Posting by E-Mail!

[Admin]

That's right, you can now e-mail posts to this forum, and they will be added to the thread automatically!
This means that when receiving notifications to thread you subscribed (this was revamped as well; the post text is in the e-mail now), you can reply to that e-mail with your post without even visiting the thread. :) Obviously this is useful if you don't want to update your session (which will cause all post markers to go off) but still have an urgent reply.

To increase security, each and every one of you got a new e-mail password. This password is used when replying through e-mail, so people can't spoof e-mail headers and pretend to be you. Keep this password private as you keep any other!
This e-mail password can be found in your profile, just go to User CP => Profile, and look at the bottom. Currently it's a random string, feel free to change this to your own password. Note that this password is not kept encrypted in the database as it's send to you with every notification. (this is also why I didn't use your normal password)

To post to a thread, you need to e-mail post@vbhacks.com, and include a string in the subject line.
If you have the threadid of the thread, you write this: [thread-threadid-emailpassword]. The rest of the subject will be the title of your post, and the body of your e-mail will be the message. The latter must not be empty.
If you have the postid, you write this: [post-postid-emailpassword]. The above applies here as well.

Of course, permissions are checked when you try to post, so don't try to do some funky stuff -- you will get an error e-mail in return. :) After your post is processed (should be quite, depends) you will receive a confirmation e-mail with a link to your post.

Here is how a typical notification e-mail looks like now:
Hello FireFly,

FireFly has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to entitled - test - in the Testing Zone forum of vBulletin.org Forum.

~~~~~ NEW ~~~~~
New at vBulletin.org!
You can now reply to the thread by replying to this message. All you need to do is to make sure this code appears in the e-mail subject:
[thread-36616-xxxx]
You should also remove this text to ensure your reply is readable by other forum users.
~~~~~ NEW ~~~~~

Here are the contents of the post:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
e-mail reply
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This thread is located at:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?threadid=36616&goto=newpost

There may be other replies also, but you will not receive any more notifications until you visit the board again.

Yours,
vBulletin.org Forum team

Anyway, I hope some of you find this new feature helpful. I personally don't think I will ever use it, but that's just me. :p

Good day,

[filburt1]

Will you be posting the code so we can use it on our own forums? :)

[Admin]

No.

[Recluse]

this is what i requested a couple weeks ago :)

[DjSap]

hmm btw can you tell me how you get the db automaticly update when you get a mail on a certain email adress, is there any kind of tutorial for this?

[afterlab]

Wow, great addition FireFly! I don't think i'll use it, but it seems like an amazing addition for the 10,000+ members here. Great job! :smoke:

[FWC]

Originally posted by FireFly
Anyway, I hope some of you find this new feature helpful. I personally don't think I will ever use it, but that's just me. :p

Good day, This could come in handy while I'm at work and can't afford to start a session. :)

[TheCaver]

That's a shame that the code will not be posted.......

I've looked for ways to combine a traditional mailing list and vB, and this looks like a good start.......

:cry:

JC

[Gholsie]

Has anyone ever figured out how to assign an email address to a particular forum? I'd like to be able to do this so I can send messages to a forum by email.

This would be useful for archiving email list conversations. Just subscribe the forum's address and you have an automatic archive.

Simple?

:cool:

[Dalius]

Originally posted by FireFly
No.

That was straight out.

[nuno]

this is a very useful feature Chen
it should be released IMO :(

[wooolF[RM]]

]could be used to spam your forums...
I understand why FireFly wont release it...
+vb.org is something special and should not look like other boards around... got idea? ;)

[merk]

A feature like this would most probably have a daemon running to update the threads, therefore the support for such a 'hack' would be too hard for even Firefly!

While its a good idea, i dont believe its worth it, it just lets users post without visiting your site, so your hitcounts dont go up, less revenue from banners, less hits for your statistics.. etc..

[JamesUS]

It doesn't need to use a daemon :)

[TECK]

Originally posted by filburt1
Will you be posting the code so we can use it on our own forums? :)

Originally posted by FireFly
No.i like the complicated (and full of tech terms) answer that firefly gave.. hehe. :D

[mjames]

Excellent idea! I really like this and will be using it often; I often don't have time to stop by halfway through the week and visit all the forums and read new posts as I'd like to, so this gives me a lot of flexibility since I check my e-mail often. :)

[Ordovicium]

It would be great, when you post the hack :cool:

[boatdesign]

Maybe this is something they're working on for Version 3 and that's why it won't be released as a mod ???

[TheCaver]

I think it's about support and configuration. Chen would be innundated with complaints cause peoples config would not work as this would involve setting up an email address, etc.....

But I hope (wink, wink) someone picks it up and runs with it. I run a large group which has evolved into some sub-regional groups who use Yahoo groups to send notices and such, this would be perfect for me :)

JC

[boatdesign]

But I hope (wink, wink) someone picks it up and runs with it...

Me too. It would be a very neat mod!

Though I suppose I can also see the problem of losing web traffic / revenue if everyone started using it.

