Mini Mods - Email reminder for inactive users

Inactive reminder emails. This mod was designed to send out a reminder to inactive members to try and win them back.

***1.2.7 Update***
This update includes built in support for bouncing emails. The script will automatically detect the bounced mail, mark it as bounced so the user is not to be contacted again so as to avoid spam, and then move that user into a seperate usergroup. This plugin is still in it's testing stages, but I have addressed the bugs mentioned previously regarding the emailing side of things.

This is important so keep reading
To install this plugin and take advantage of the bounced email features you are going to need to follow these instructions very carefully. I can not gaurentee that they will work to the letter as this will be based on each persons individual hosting settings.

Step 1: Pre Install
Before you touch this product you need to do the following

• Create an "inactive" usergroup
• Set up a "bounce to" email address
  Pick an email address that you want to use as your bounced email address. Im using "bounce@icora.co.uk". feel free to use whatever you wish.
• Add a email message filter
  This is the hard part. You need to set up a filter that will 'pipe' an email sent to the above email address.
  I am using Cpanel 11 and this is how i have mine set up:
  Rules: 'To' 'Equals' 'bounce@icora.co.uk'
  Actions: 'Pipe to program' with the setting: |/usr/local/bin/php /home/icora/public_html/forum/bounce.php
  This will depend entirely on your settings and structure so you may have to do a little research. It would be very helfull if people who have to use diferent configurations would post them on here.
• Go into vBulletin options, and find the options for 'Emails'. there is a setting asking you if you want to use '-f'. set this to yes.
• While still inn the email options set the 'Bounce Email Address' to your above address.

Step 2: Install
Remove all previous trace of this modification, and upload all the files in the "upload" folder to your base directory of the server.
Go into your product management section and add a new product. upload the XML file with overwrite selected.
Refresh your admin CP to load the new menu items. Just under the "users" group you will find an "Inactive Reminders" group. open that up and click on settings.
Play with these settings and options to suit for the most part. when you come down to the bounce settings you MUST use the same email address as the one you created above.
Set to active and save.

I must re-iterate that this version has not been widely tested, but the simulations i have ran have worked. I look forward to your feedback!

Features:

• Select the period of time before a user is considered inactive.
• Select how many emails to send to each inactive user per inactivity period
• Choose weather inactivity is based on members "Last Post" or their "Last Visit"
• Specify how often followup emails are sent
• Specify alternative emails to send to reduce repetition
• Keep a log of all inactive users contacted

Planned Updates:

• More detail in reports
• ...such as
• Which useres returned
• Effectivness stats
• Email validity

**1.2.1 Update***
Added more detail to the reports section. You can now see the email address, and quickly indicate which emails were invalid. You can link directly to that user to edit as you wish.
I have fixed some errors which have been crashing people's database. Please post any problems if you can.

**1.2.3 Update***
Fixed several problems with escaping strings
Stopped database errors locking up site
***

**1.2.4 Update***
Added a "From Email" so you can specify your own email address to send the reminders from.
Fixed potential bug for people who do not use the mail queue.

Anyone having problems with sending emails out too fast, and multiple emails being sent need to consider changing their email settings in vbulletin options.
People with emails going out too fast - edit Number of Emails to Send Per Batch to a lower amount
People with multiple emails sending - edit Use Mailqueue System to "Yes, with locking"
***

**1.2.5 Update***
Added more stats in the reports page, also added a "Send test email" option so users can test the functionality of the mod
***

[deezelpope]

Originally Posted by rwoscott

Thanks for the tip jammie girl!
I'm about to come around for the 2nd round of emails to inactive user(12 months Freq).

No problem! Except I can't take credit for this...it's in this thread somewhere a ways back, but an excellent idea nonetheless.:up:

[nyunyu]

Originally Posted by deezelpope

Actually, there IS a setting for that...where it says 'email quantity':

deezel, I can't seems to find the option.
I tried to upgrade but still didn't see the option.

[James Argo]

Originally Posted by nyunyu

deezel, I can't seems to find the option.
I tried to upgrade but still didn't see the option.

Second that. I couldn't find Email Quantity option.

vB 3.6.8 PL2

I installed mod version 1.11 & re-checked everything.

Any hints?

Thanks

Jaymz

[rwoscott]

Originally Posted by deezelpope

No problem! Except I can't take credit for this...it's in this thread somewhere a ways back, but an excellent idea nonetheless.:up:

With 100+ posts It doesn't hurt to repeat it occasionally, unless someone want to read the entire thread.

[deezelpope]

Originally Posted by nyunyu

deezel, I can't seems to find the option.
I tried to upgrade but still didn't see the option.

Originally Posted by James Argo

Second that. I couldn't find Email Quantity option.

vB 3.6.8 PL2

I installed mod version 1.11 & re-checked everything.

Any hints?

Thanks

Jaymz

Makes sense...I'm using 1.09...maybe that's why? No idea, sorry, Guys.

Originally Posted by rwoscott

With 100+ posts It doesn't hurt to repeat it occasionally, unless someone want to read the entire thread.

True, but how do you suppose I found it? You got it...I read the whole thread.

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by deezelpope

Makes sense...I'm using 1.09...maybe that's why? No idea, sorry, Guys.

That is the reason.

Version 1.09 sends out emails in specified batches - like deezelpope, mine is set to 3 at a time and I think that's the default.

As I've said many times previously, version 1.11 is quirky and in my opinion should be considered a beta version. I would recommend that you uninstall this version and install 1.09.

[Peejay]

This is a great little mod, since I've installed it we've had a lot of innactive users receive an email and then come back and have a browse and post again. It did open my eyes to how many of our sites members are inactive and led to me installing the Welcome Headers hack too.

Great stuff, many thanks :

[piraterevival]

Whats the best way to test this working?

Great little mod though

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by piraterevival

Whats the best way to test this working?

Great little mod though

Install it. Set up the options the way you want it, being careful to keep the number of emails sent out small. Go to scheduled tasks and set up the cron job the way you want it. Then run the cron job manually to test it all.

[mastertek2000]

looks nice thanks will try it installed