Yetiforcecrm: [QUESTION] Removed Webforms module. WHY?

[ezbank]

v3.4.1503

removing Webforms module is an unimproved action. Why do you make that decision?

[bpabiszczak]

We do not use this module. The module has been removed for security reasons.

[vctrin]

What alternative do you suggest to replace lead capture via Webform?

[bpabiszczak]

Mail scanner.

[vctrin]

Thanks!

[ezbank]

How to use mail scanner

[bpabiszczak]

You need to add a new action in the scanner.

[Pietrox]

The alternative is not sufficient in my opinion. It limits a lot of web based companies where users register via forms.
This type of companies will no longer be able to use updated YetiForce. The only sufficient alternative is to inject/send/write/manual add users/leads/accounts to database and increment indexes in crm_entity - which is high risk.
Please consider using webforms as an optional module or disabled by default.

[Pietrox]

Just to add. Email scanner is limited to what is received via email. We no longer can pass custom field information such as:

• lead source
• campaign
• affiliate
• country
• origin IP
  etc.

This decision practially killed automation on this part.

[SkavenKF]

Although I do not use the modul, I find it very critical just before a release, to add, delete or change a module.

[basanthagarwal]

Webform is used by us, for
Leads capture
Tickets Capturing

It is convenient. Please keep it, if possible.

[kpaulaha]

This decision for sure ruins our cases with yf. On the other hand we have been more using Mautic to collect leads etc. and push them to CRM.

[bpabiszczak]

From the technical side nothing has changed, you got exactly the same capabilities, you just have to look at them differently. Anytime you can write a simple script, that will receive the data from the form and add them to the system via object [it’ll take a few hours max]. You can also write a script to the scanner to parse the mail, and based on that look for the field name in CRM and assign the value.
The only problem is that someone has to write it [we don’t need it today, so we’ll wait until someone orders it]. You can order it as well, and we’ll write a script, that will automatically recognize column names in the email, and add lead/contact/account.

Webforms were dangerous; your webform can’t be allowed to send data to a file in the CRM. A system like this would never go through a serious security audit.

[Pietrox]

You mean object via webservice? Last time I checked the documentation is NULL in the integration section ;)

[zeostravelling]

@kpaulaha do it (Mautic) automatic push it to CRM or how do you do it?

kpaulaha commented 11 hours ago
This decision for sure ruins our cases with yf. On the other hand we have been more using Mautic to collect leads etc. and push them to CRM.

[kpaulaha]

@zeostravelling It can be pushed automatically

[ezbank]

pls give back :(

[PercyP]

I used webforms too :(

Can't these modules be left in the system (disabled by default) but allow those that want it to enable it? If not, can YF not create the new script or whatever it is that is needed and add it as an extension that we can buy/download from the extension store?

I am starting to worry now that you may remove other things without warning, with no way for us to get them back. Already various features have been removed from the editor etc. like the ability to upload images.

[waran70]

It was exercised before. Yetiforce guys doing radical cuts without discussing it with community. It is kind of half open source :-) ... of course they got full right to do what they want, but that's not a perfect way to encourage community and developers. I partially agree with Blazej, that webforms are not perfect, but on the other hand, removing so popular module without replacing it with wise designed alternative one, seems to be not very polite here.
Most important is to allow as many people as possible to use yetiforce, and than, commercial customers will follow. So.... who is working in the marketing department there... Ha?

[Pietrox]

Would be very grateful for an example code on how to send leads that register on a website to the CRM. Still postponing an update here. Is there any documentation for it planned?

[liberox]

any news on webforms in YetiForce?

[ezbank]

Nothing

[reeid]

Blazej, can you let us know the price for rewriting webform module ?

[Pietrox]

I don't think they will do that.
We wrote our own cURL based registration, we could offer it for people here to integrate if Yeti guys wouldn't mind.
So far it's made for Leads module, but adding it to accounts or any other shouldn't be a problem.

[ezbank]

@Pietrox I am very grateful for what you will do.

[USTMarketing]

Any news on this? I want to upgrade to 4.0 for all the new features, but I simply cannot live without Webforms. This is how we and I think a lot of companies collect leads, it is simply a must and should be reintroduced.

[JohnMaverick]

@bpabiszczak - can you explain why webforms was dangerous? Why sending data through webform is more dangerous than through other API ways?
Webforms create records in modules without possibility to impact on data in any other way. What is dangerous in it?

[waran70]

@bpabiszczak
Blazej, please get some final statement or just close this issue, so we all know destination.

[paula-w]

Hi guys,
This is @bpabiszczak’s answer:

Webforms were removed and there is no chance they are coming back in the same form they used to exist in the system. Creating a new Webforms module would cost around 450 ~ 600€ and if someone orders that feature we will add it to the system. If someone has a ready-made solution – you can send it to us and we will accept it.
The old solution had a lot of flaws:

• Poor quality and vulnerable code
• External app had to access files in the module [right now only API is acceptable, everything else will be removed from the system]

We removed Webforms because we had to face two massive security audits, and Webforms were full of holes [just like we removed Mobile, Our sites, RSS, etc]. We write what we can right away, but unfortunately all the elements that need to be completely rebuilt have to wait until someone orders them.

