Create user accounts for MY clients

[scoopdd]

I would like to make available account information to my clients. Where do I even begin looking for apps that allow me to create individual user accounts so that each client can view their own statement of account?

Thanks

[Croc Hunter]

You can't. It is agaist the ToS to resell or give away any part of your Powweb account/services for any pupose other than those relating directly to your website.

"Unauthorized Reselling or Providing Access to Account Services. Customers cannot resell or provide access to e-mail services, tools or access codes/passwords that are not being used to maintain a Customers account. Nor can Customers sell or give any type of script installed on PowWeb's servers."

You can add upto 2 (I think) extra user profiles in OPS> Personal> Account Profile.

[entrecon]

Are you talking about hosting accounts or business accounts?

If you are talking about accounts related to hosting Croc is 100% correct, you can't sub-divide your space for alot of people creating sub-accounts.

If you are talking about business accounts and want them to receive status updates, invoices, work samples/proofs then you are talking about creating secure directies and folks here can give you a few options for that if you explain your needs more.

[dmacminn]

It is likely that at some point (probably corresponding with the introduction of a Reseller program which is being considered) that the "enforcement" of the requirement/test that the website on the account be for your purpose will be examined more closely...

so, as case in point, if you were an architect, and you used the site to allow a client to remotely view some info for a contract -- that would probably slip under the wire, even though the use by your customer would strictly speaking not be your use ....
clearly a store offering products for sale by you would be be a permitted use -- multiple stores, or hosting multiple stores for several independent businesses would not...

So, here again, a simple test is:
"Would your clients normally be required to have a website where this information would be hosted?"
If, as I suspect, you are simply offering them a way to view a statement of account for unrelated (non-web) business, then the use passes ...
If, you were developing a website model for them, a prototype website, shall we say -- then strictly speaking, the use fails ... but will be generally be allowed on a temporary basis (at least until a formal Reseller plan is in place).
If, you were setting up an Application Service Provider type framework to offer accounting services, then again, the use would generally fail the test, since each client should have their own copy/independent access to the material and would likely have their own database for security purposes -- this should then, clearly be on an affiliate account.

So, while I understand where you're going with "Hosting vs Business Account", that is not the TOS/AUP test --- the test is not the relationship of the proposed user to you, but rather to the provided services -- If it is foreseeable that, but for the offer of services from the initial hosting account, a second account would ordinarily have been needed for providing the service, then it is an inconsistent use -- a use prohibited by the Terms under which service is provided.

So, to summarize: ... statement of account re another business relationship OK ... but sub-selling of web services - Not OK

(Yikes, See what happens when you go to Law School before you switch careers to IT...)

[Builder]

so, as case in point, if you were an architect, and you used the site to allow a client to remotely view some info for a contract -- that would probably slip under the wire, even though the use by your customer would strictly speaking not be your use ....

I own a remodeling business and had at one time entertained thoughts of having a website for it that customers could see pictures of their project, maybe have drawings or sketches posted for them to view, have some rudimentary accounting if necessary, maybe up to the point of having some sort of online invoice/payment system, etc. While I've since backed off on that because the time necessary to start it up and keep it running vs. the benefits gained just doesn't make sense for me right now, your analogy kind of hits home. What you are saying is that my website wouldn't pass TOS "strictly speaking", and for the life of me I can't understand why. I would not be reselling, I would not be competing with Powweb, it would be stupid to set up a web hosting account for each of my customers, so why? Just because I let customers view invoices and contracts and information about their project?

And yes, I read your "statement of account re another business relationship OK" sentence, but that's not exactly what you said in the part I quoted above.

Kevin

[scoopdd]

Whoa! I'm not looking to resell my powweb space.
I would like to upload my customer's transaction records and allow them to log on through my website (www.scoopdogggiedog.com) and see that their payment has posted, what their balance is, verify their contact info, etc.
Each customer would need their own user id and password and then I need some way to serve up just their data. (I think MYsql) would help me there.

Real simple. Real basic. No Powweb Bureau of Investigation (PBI) needed.

"If you are talking about business accounts and want them to receive status updates, invoices, work samples/proofs then you are talking about creating secure directories and folks here can give you a few options for that if you explain your needs more." Entrecon

The above quote sound more like what I want to do. Would each customer get their own directory under my htdoc? Is there a tutorial for doing this?

Thanks -
(and we can all Stand Down)

[scoopdd]

No crock here, I'm not looking to resell my website.
I provide a service, people pay me (www.scoopdoggiedog.com). They call me and email me "has my payment posted, when did you come, what is my balance, what check number was it in April?
I would like to create a way for them to log in on my web site and view their own transaction history. Would I need to create 150+ secure subdirectories? Would MYsql help me serve up THEIR and their's only transactions? Is there a tutorial for this? What is this even called so I can do better searches for it?

[tpoynton]

You'll likely not create subdirectories, but use tables in mysql to store the data.

totally not my thing, but I know that it can be done!

like the service!

[Doc C]

I've seen a local version of that service here in L.A. People are just getting lazier and lazier. Maybe I'll start a business going house to house opening beverage containers and snack food bags for couch potatoes!! :D

[Croc Hunter]

Builder and scoopdd I believe both of what you guys want to do is/will be allowed. It relates directly to YOUR website.

Sure mysql would be a nice way to setup the info quickly. But the recent speed issues relating to mysql combined with your little knowledge of mysql programming.. It might be best to take a few hrs and setup the 150+ password protected directories. Either by using OPS or doing it manually with htaccess.

[entrecon]

From a maintenance standpoint however, a database would be a much better option. The one I use on a custome site here runs well and really hasn't been affected by the MySQL issues. The CMS I run here has been hit hard, but they are MySQL intensive.

Trying to constantly update invoice information and information on last visits etc. could be a hassle on 150 different directories. My advice is to get someone to help you build a simple interface. Don't want to spend that money? What about trading service for service? You go scoop some poop and they build a simple database interface for!

[tpoynton]

I also was thinking about the maintenance issue; if this is something you are going to do for a while, it makes sense to invest some time/money/scooping now to set something up that will facilitate invoicing/billing for both you and your customers. sure, setting up the htaccess directories will work, but it would be quite a bit of work to maintain.

as a short-term solution, I'd likely set up an excel sheet that houses all the information, from which you could simply copy/paste into an email. by 2 cents...

[HalfaBee]

Would I be going to far by saying that sounds like a crappy solution?
The pooper scooper wants a simple online accounting package, this should be managable, even with the crappy preformance of mysql at the moment.