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
***

[C Braithwaite]

Originally Posted by EagleNick

I'm running version 1.1.1 on vB 3.7.2PL1 and it's working fine.

I see that some other members are having errors with your later updates...?

I think I'm just going to stay put. I don't want it to break.

whichever works best for you really - i only decided to update this because of some people having issues.

[C Braithwaite]

Originally Posted by RedPoint

Old plugin deinstalled, new installed, setting, run
Thank you CBraithwaite for this plugin

Regards

you are more than welcome - any feedback on the performance would be great!

[Chimpie]

It looks nice, but as soon as I make the mod active I get a database error:

Database error in vBulletin 3.7.2:

Invalid SQL:

SELECT userid, username, IF(displaygroupid=0, user.usergroupid, displaygroupid) AS displaygroupid
FROM user AS user
WHERE userid IN (0252','259','260,1070);

MySQL Error : You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '','259','260,1070)' at line 3
Error Number : 1064
Request Date : Sunday, August 17th 2008 @ 07:43:25 AM
Error Date : Sunday, August 17th 2008 @ 07:43:25 AM
Script : http://www.skywarnonline.com/forums/...ime&order=desc
Referrer : http://www.skywarnonline.com/forums/...e&pp=20&page=1
IP Address : **********
Username : Dave
Classname : vB_Database
MySQL Version : 5.0.51a-community

[Artes_Marciales]

Thanks foro the update!! : )

¿work on vb 3.7.2??

[djbaxter]

I'm currently using 1.13 which is working well for me. I like the option to email the reports of who was sent an email and any invalid addresses. Could you inlcude that option in the next update?

[ezurick]

Originally Posted by C Braithwaite

i have just updated the plugin to fix some bugs. I've also added some reports (see screenshots)



sorry about that - update the plugin and the bug should have been removed.

Ummm.. the last I checked, this forum is for 3.6 Mods and add-ons.. this is NOT 3.7!!!! I tried to update your lastest version and it states the product is for 3.7 and not compatible to 3.6... I am running 3.6 and refuse to upgrade... PLEASE move this mod to 3.7 and kill it here... or support the 3.6....

[RedPoint]

sorry guys,
i mean by me its running, but here:

Warning: Unexpected character in input: '\' (ASCII=92) state=1 in /forum/includes/cron/remindermail.php on line 82 Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING in /forum/includes/cron/remindermail.php on line 82

What is that guys?

Regards

[RedTrinity]

Ok updated again and looking good!

This may sound silly, but how do you make it run? I want to send out my first lot of reminder emails now but don't know how to initiate the process lol. Otherwise, is there a set time when it runs automatically (each day for example)?

Cheers again

[frostyIntrepid]

Hmm, may I know from where can I view the log entries that store where the emails are sent to?

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by GamerGirl27

Ok updated again and looking good!

This may sound silly, but how do you make it run? I want to send out my first lot of reminder emails now but don't know how to initiate the process lol. Otherwise, is there a set time when it runs automatically (each day for example)?

Cheers again

1. Go to Admin CP | Scheduled Tasks | Scheduled Task Manager
2. Scroll down to find Inactive User Reminder Emails
3. Edit to set when you want the cron job to execute
4. Click on Run Now to execute the task im mediately