[reeid]

Lets do it together. I declare 50 Euro. Who is next? Once we gather interested parties we will find a way to put money on.... waiting for next

[USTMarketing]

If everyone who requested this on this issue alone puts 50€ we'll get it done. I'm okay with this if everyone else is too.

[reeid]

100 in place. Waiting for next donor

[reeid]

More donors less impact on wallet. Hope everyone interested will pay 10 euro and total will get 800 so yetis will get nicely polished module.

[kpaulaha]

+1
50€
Although we use mostly Mautic to collect contacts to systems, it would be great to have one webform integrated into YF.

[bpabiszczak]

As far as I know, you received an answer from us on Monday! Your question was about the price of 10 support hours in a different currency than the one listed on our website, and it's nothing that crucial, especially that all you have to do is google that, and 2 seconds later you have your answer [the payment would've had to be in € anyway].

I think you are trying to blame us for your own error. When you implement any system you should first:

• describe your business requirements and set the goals
• evaluate to what extent the system you chose actually meets these requirements
• estimate how much adding the remaining requirements would cost
• select the vendor [it doesn't have to be us, any programming company or Vtiger vendor can do that]
• implement the system according to the requirements
• purchase support for the implemented system
• purchase training for the implemented system.

The fact that you installed the program but didn't purchase any support is not our mistake.

We don't claim that our product is ideal, or that we are. However, we think we created a decent product that can be implemented in any company and easily adjusted and developed in any direction. If VtigerCRM or SuiteCRM are better for you - we understand and hope they will meet all your requirements. Just keep in mind that there are several dozen people in here who resigned from using VtigerCRM and SuiteCRM and switched to YetiForce, which means that everybody is looking for something else, and we won't always be able to make everyone happy.

[davidporte]

To anyone reading this thread:
I owe these guys a huge debt of apology. After they posted a copy of their sent email, I went digging and found their response had come back to me one hour after I had sent my request and had gone into my spam folder, for reasons unknown. I will leave this comment up for the next hour so anyone who read this previously can see my apology and then I will take down my additional posts, these guys do not deserve to be slammed the way I slammed them.

They had tried to contact me and I was convinced they had not and were ignoring me. in the hope the YF team are reading this, I am genuinely sorry for my comments and will be deleting the somewhat scathing comments below and will only leave this apology behind as you don't deserve my comments made in anger.

Regards
David

[PercyP]

@davidporte

do you have to be so rude and disrespectful? Why use foul language to get your point across? There is a time and place for that and this isn't either. I am from the UK too and don't expect everything to revolve around me, my country, language and 'the way things are done around here'. Yetiforce are NOT Vtiger - if you prefer vtiger then go back to them. What you have to realise is that everyone has to start somewhere. My experience and recollection of vtiger in the early days was pretty much the same when they forked from (I think SugarCRM?). There was very little documentation and very little support to the community.

Yetiforce is a brilliant product, you have to get to know it. Dedicating time to it is well worth the rewards. Yes, there are some words in the system that are not what you would use, but the system provides things like the Language manager to allow you to rename whatever you want. It is a universal product.

I think slagging off their website (which is actually very good - and is a work in progress in terms of the documentation) is also pretty childish and again dis-respectful.

If people like you populate places like github with all your negativity then it wont be long before all these fresh new companies just give up and go home. If someone in your place of work was continuously putting you down, how long before you think 'sod it'? Give them a bit of encouragement, put yourself in their shoes is all I am saying. Also, stop comparing them with Vtiger - they are a different company with a different vision (one I think is great). They are still relatively early days, and need time to get all the things in place that the likes of Vtiger have.

Yetiforce are offering you something here for free. Yes they do offer custom service, but again think about the size of their team - plus the main priority is getting the system right. As was said in an earlier post you can go to other developers (I have done this myself and the developers have had no problem at all developing for yetiforce - so maybe you picked the wrong company/developers?).

Also, what is that weird mailtrack link in you post. I don't personally think you are genuine and feel you are just trying to put the company down (with some alternative motive)

[paula-w]

@davidporte

I'm a little confused because I personally sent you a response to the question you sent via the contact form. I'm attaching a screenshot of my mailbox below. I partially covered your email address in order not to disclose your personal information on GitHub. To be honest, I don't know why you didn't receive my response, but I understand that it might be very frustrating.

We don't want to "forcefully" convince you to use YetiForce, and we really want to avoid conflicts with our community members. We understand that you are unhappy, and we see how this situation might have affected your choice of CRM software or vendor.

I don't want to waste any more of your and our time for arguments, as that only delays the release of the next version of YetiForce.

I sincerely wish you good luck.

[waran70]

@davidporte

[davidporte]

There's no need to take your own life mate, your life will improve eventually.

[davidporte]

So just to close this out before another amoeba brains trust member attempts to add to the conversation, do you guys have any plans for additional documentation or training videos for the yeti product?

[shop4seo]

Hello. were you able to make a new form module? it's been a year since people asked

[LukeLak]

Any solution available? Or documentation how to connect to yetiforce via mailscanner??

[mgiammarco]

I will need form integration in the future. But I do not understand why nobody tries to open a bounty in a site like www.bountysource.com