vBouncer: reduce server load by unsubscribing bouncing members from threads

vBouncer is a handy tool for busy forums (or those that do not require email verification) to control the amounts of bogus emails sent from and to your server.

What vBouncer does: vBouncer monitors your mail spool file, and identifies members responsible for large amounts of bounced emails. It then issues a PM warning, and when the unsubscribe threshold is met, it will will unsubscribe them for all threads, and sets them to the "no email" subscription level.

After a couple of runs, this should significantly reduce your server load.

Features:
o Manual or auto processing option
o Collect logs via IMAP/POP or mail spool file
o Custom filters to match patterns in bounced emails
o Uses vB's cron files (Scheduled tasks)
o Uses encrypted header for authentication (suggested by Paul M).
o Stats on members with bouncing emails, and error codes
o Tuning options
o Verbose cron logs for diagnostics
o Option to send PM warning prior to reaching the limit
o Option to send PM notifications after reaching the limit
o Option to change the member's subscription default
o Option to all thread subscriptions to "no email"
o Option to all forum subscriptions to "no email"
o Option to move offenders to a different primary usergroup
o Option to process 5.0.0/550 errors (email unknown) upon a single email, isntead of observing the bounce limit

Installation:
1. Extract the files into the corresponding directories (admincp => admincp, includes => includes)
2. Run the installation script in the admincp
3. Fill out the settings menu in the vBouncer section of the admin panel (see the how-to post below)
4. Import and activate the plugin file through the plugin manager.
5. Once ready, add the cron scripts to your scheduled tasks: vbouncer-collect.php (should be run daily, or more frequently) and vbouncer-clean.php (weekly, equal to Bounce limit period)
6. If you are using vB's SMTP email option, make sure to also enable the "-f" option.

Change log:

- August 12, 2005 v1.3 Update to the cron files to match new changes in vB's cron/tasks. To upgrade, just re-upload the contents of includes/cron.

- July 11, 2005 v1.2 Bug fix for some server/PHP setups; resolve aliases for return keys, otherwise some aliases would be considered forged.

- July 5, 2005 v1.1 Bug fix in standard report pattern matching

- July 4, 2005 v1.0 Added encrypted header for authentication (suggested by Paul M).

- July 3, 2005 v0.9.1 fixed a bug preventing IMAP/POP log collection.

- July 2, 2005 v0.9 added IMAP/POP option and custom filters file vbouncer.ini

- June 27, 2005 v0.5 Added custom header setting option, for re-written headers.

- June 26, 2005 v0.4 Found a way to make it work as a plugin, without code edits (thanks to Paul M)

- June 26, 2005 v0.3 No changes, just removed the plugin

- June 25, 2005 v0.2 Added NDR/Reply code errors to stats, and option to act upon 5.0.0/550 (user unknown)

- June 21, 2005: v 0.1 Initial release. Marked beta, but it's working fine on PostFix and SendMail. Need to hear from those who tried on QMail and Exim

[Daniel26]

Doesn't work here on 4.1.1, Installations fails,

Invalid SQL:
REPLACE INTO phrase (phraseid, languageid, varname, text, phrasetypeid) VALUES (NULL, '0', 'vbouncer', 'vBouncer', '1');

MySQL-Fehler  : Unknown column 'phrasetypeid' in 'field list'

[SpankMe]

The install part probably no longer works, but I installed mine on the target version and the bouncer code has always worked after each upgrade of vB.

[Daniel26]

Hmmm, ok. Thanks.

Regards

Daniel

[Boofo]

Can the author or someone else fix the errors in the install file to work on vb 4?

[MrD]

Hi,

Originally Posted by Boofo

Can the author or someone else fix the errors in the install file to work on vb 4?

i would like it too

[Eric]

I have permission from tamarian to update & release a version of this mod for both vB3.8 and vB4.x - I'll release it asap.

[Alfa1]

Mind that many Email providers no longer include the status code in the bounce message. And there also are services like bluebottle that block everything.

[Daniel26]

Hey Eric,

thanks a lot

[Adam H]

Looking forward to the release Eric, let me know when its released

[zlos]

Originally Posted by Eric

I have permission from tamarian to update & release a version of this mod for both vB3.8 and vB4.x - I'll release it asap.

5 weeks later - any news?