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
***

[djbaxter]

Can someone with a test forum (I know... I really need to set one up) try this:

Find in /includes/cron/remindermail.php:

PHP Code:

    if($vbulletin->options['reminder_posts']){
    $result = $vbulletin->db->query_read("SELECT * FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user WHERE lastpost < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' LIMIT $quantity");
    $vbulletin->db->query_write("UPDATE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user SET emailDate = '$now' WHERE lastpost < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' LIMIT $quantity");
    } else {
    $result = $vbulletin->db->query_read("SELECT * FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user WHERE lastactivity < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' LIMIT $quantity");
    $vbulletin->db->query_write("UPDATE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user SET emailDate = '$now' WHERE lastactivity < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' LIMIT $quantity"); 


Change to:

PHP Code:

    if($vbulletin->options['reminder_posts']){
//    $result = $vbulletin->db->query_read("SELECT * FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user WHERE lastpost < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' LIMIT $quantity");
    $result = $vbulletin->db->query_read("SELECT * FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user WHERE lastpost < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' AND options & 16 LIMIT $quantity");
    $vbulletin->db->query_write("UPDATE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user SET emailDate = '$now' WHERE lastpost < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' LIMIT $quantity");
    } else {
//    $result = $vbulletin->db->query_read("SELECT * FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user WHERE lastactivity < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' LIMIT $quantity");
    $result = $vbulletin->db->query_read("SELECT * FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user WHERE lastactivity < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' AND options & 16 LIMIT $quantity");
    $vbulletin->db->query_write("UPDATE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user SET emailDate = '$now' WHERE lastactivity < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' LIMIT $quantity"); 


I believe this will send emails ONLY to members who have NOT set "Receive admin emails" to OFF.

[MPDesignZ]

Is there a way to single out members who do not want this mail sent to them? I have a client I installed this for who has members who have requested they be taken off this automatic list.

Thanks
MP

[C Braithwaite]

Hello all - sorry i've not been on here or done anything recently - i've been very busy.

Ill crack on with admin emails = no option.

cheers to djbaxter for assuming support of this mod while ive been away

[djbaxter]

Good to see you back, Chris!

Have a look at the attached - I think it works with "Admin emails" set to off but it needs further testing.

Edit: Never mind - I see you've already done this.

Attachment removed.

[C Braithwaite]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

Good to see you back, Chris!

Have a look at the attached - I think it works with "Admin emails" set to off but it needs further testing.

hi - yeh, i read your post with the modification to the code, works fine except it needs to be on the update query also, or it will be updating the wrong members which would result in multiple emails being sent.

I've released an update anyway, and thanks' for the help with that.

[projectego]

Thanks for the 1.07 update!

[MPDesignZ]

Thanks.

MP

[Smoothie]

Ok, so who has this running without any issues?

[Fungsten]

When I received the email it did show who the sender was.

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by Smoothie

Ok, so who has this running without any issues?

I do. What issues are you having?

Originally Posted by Fungsten

When I received the email it did show who the sender was.

Why wouldn't it? The sender is the forum and whatever email address is listed as the official forum email address. If it didn't disclose the sender, the email would be blocked by most spam filters.