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
***

[Mrdby]

How can we test it?

[dune3000]

I have warning from my host saying my forum sent 10000 emails today

All these emails were sent via your
public_html/modules/Forums/admin/admin_styles.php script.
I unsuspended your account.
Please note, the account will be suspended if it happens again.

It is possible then this script/MOD sending those emails?
my settings:

Is this product active?: YES
Days of Inactivity: 60
Email Frequency : 60
Inactivity based on last post: NO

Please help,
Thank you

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

Prior to version 1.10, emails were sent out in batches with a configurable batch size using a cron job. Starting with version 1.10, all emails were added to the vBulletin mail queue. I think with a mod like this, that's a mistake, and certainly it seems to have caused a number of problems for different forum installations - that's why version 1.09 is still available for download. The author, Chris, is working on the bugs in 1.11 as he gets time but my advice is to consider version 1.10 and 1.11 as Beta versions, with 1.09 as the latest stable release.

Originally Posted by C Braithwaite

i can understand that emails will be sent out regular with the latest version, and tbh i think 1.09 is the better option.

Originally Posted by dune3000

I have warning from my host saying my forum sent 10000 emails today

It is possible then this script/MOD sending those emails?

Uninstall version 1.11. Install version 1.09.

[maamon]

Arabization file has been produced from feeling

[pictureboarduk]

Great Mod!

Just installed, but where do I find where to do it's settings?

Thanks.

[djbaxter]

Go to Admin CP | vBulletin Opetions | vBulletin Options | Inactive User Reminder Emails.

[Total666]

ANy Idea why I would receive around 250 + e-mails like this

Inactive User Reminder Email Report

This email shows that the product is installed and working as it should be.

There were no inactive users at this time.

one every 1 to 3 minutes ?? Ideas .. Thnaks

Total

[djbaxter]

I believe you're using version 1.11 - check the settings in your vBulletin options for Inactive Users.

[Total666]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

I believe you're using version 1.11 - check the settings in your vBulletin options for Inactive Users.

I checked and I'm using 1.0.9



I don't see any other settings in the inactive user reminder settings area .. Total

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by Total666

I checked and I'm using 1.0.9

I don't see any other settings in the inactive user reminder settings area .. Total

Admin CP | vBulletin Options | Inactive User Reminder Emails

Set:

Days of Inactivity = 90
How many days a user can go without posting before they are considered inactive.

Product Active?
Is this product active? Yes

Email Frequency =30
How often to send a reminder email once a member has become inactive.

Email Quantity = 3-50, depending on available server resources
How many emails to send each time cron runs (Lower means faster board, but longer to send all emails. Higher, vice versa.)

Usergroups = ???
List the usergroups that you wish to send the emails to here. (Seperate by commas) eg. 2,3,4,7