Author Topic: Finding the best self hosting setup (Read 19270 times)

r2d2 · « **on:** May 05, 2015, 11:25 »

I am searching for the best setup for self hosting in the EU.

Requirements:
- stability
- Best available independence
- legal certainty / Vat Solution
- Regular updates
- Free as far as possible

After my previous research meets the following setup the requirements best:

1. Wordpress
2. WooCommerce
3. WooCommerce EU VAT Compliance Plug in

Next, I want the whole test with XAMPP offline on desktop PC.
Does anyone have this setup running or other good alternatives?

skyfish · « **Reply #1 on:** May 05, 2015, 11:51 »

For me XAMPP is the best, i use it for years.
PayPal allows tests, just read their instructions.
BTW, i am not on free solution, but it meets all requirements. There are many other points why i selected commercial platform.

farbled · « **Reply #2 on:** May 05, 2015, 12:14 »

Quote from: skyfish on May 05, 2015, 11:51

For me XAMPP is the best, i use it for years.
PayPal allows tests, just read their instructions.
BTW, i am not on free solution, but it meets all requirements. There are many other points why i selected commercial platform.

I set up the GRFX solution (supposed to be for illustrators). It works for photographers, just no network function which doesn't matter to me anyway, I prefer to be on my own. SEO seems really good, Woocommerce backend which allows VAT (haven't tested that yet) and I'm doing 100% paypal (tested). Like the legacy Symbiostock software (also free), it works just fine by itself.

r2d2 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 05, 2015, 12:19 »

Quote from: skyfish on May 05, 2015, 11:51

For me XAMPP is the best, i use it for years.
PayPal allows tests, just read their instructions.
BTW, i am not on free solution, but it meets all requirements. There are many other points why i selected commercial platform.

Commercial platforms are determined not all bad. But they can be sold very quickly and that's it then with independence.
For large companies like WordPress and Woocomerce that is probably unlikely.

So Worpress and WooComerce are now running at my XAMPP.
I am now trying to mount a digital product / image in WooCommerce.
I think that I need right next a plug in to do that on Woocommerce.

Kerioak~Christine · « **Reply #4 on:** May 11, 2015, 14:11 »

A completely different set up is OpenCart (free) which, like wordpress, has lots of themes and extensions available for it. The base theme is capable of selling digital downloads and/or physical items, setting tax for different geo, zones from countries to US states. Due to the VATMOSS vatmess my stock site is currently closed but I do use OpenCart for my Art and Nail Art site

NandoPhoto · « **Reply #5 on:** May 12, 2015, 04:26 »

Quote from: farbled on May 05, 2015, 12:14

Quote from: skyfish on May 05, 2015, 11:51
For me XAMPP is the best, i use it for years.
PayPal allows tests, just read their instructions.
BTW, i am not on free solution, but it meets all requirements. There are many other points why i selected commercial platform.
I set up the GRFX solution (supposed to be for illustrators). It works for photographers, just no network function which doesn't matter to me anyway, I prefer to be on my own. SEO seems really good, Woocommerce backend which allows VAT (haven't tested that yet) and I'm doing 100% paypal (tested). Like the legacy Symbiostock software (also free), it works just fine by itself.

Hi Farbled,
Can you tell me whether grfx has an "editorial usage only" option / disclaimer? Like you, I'm a photographer and at the moment don't need the networking option, but most of my portfolio s editorial.
Thanks.

farbled · « **Reply #6 on:** May 12, 2015, 09:20 »

Quote from: NandoPhoto on May 12, 2015, 04:26

Quote from: farbled on May 05, 2015, 12:14
Quote from: skyfish on May 05, 2015, 11:51
For me XAMPP is the best, i use it for years.
PayPal allows tests, just read their instructions.
BTW, i am not on free solution, but it meets all requirements. There are many other points why i selected commercial platform.
I set up the GRFX solution (supposed to be for illustrators). It works for photographers, just no network function which doesn't matter to me anyway, I prefer to be on my own. SEO seems really good, Woocommerce backend which allows VAT (haven't tested that yet) and I'm doing 100% paypal (tested). Like the legacy Symbiostock software (also free), it works just fine by itself.
Hi Farbled,
Can you tell me whether grfx has an "editorial usage only" option / disclaimer? Like you, I'm a photographer and at the moment don't need the networking option, but most of my portfolio s editorial.
Thanks.

