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 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?

I plan to update this - for the time being i have just added basic logging.

Originally Posted by ezurick

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....

Firstly - You've not even clicked install so you get ZERO support on any of the modification. Secondly there is no need for the attitude - I will quite happily move this to another section. It didn't even occur to me that the sections had been split up.

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

Which version are you using? if it's 1.2 (designed for 3.7.2) then it runs continuously - you just have to enable it in it's option grop (see the screenshot as to were to find that).

Originally Posted by RedPoint

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


What is that guys?

Regards

I'm not currently supporting 3.6 versions until i have 3.7 perfected. backwards i know.

Originally Posted by frostyIntrepid

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

currently there is basic information about the users that have been contacted. this can be found in admincp/remindermail.php (or use the link under the "Users" section in the admin CP [see attached pictures])

[kpascal]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

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

I have just added this mod and can not find this task in the Scheduled Task Manager. Should it appear right away?

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by C Braithwaite

Which version are you using? if it's 1.2 (designed for 3.7.2) then it runs continuously - you just have to enable it in it's option grop (see the screenshot as to were to find that).

Originally Posted by kpascal

I have just added this mod and can not find this task in the Scheduled Task Manager. Should it appear right away?

My apologies - I'm not using version 1.2 so my instructions don't apply. See Chris' response quoted from just above your post.

[Moparx]

I just upgraded to 1.2 and I have to say that 14 extra queries on each page is rather unacceptable.

[C Braithwaite]

Originally Posted by Moparx

I just upgraded to 1.2 and I have to say that 14 extra queries on each page is rather unacceptable.

It only has the higher amount of queries when it finds inactive users. after a short while it will reduce as there will be less inactive users to contact. also if you disable the logging features it will reduce queries further, as will reducing the amount of users the mod processes.

I could take out 2 queries and mail directly - but i think this would only be disguising things by reducing queries not processing time.

This way the processing is distributed more - 14 queries is not going to effect performance anyway, especially not for a forum with under 500 users, of which 10% are active.

[iogames]

Grrr!

Doesn't work with 3.6.10

This product is not compatible with version 3.6.10 of vBulletin. (Compatible starting with 3.7.2)

[Moparx]

Originally Posted by C Braithwaite

It only has the higher amount of queries when it finds inactive users. after a short while it will reduce as there will be less inactive users to contact. also if you disable the logging features it will reduce queries further, as will reducing the amount of users the mod processes.

I could take out 2 queries and mail directly - but i think this would only be disguising things by reducing queries not processing time.

This way the processing is distributed more - 14 queries is not going to effect performance anyway, especially not for a forum with under 500 users, of which 10% are active.

Ah, I see. I'll leave it on and see how things go.
Another thing I noticed: I get a Database Error when I view Who's Online with 1.2 enabled

Database error in vBulletin 3.7.2:

Invalid SQL:

SELECT userid, username, IF(displaygroupid=0, user.usergroupid, displaygroupid) AS displaygroupid
FROM vb3_user AS user
WHERE userid IN (0586','755','757);

[C Braithwaite]

Originally Posted by Moparx

Another thing I noticed: I get a Database Error when I view Who's Online with 1.2 enabled

This one is baffling me. it doesn't happen on mine so it's difficult to figure out what is causing it. do you have any other plugin that effects the WOL page?

[Moparx]

Originally Posted by C Braithwaite

This one is baffling me. it doesn't happen on mine so it's difficult to figure out what is causing it. do you have any other plugin that effects the WOL page?

I have a Custom WOL Locations product installed but that's it.

Additionally, The problem seems to have gone away after Email Reminder finished processing users & sending out emails.

[iogames]

Can you confirm me that it works with 3.6.10?