[Neo]

it most likely something in vb3.. but it takes me to long to check my emails now a days.. and I hate getting like 400 emails from the vb sites saying there is a new reply... it makes me wish I had my penuckel

[BillP]

I would use it ONLY for creating a BBS-based archive of a few email-lists I run. In other words, one-way only into a read-only BBS forum.

I'm looking forward to this functionality as a built-in feature of 3.x (hopefully) so I don't have to code my own and end up inadvertently tieing myself down to a particular version of VB.

Keep up the good work, all.

[Erwin]

Very very cool idea. Hopefully will be standard in the vB3.

[indiamike]

Let me see if I have this straight. :confused:


So now I get a email from everyone who replies to a thread that I am subscribed too instead of just one email telling me there may be more posts but I have to visit.

Example....today I participated in a thread and subscribed to it, an hour later I had three emails waiting for me from the people who posted to it without me every visiting the thread.

Hmmmmmm.....I sort of like the "just one" email, since now if a thread explodes my in- box will be flooded with mail from the thread.

Mike

[merk]

Originally posted by JamesUS
It doesn't need to use a daemon :)

Really?

Then is the message just processed next time a page is loaded?

Im curious how you get it happening if it doesnt use a daemon of some kind :)

[dabean]

merk: you can directly spool the result from sendmail/procmail/qmail etc.. to a php script when ever a email is received for a particular address or block of addresses :)

Whilst you do still have the mail daemon running you don't need any other daemons.

Or there's always cron :)

[merk]

Ah, it makes sense now :)

Thanks

I always thought you could do something like that, but its a bit hard on a shared server :\

[Gholsie]

I just tried to reply via email and it didn't work in this forum!!

Anyway, I am still looking for a mod that enables me to send an email to a forum. When that email enters the forum it creates a new thread.

[m]
:pirate:

[mjames]

It didn't work for me, either. Do you *have* to include a post title? I didn't, I'm wondering if that's why it didn't work.

[Fusion]

Can anyone confirm or deny that something like this hack is on the board for v3 or later? If nothing else as an option?

[Chris M]

I dont think anyone is entirely sure of what will be in version 3...

I would definately like to see something similar to this in vb3...

It would be worth its weight in Gold...

Satan

[JackG]

We would like this feature in our forums!

This is HUGE for using email Pagers like
the Motola T900 or Rim.

Please consider releasing this for all of us.

[rylin]

the thing most people don't seem to realize is that this isn't a feature that all of you will be able to use on _your_ forums... in fact, i bet less than 5% of you could use it.

what you need to actually do something useful is:
correctly set up mx records for your domain
the ability to change the sendmail/postfix/whatever configs to let you pipe email
have a parser that can be run over a CLI

i'm willing to bet most of you have PHP compiled as a module, but you probably have perl installed as well..
.. so then you only need DB, mysql, mime etc. etc modules

a nicely working system like this usually costs a couple of thousand bucks (yes, this is the way most decent web-mail programs work, I've written one myself)

while i strongly disagree with anyone who think this should be released with vb3, i do think it would be a nice gesture to write up a white-paper on how it's done, but differences in different mailer-daemons makes anything beyond abstract notes unuseful
(for instance, extra headers added by sendmail aren't there in postfix & vice versa)

just my $0.02 on this subject ;)
cool idea to use it for the forums though.. i'm impressed :)


the point i'm trying to get through is that there is no way for either jelsoft or a hack-author to be able to support this, due to the vast selection of software that can/needs to be used to maintain this

[Learner29]

Originally posted by filburt1
Will you be posting the code so we can use it on our own forums? :)

and then FireFly answered with No



I truly expected that..... :paranoid:

[Admin]

Someone already released this hack. The reason I don't release it is firmly stated earlier in this thread.

[Learner29]

thank you for having worked it out: It makes interaction on this forum much easier.

[Rand]

Hi all,

New around here. Searched for this email hack and was excited to find this thread started by Chen. Disappointed though that it doesn't contain the hack.

Can someone please point me in the direction of where the hack is posted?

Is this as complicated as okidoki suggests? (earlier in this thread)

I participate in a mail list that would be awesome to convert to one that is archived in VB. Wouldn't this hack do that?

Regards,
Rand

[FWC]

Originally posted by Rand
Can someone please point me in the direction of where the hack is posted?I don't know much about it because I haven't installed it, but here's the hack:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36899

[Rand]

Thanks FWC,

I'm not a VB owner, yet, so I can't look at or use the hack. Is there a separate discussion thread about the posted hack? (Besides this one...)

I just tried email responding to a thread I started (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38215) on the Pre-Sales Questions Forum, but it hasn't posted yet. Still think this would be an excellent feature if it works as I imagine.

Thanks again,
Rand

[TECK]

Rand, you need to be licensed in order to get any hack.
purchase VB, then you will gain control of all the vB.org features, by entering your license information.

[Rand]

Thanks nakkid,

Got it. I am brand new here and am just poking around to learn more about VB. I'm not a programmer and I will require someone to upload VB and import my current UBB 6.* to VB. I expect to purchase VB very soon.

I am still concerned about the ease and reliability of the email hack. Can someone please let me know if there is some discussion in the email hack thread that FWC so kindly posted above?