No idea honestly. Pop over and ask the guys. Or, since it's self hosting, just put editorial use only in your title or something and have a second license. That's probably what I'd do, or separate by category. Just a thought...

NandoPhoto · « **Reply #7 on:** May 13, 2015, 04:54 »

Quote from: farbled on May 12, 2015, 09:20

Quote from: NandoPhoto on May 12, 2015, 04:26
Quote from: farbled on May 05, 2015, 12:14
Quote from: skyfish on May 05, 2015, 11:51
For me XAMPP is the best, i use it for years.
PayPal allows tests, just read their instructions.
BTW, i am not on free solution, but it meets all requirements. There are many other points why i selected commercial platform.
I set up the GRFX solution (supposed to be for illustrators). It works for photographers, just no network function which doesn't matter to me anyway, I prefer to be on my own. SEO seems really good, Woocommerce backend which allows VAT (haven't tested that yet) and I'm doing 100% paypal (tested). Like the legacy Symbiostock software (also free), it works just fine by itself.
Hi Farbled,
Can you tell me whether grfx has an "editorial usage only" option / disclaimer? Like you, I'm a photographer and at the moment don't need the networking option, but most of my portfolio s editorial.
Thanks.

No idea honestly. Pop over and ask the guys. Or, since it's self hosting, just put editorial use only in your title or something and have a second license. That's probably what I'd do, or separate by category. Just a thought...

Thank you. I've decided to try out the Sell Media solution. Still tweeting, and no editorial support (but with workaround options), but easy enough to setup and very good customer support so far.

Fudio · « **Reply #8 on:** May 13, 2015, 06:33 »

Quote from: NandoPhoto on May 13, 2015, 04:54

Quote from: farbled on May 12, 2015, 09:20
Quote from: NandoPhoto on May 12, 2015, 04:26
Quote from: farbled on May 05, 2015, 12:14
Quote from: skyfish on May 05, 2015, 11:51
For me XAMPP is the best, i use it for years.
PayPal allows tests, just read their instructions.
BTW, i am not on free solution, but it meets all requirements. There are many other points why i selected commercial platform.
I set up the GRFX solution (supposed to be for illustrators). It works for photographers, just no network function which doesn't matter to me anyway, I prefer to be on my own. SEO seems really good, Woocommerce backend which allows VAT (haven't tested that yet) and I'm doing 100% paypal (tested). Like the legacy Symbiostock software (also free), it works just fine by itself.
Hi Farbled,
Can you tell me whether grfx has an "editorial usage only" option / disclaimer? Like you, I'm a photographer and at the moment don't need the networking option, but most of my portfolio s editorial.
Thanks.

No idea honestly. Pop over and ask the guys. Or, since it's self hosting, just put editorial use only in your title or something and have a second license. That's probably what I'd do, or separate by category. Just a thought...
Thank you. I've decided to try out the Sell Media solution. Still tweeting, and no editorial support (but with workaround options), but easy enough to setup and very good customer support so far.

I installed the SellMedia option last week and so far it looks pretty tight. Still testing but to me it seems a much better option than Symbiostock for instance. I just can't get past the negativity, bickering, and above all uncertainty associated with that one on the threads here.

Unlike others though, the one thing I would dearly love to see in their business bundle is the networking option. In my mind that could prove to be very useful tool indeed moving forward. The ability for photographers to form selective, non-parasitic, and more localized affiliations or mini agencies which specialize in high quality difficult to source (for the big boys) regional content is the only way out I can see from the downward pricing spiral. Couple that with direct buyer input request features and a pricing model similar to that found on ImageBrief for example...and maybe, just maybe...

