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
***

[MindstateNL]

Sorry, i´m a total newbie to this. Just bought Vbulletin after working with other forums.

The readme is ok, but for a new one like me, it´s not descriptive enough.:
It says:

To install, upload remindermail.php to your ./includes/cron/ dir, and import the product xml

Options are in admincp options menu, where you should edit the settings.
------
So no, i uploaded remindermail.php to the directory but what to do with the product xml? And where is `Options`, i can´t find it!

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by MindstateNL

So no, i uploaded remindermail.php to the directory but what to do with the product xml?

1. go to Admin CP | Plugins & Products | Manage Products

2. scroll down to [Add/Import Product]

3. follow instructions in the next screen

Originally Posted by MindstateNL

And where is `Options`, i can?t find it!

Once you have imported the product XML file:

1. Admin CP | vBulletin Options | vBulletin Options

2. scroll down to Inactive User Reminder Emails

[MindstateNL]

Oh thanks a lot! This sure helps me out!

[TROLL]

very useful mod...

one suggestion for the future: i'd love to have an option added to set a total number of times to email a user, just so its not sending them emails until the end of time which is unnecessary for the forum and annoying to the user. either that, or if its possible to include a link in the email that says "if you wish to stop receiving emails about this, please follow this link: __________" where they can unsubscribe.
i do want to try to get users back on the forum, but i don't want to aggravate anyone or invade their privacy without them being able to ever stop it.
thanks,
bryan

[deezelpope]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

You can use standard HTML as well as vBulletin variables. My personalized message looks like this:

Hello, $username!
 
<p>You are receiving this email because you previously registered at {forum} with the following information:</p>
 
<p>Member name: $username<br>
User number: $userid<br>
Email address: $email</p>
 
<p>It's been some time since your last visit to our {forum} community.</p>
 
<p>You might be interested in having another look. We have added several features and enhancements to the forums, and many new topics and new members are added every day.</p>
 
<p>If you don't remember your password, you can request it here: <a href="http://www.yourforum.com/login.php?do=lostpw">http://www.yourforum.com/login.php?do=lostpw</a>.</p>
 
<p>You can now keep up to date with new topics at $bbtitle by subscribing to the {forum} Newsletter. Click on your UserCP link (<a href="http://www.yourforum.com/usercp.php">http://www.yourforum.com/usercp</a> )  in the top navigation bar of any forum page and select Edit Options ( <a href="http://www.yourforum.com/profile.php?do=editoptions">http://www.yourforum.com/profile.php?do=editoptions</a> ). Then scroll down to the Messaging & Notification section and check the box next to Subscribe to {forum} Newsletter.</p>
 
<p>We hope to see you back soon.</p>
 
<p>If you do not wish to receive further emails of this nature, please log into your UserCP at <a href="http://www.yourforum.com/profile.php?do=editoptions">http://www.yourforum.com/profile.php?do=editoptions</a> and uncheck the box next to Receive Email from Administrators.</p>
 
<p>Administrator<br>
<a href="http://www.yourforum.com">{forum}</a><br>
http://www.yourforum.com</p>

Substitute the name of your forum for {forum} and your actual URL for www.yourforum.com.

Originally Posted by TROLL

very useful mod...

one suggestion for the future: i'd love to have an option added to set a total number of times to email a user, just so its not sending them emails until the end of time which is unnecessary for the forum and annoying to the user. either that, or if its possible to include a link in the email that says "if you wish to stop receiving emails about this, please follow this link: __________" where they can unsubscribe.
i do want to try to get users back on the forum, but i don't want to aggravate anyone or invade their privacy without them being able to ever stop it.
thanks,
bryan

I quoted DJ Baxter's post...I use some text similar. Hope this helps.

[1quick1]

Hi I have this installed and it's working great. No issues there.

My question is is this going to be 3.7 compatible or will there be a new version released?

[TROLL]

thanks... just added that to my email as well so users have the option of unsubscribing.
i have to admit that i've gotten a few disgruntled responses to this email and some of there are kind of amusing though, haha.

[b6gm6n]

Just To Let You All Know, If You Use This Mod You And Have A High Amount Of Members You Will Be Banned From Yahoo, Hotmail Domains And Many Other As This Mod Regardless Of Settings Will Jam Your Server And Mark Your Own Domain As A Spamming Domain, I Have Tried Over & Over Again To Warn People About This...use At Your Own Risk

[b6gm6n]

my host has disabled my account due to this mod for safety... thanks mate, thanks very ***kin much, i will warn people about this mod on my providers forums... also, i was using the version the maker said... whatever.whatever... once an hour... 20 emails max.... exceeded my limit by 1000 every hour mate....DOESN'T WORK!!!!!!!!!

[b6gm6n]

If there's anything you would like to do to get my domain back in yahoo's good books then please tell us...cheers