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 Fungsten

CB,

As mentioned in another post when I run it from a test forum the "From" in the email I receive is fine. However, when sending from my live forum the email "From" is blank. Also, that email shows all the control characters too. I have checked the settings in the live forum and they seem to be ok. So, why would the email I get from the live forum have a blank "From"? Thanks!

It takes the settings from your forum options - "From: " . $vbulletin->options['bbtitle'] . " Reminder Service <" . $vbulletin->options['webmasteremail'] . ">" so if these are not set, then this may be the cause of the problem.

Originally Posted by daddygrim

Inactive Reminders By Mished.co.uk

i son;t want this sitting at the footer of my page..and why would this be included in the reminder email? how do i remove this?

you can disable it in the options. thanks for your support in crediting the author.




as for the duplicate emails - i have no idea. there is only one mail command, and with that, one log command.

if it logged it, it mailed it.

the user is updated and should not be sent another email until the conditions specified in the settings are met

[C Braithwaite]

Originally Posted by Blackjack

Yes, however that requires them to login. If they don't remember their password they have to run through a bunch of steps in order to get logged in to disable admin messages.

think of it as a simple lesson not to forget your password?

[C Braithwaite]

I just don't like some people's attitudes to showing credit. I gave the option to remove it because it is down to the forum owner what they have on their forum, and that's up to them, but it pisses me off when people come on here and that is there only comment - "how do i remove the credit?", not a "thank you for a good mod."

just remember, any members this mod brings back, are because of ME. that's right, ME. not any of you. so just remember that, anyone coming on this thread demanding removal, or making comments on the tag at the bottom.

99% of the people that use this give their support, and that makes me feel good.

[daddygrim]

Originally Posted by C Braithwaite

I just don't like some people's attitudes to showing credit. I gave the option to remove it because it is down to the forum owner what they have on their forum, and that's up to them, but it pisses me off when people come on here and that is there only comment - "how do i remove the credit?", not a "thank you for a good mod."

just remember, any members this mod brings back, are because of ME. that's right, ME. not any of you. so just remember that, anyone coming on this thread demanding removal, or making comments on the tag at the bottom.

99% of the people that use this give their support, and that makes me feel good.

awwwww poor baby...in that case...how about making a new footer. *created by C Braithwaite* instead of your whole website.

[C Braithwaite]

I really don't wanna argue about this, hence why i added the option to remove it.

Please people, don't mention the footer link again. it can be removed. End of argument.

[Smoothie]

Any word on the slight problem I posted about?

[C Braithwaite]

Originally Posted by Smoothie

Any word on the slight problem I posted about?

sorry - so many posts to go through, i missed your question.

have the users got enabled admin emails?

[Fungsten]

Originally Posted by C Braithwaite

It takes the settings from your forum options - "From: " . $vbulletin->options['bbtitle'] . " Reminder Service <" . $vbulletin->options['webmasteremail'] . ">" so if these are not set, then this may be the cause of the problem.

I got it working. Thanks.

Also, I checked the Schedule Tasks log and nothing has been sent out; except for the one test email I sent.

Great Mod though!!

[SnitchSeeker]

I have installed this. Can't wait to see how it affects our visits. Thanks a mill!

[mvigod]

Nice mod. And you do deserve credit for putting this one together and offering it up here. Clicks INSTALL.

BTW..is there a way to ensure that it does not send to any member more than X number of times? I can see if a member gets this reminder every 3 days or every 30 days until he makes it stop by going into the UserCP to stop admin emails it might rub some members the wrong way. WAsn't sure if this was built in somewhere yet on this or just a possible feature for future upgrade.

Again nice work