NandoPhoto · « **Reply #9 on:** May 13, 2015, 10:34 »

Quote

Unlike others though, the one thing I would dearly love to see in their business bundle is the networking option. In my mind that could prove to be very useful tool indeed moving forward. The ability for photographers to form selective, non-parasitic, and more localized affiliations or mini agencies which specialize in high quality difficult to source (for the big boys) regional content is the only way out I can see from the downward pricing spiral. Couple that with direct buyer input request features and a pricing model similar to that found on ImageBrief for example...and maybe, just maybe...

Yes, that would be nice. At the moment I need to get my own site working before I can think of networking, but I have no idea how to actually bring clients in...

Someone in another thread (about Symbiostock) suggested a centralised search site where clients can register only once, and that brings results from all networked sites just like a standard stock agency. I would be happy for such a centralised "search agency" to take a commission on sales to be redirected to the indexing results, keeping track of clients' registry, and promoting the service (as well as to pay whoever's wages for maintaining the service).

In a perfect world, I would like clients to have the option of buying direct from the artist from the search results (thus having to register again at the artist's site). This way the artist would still have their own website and could still assign their own prices. Just daydreaming, of course.

Hobostocker · « **Reply #10 on:** May 14, 2015, 05:05 »

another option is a .NET CMS running on microsoft IIS, i've no direct experience on that but i heard many good things about free or semi-free CMS like Umbraco, Sitefinity, and DotNetNuke and sooner or later i will give it a chance, i'm getting sick of PHP and Unix in general, let alone Android, i even bought a WinPhone just to stand out from the crowd hahaha !!

50% · « **Reply #11 on:** May 14, 2015, 06:02 »

Quote from: Fudio on May 13, 2015, 06:33

Quote from: NandoPhoto on May 13, 2015, 04:54
Quote from: farbled on May 12, 2015, 09:20
Quote from: NandoPhoto on May 12, 2015, 04:26
Quote from: farbled on May 05, 2015, 12:14
Quote from: skyfish on May 05, 2015, 11:51
For me XAMPP is the best, i use it for years.
PayPal allows tests, just read their instructions.
BTW, i am not on free solution, but it meets all requirements. There are many other points why i selected commercial platform.
I set up the GRFX solution (supposed to be for illustrators). It works for photographers, just no network function which doesn't matter to me anyway, I prefer to be on my own. SEO seems really good, Woocommerce backend which allows VAT (haven't tested that yet) and I'm doing 100% paypal (tested). Like the legacy Symbiostock software (also free), it works just fine by itself.
Hi Farbled,
Can you tell me whether grfx has an "editorial usage only" option / disclaimer? Like you, I'm a photographer and at the moment don't need the networking option, but most of my portfolio s editorial.
Thanks.

No idea honestly. Pop over and ask the guys. Or, since it's self hosting, just put editorial use only in your title or something and have a second license. That's probably what I'd do, or separate by category. Just a thought...
Thank you. I've decided to try out the Sell Media solution. Still tweeting, and no editorial support (but with workaround options), but easy enough to setup and very good customer support so far.

I installed the SellMedia option last week and so far it looks pretty tight. Still testing but to me it seems a much better option than Symbiostock for instance. I just can't get past the negativity, bickering, and above all uncertainty associated with that one on the threads here.

Unlike others though, the one thing I would dearly love to see in their business bundle is the networking option. In my mind that could prove to be very useful tool indeed moving forward. The ability for photographers to form selective, non-parasitic, and more localized affiliations or mini agencies which specialize in high quality difficult to source (for the big boys) regional content is the only way out I can see from the downward pricing spiral. Couple that with direct buyer input request features and a pricing model similar to that found on ImageBrief for example...and maybe, just maybe...