Thanks for your time.
Rand

[TECK]

i do not understand you interest in hacks related to VB if you dont own a license (from you earlier posts, you said that you are not licensed). i might be wrong. probably you need to aquire information related to VB flexibility. about you questions related to the email hack, not alot of people can answer you because is a hack combined with a request tracker interface that jelsoft modified(or created, not sure) to use for their site. so it will be never released, in my opinion. firefly modified that script and implement it here. that's all. all those are my logical explanations, as i said before i might be wrong.

also, in order to get support on those forums or vb.com ones, you need to be licensed. that's not comming from me, but from jelsoft rules and regulations. so mods or admins will be able to help you, if you are licensed. if you don't own a license there is no point to enquire hacks, since you cannot aply them because you do not have a VB board.

there is a UBB importer in the members area, taht you can download.

regards,
nakkid.

[Rand]

Hi nakkid,

Thanks. Sounds like the email hack is a bit complicated (for now?).

I realize my first post in this thread appears that I was looking for the hack. I was really just looking for a discussion thread that included support discussion and user's feedback. As I stated, I'm still in pre-sales mode and just got excited about the potential of an email respond feature.

Also, sorry for the off-topic chatter. I'll stick to the Pre-Sales Questions Forum untill I buy.

Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Rand

[TECK]

is no problem rand. i simply wanted to give few precise answers related to the email hack matter. that's all.
all the best and hope to see you soon in the Releases area.

[thehobbyforum]

Check it out to see what is new for vB 3.0

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26055

[Rand]

Hi John,

It appears the thread you posted was from last year 8/01 and it is only a suggested list of udates. Do you have some other info on VB 3.0? Specially if it includes the ability to email replies?

Regards,
Rand

[Frank]

Originally posted by nuno
this is a very useful feature Chen
it should be released IMO :(
Yes it's a very useful feature, I don't understand why it won't be released. That's not very in the spirit of the site is it?

This hack would benefit me incredibly, because users accessing via Digital TV set-top boxes (ntl and telewest) cannot post on the site via their browser. This hack would solve all my problems :(

[Admin]

The hack will be released in 2 weeks or so once I have some time to document it.

[Rand]

Hi Chen,

WOW! Great news. (even to someone who doesn't use or own VB yet.) Will this hack allow people to follow a mail list and have the responses posted in a VB forum thread?

My potential user base like mail lists. I think they're basically lazy. They wont necessarily go to a web site for a BB. They prefer to see all the posts in email form and they'll respond to an email when they want to. If all that email discussion could also be viewed in a clean, reliable vb thread, then I think you've got an awesome hack.

Am I to understand from this discussion that this feature might be included n VB 3.0?

Thanks,
Rand

[Bothan Jedi]

Any news?

[Andy R]

Your the man! I am sure this hack is tough to document due to all the variables with email, etc. I know I really appreciate all your hard work here! Chen = 1 in a million!

Thank you! Looking forward to setting this one up!

[globalwin]

where is it? :(

[Admin]

Yeah, sorry about the delay guys. Hopefully I will be able to wrap it up this Saturday-Sunday.

[Gary King]

Originally posted by FireFly
Yeah, sorry about the delay guys. Hopefully I will be able to wrap it up this Saturday-Sunday.

Sounds good to me :D

[Bothan Jedi]

thanks for the update. i've been itching to get a copy of this for ages. :D

[Virix]

I can't wait... Any more details on release date?

[Gary King]

Looks like FireFly is procrastinating :eek:

[Admin]

Almost done, hopefully today.

Chen


----- Original Message -----
From: "vBulletin.org Forum Mailer" <post@vbhacks.com>
To: <chen.avinadav@vbulletin.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 02, 2002 12:04 AM
Subject: Posting by E-Mail!


> Hello FireFly,
>
> Virix has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to entitled -
Posting by E-Mail! - in the Announcements forum of vBulletin.org Forum.
>
> ~~~~~ NEW ~~~~~
> New at vBulletin.org!
> You can now reply to the thread by replying to this message. All you need
to do is to make sure this code appears in the e-mail subject:
>
> You should also remove this text to ensure your reply is readable by other
forum users.
> ~~~~~ NEW ~~~~~
>
> Here are the contents of the post:
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> I can't wait... Any more details on release date?
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> This thread is located at:
> https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?threadid=36753&goto=newpost
>
> There may be other replies also, but you will not receive any more
notifications until you visit the board again.
>
> Yours,
> vBulletin.org Forum team
>
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[Admin]

Testing....

[Bothan Jedi]

any new updates?

[Admin]

About what?

[Bothan Jedi]

about post my mail.

did i missing an announcement in another thread or something?

back on 06-25-02 you mentioned it was going to be done very soon.

many thanks

chris

[Gary King]

It is done, and has been released.

[Bothan Jedi]

thanks. i guess i should go find it then :)

[jjj0923]

this is an interesting hack although I not thrilled about slowing down showthread to process all waiting posts. another method of accomplishing this and one that would not require email piping would be to setup a cron job that would simply read emails, add them to the emailpost database and then process them. The only downside to this is that there's a possibility of a user seeing a thread that may not have the "emailed" replies posted yet.

though all in all a great hack.