templates and look for the following
code:
 
<pre>
<select name="signup[optionid]" class="join_select">
{html_options options=$join_options selected=$vars.optionid}
</select>
</pre>

Replace the code above with the code below:

<pre>
{html_radios name="signup[optionid]" 
  options=$join_options 
  selected=$vars.optionid 
  separator="<br>"}
</pre>

For more details, please see [[Join Option Box vs Button|the article]]

== Contact Us ==
If you're interested in any of the new features described in this
newsletter, please [{{ts}} submit a support ticket] with a
brief description of the feature and we'll upgrade your system
shortly. 

Is there something that you want to see here on this newsletter? Have an
idea for the TMM Insider Tip? If so, please contact the editor at
[mailto:kevin.wetter@toomuchmedia.com kevin.wetter@toomuchmedia.com]

Thought of a new feature that would benefit all of our clients? If so,
then please [{{ts}} submit a support ticket.]
 
[[Category:Newsletter]]
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