I couldn't agree more but I think grfx or Symbiostock is at least equally good to sell-media but to be fair It's two years know since I tested sell-media maybe it's time for a new comparision grfx vs. sell-media, and yes I would love to see a networking or agency function.

cascoly · « **Reply #12 on:** May 14, 2015, 18:20 »

plans for grfx include site to site networking -- basically small groups of artists can form networks that pool their images for searches --

http://community.grfx.co/grfx-site-to-site-networking-plans-in-writing/

Fudio · « **Reply #13 on:** May 14, 2015, 18:44 »

Interesting. I'll be watching for updates.

markmagedotcom · « **Reply #14 on:** August 23, 2015, 15:18 »

Quote from: Kerioak~Christine on May 11, 2015, 14:11

(...) zones from countries to US states. Due to the VATMOSS vatmess my stock site is currently closed but I do use OpenCart for my Art and Nail Art site

the VATMOSS thing definitely is a mess, and we all ought to take action against it, tell all our friends etc. Next on the brilliant EU menu is extending this B/S to ALL goods (not just digital ones) starting 01 Jan 2016 -- obviously thinking it's acceptable to kill off all small businesses EU-wide. Small business is the foundation of the (any) economy (everywhere).

Do not forget that the entire EU monster was initially sold to us as "allowing free trade" across Europe (we had that pre-EU, but now?)...

There will be some meeting with the chief-loser-in-charge (unsurprisingly, recruited from Italy's power elites), and this whole nightmare needs to be stopped! See http://www.euvataction.org for details.

Slightly off-topic, I know -- but we scored victory with Freedom of Panorama and we need to do it again in order to break free of those additional VAT shackles! (Bad enough it so often comes to this in today's Europe, remember (1) software patents, (2) seed cartel, (3) copyright and panoramic freedom, (xyz) TTIP and much more to come to a politician near you...

skyfish · « **Reply #15 on:** August 24, 2015, 01:33 »

The direct link to the petition https://www.change.org/p/pierre-moscovici-a-unilateral-suspension-of-the-introduction-of-the-new-eu-vat-laws-for-micro-businesses-and-sole-traders

Boians Cho Joo Young · « **Reply #16 on:** September 16, 2015, 20:32 »

Quote from: r2d2 on May 05, 2015, 11:25

I am searching for the best setup for self hosting in the EU.

Requirements:
- stability
- Best available independence
- legal certainty / Vat Solution
- Regular updates
- Free as far as possible

After my previous research meets the following setup the requirements best:

1. Wordpress
2. WooCommerce
3. WooCommerce EU VAT Compliance Plug in

Next, I want the whole test with XAMPP offline on desktop PC.
Does anyone have this setup running or other good alternatives?

1. Taxes can be set for each country from PayPal.

2. Wordpress

3. WooCommerce

4. Woocommerce CSV Import(Free Plug-ins)
https://wordpress.org/plugins/woocommerce-csvimport/

5. Download Product CSV Auto Link (add-on)
"Woocommerce CSV import downloadable, external, grouped products"
->single site €12.50 EUR
http://allaerd.org/shop/import-downloadable-external-grouped-products

6. Downloadable Products
- File Download Method -> Force Downloads
- Access Restriction -> Grant access to downloadable products after payment.

7. Downloadable Products Delivery
- Checkout Page Download
- Your Email Download

8. Payment via PayPal
- Your email and password enter payment (Paypal subscription customers)
- For Paypal payments can be passed to the payment to your credit card or debit card. (Paypal non-subscription customers)

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Author Topic: Finding the best self hosting setup (Read 19270 times)

r2d2

skyfish

farbled

r2d2

Kerioak~Christine

NandoPhoto

farbled

NandoPhoto

Fudio

NandoPhoto

Hobostocker

50%

cascoly

Fudio

markmagedotcom

skyfish

Boians Cho Joo Young

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