Mini Mods - Inactive Users Email Reminders For 3.7.x

Inactive reminder emails. This mod was designed to send out a reminder to inactive members to try and win them back. Earlier versions of this plugin have had great success, and has been installed on 1000's of forums.

This mod is a revised version of my 3.6 modification.
Someone pointed out that I needed to make a new thread in the right forum for this.

***1.2.7 Update***
Fixed the \ in the message.
Changed the way the mails are processed to try and stop duplicates
Made the bounce management monitor ALL outgoing emails
Added more stats
Added bounced email messaage viewing with management options.
***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
***

**1.2.6 Update***
Identical to 1.2.5, however EzBounce support added.
***

**Opps Update***
Sorry i somehow managed to not include the file in the zip. My bad.
***

[Gene Steinberg]

One more thing: Not having the predefined From address as a setting, it uses "nobody" on my server. I do have the Webmaster email set in the standard vBulletin Admin CP options.

Peace,
Gene

[C Braithwaite]

Originally Posted by Megatr0n

Does this update fix all the bugs reported in GamerGirl27's post?

I have been through the code and done several tests, and after doing some research i have come to the conclusion that it's down to larger forums and the mailqueue locking. as noted above, locking should be enabled if any issues are encountered.

Originally Posted by grahamsmythe

I just downloaded this update, and although the documentation shows it's version 1.2.4, version 1.2.2 is actually posted.

As far as I can make out, version 1.2.2 doesn't give you the option to change the email address of who the reminder came from

Nice product though!

ignore the 1.2.2. i forgot to update that on the product. the code has changed.

Originally Posted by genesteinberg

One more thing: Not having the predefined From address as a setting, it uses "nobody" on my server. I do have the Webmaster email set in the standard vBulletin Admin CP options.

Peace,
Gene

You must set a from email address. this is required.

[RedTrinity]

Originally Posted by C Braithwaite

You must set a from email address. this is required.

I just installed latest version (first as update, then as a new install) and can't seem to find what has changed, the options page looks the same as before? Also unable to locate where to add the email address...

Otherwise, I look forward to trying it out.

[Megatr0n]

Yeah, where do you add the from address?

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by genesteinberg

I would find that -- where?

All I can find in 3.7 mod is something called Auto Bounce Messages Management, which doesn't work very well.

Peace,
Gene

Sorry - I was offline for a while. See https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=138884 - it's a vB 3.6x add-on but works well in my installation of 3.72 PL2.

With some add-ons, you need to edit the PHP file to add the EZ Bounce headers. Let me know if that's the case for you using the new version of this add-on but what you need to add will look something like this...

Find in product-remindermail.xml:

		$headers  = "MIME-Version: 1.0" . "\r\n";
		$headers .= "Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" . "\r\n";
		$headers .= "To: $username <$email>" . "\r\n";
		$headers .= "From: " . $vbulletin->options['bbtitle'] . " Reminder Service <" . $vbulletin->options['webmasteremail'] . ">" . "\r\n";

Add below:

			$bounceurl		= $vbulletin->options['ezb_admincpurl'] . "/ezbounce.php?u=" . $userid;
			$bouncestring	= "<a href=\"$bounceurl\" target=\"_blank\">$bounceurl</a>";
			$headers .= 'X-EZbouncer: ' . $bouncestring . $delimiter;

Save and then reinstall the product from your Admin CP, using overwrite.

[Gene Steinberg]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

Sorry - I was offline for a while. See https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=138884 - it's a vB 3.6x add-on but works well in my installation of 3.72 PL2.

With some add-ons, you need to edit the PHP file to add the EZ Bounce headers. Let me know if that's the case for you using the new version of this add-on but what you need to add will look something like this...

Find in product-remindermail.xml:

		$headers  = "MIME-Version: 1.0" . "\r\n";
		$headers .= "Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" . "\r\n";
		$headers .= "To: $username <$email>" . "\r\n";
		$headers .= "From: " . $vbulletin->options['bbtitle'] . " Reminder Service <" . $vbulletin->options['webmasteremail'] . ">" . "\r\n";

Add below:

			$bounceurl		= $vbulletin->options['ezb_admincpurl'] . "/ezbounce.php?u=" . $userid;
			$bouncestring	= "<a href=\"$bounceurl\" target=\"_blank\">$bounceurl</a>";
			$headers .= 'X-EZbouncer: ' . $bouncestring . $delimiter;

Save and then reinstall the product from your Admin CP, using overwrite.

I hope that is it. I've had no luck getting a bounce-related plugin to function.

Peace,
Gene Steinberg

[Charlie98902]

Do I need to edit this to show my URL and forum team or does this do it automatically with the coding done?

The $forumtitle Team
<a href="$homeurl">$bbtitle</a></p>

Also I use a gmail account so will my message be said from nobody too?

[Gene Steinberg]

First of all, thanks a lot for the code suggestion: It worked like a charm and now the EZ Bounce header is fully functionally in the bounced messages.

One more thing: Maybe the coder of this plugin can add an option to activate EZ Bounce header support, so we don't have to manually edit the product each time it's updated.

Unless, of course, he comes up with a better idea -- and I still have hopes for that.

Peace,
Gene

[C Braithwaite]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

Sorry - I was offline for a while. See https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=138884 - it's a vB 3.6x add-on but works well in my installation of 3.72 PL2.

With some add-ons, you need to edit the PHP file to add the EZ Bounce headers. Let me know if that's the case for you using the new version of this add-on but what you need to add will look something like this...

Find in product-remindermail.xml:

		$headers  = "MIME-Version: 1.0" . "\r\n";
		$headers .= "Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" . "\r\n";
		$headers .= "To: $username <$email>" . "\r\n";
		$headers .= "From: " . $vbulletin->options['bbtitle'] . " Reminder Service <" . $vbulletin->options['webmasteremail'] . ">" . "\r\n";

Add below:

			$bounceurl		= $vbulletin->options['ezb_admincpurl'] . "/ezbounce.php?u=" . $userid;
			$bouncestring	= "<a href=\"$bounceurl\" target=\"_blank\">$bounceurl</a>";
			$headers .= 'X-EZbouncer: ' . $bouncestring . $delimiter;

Save and then reinstall the product from your Admin CP, using overwrite.

hey djbaxter - if you could help me outon thtis one. what is the variable name for the ezbouncer "enabled" option?

if you can get me that i will add it to the code so that it adds the headers if the ezbounce thingy is installed and enabled?

[C Braithwaite]

Originally Posted by genesteinberg

First of all, thanks a lot for the code suggestion: It worked like a charm and now the EZ Bounce header is fully functionally in the bounced messages.

One more thing: Maybe the coder of this plugin can add an option to activate EZ Bounce header support, so we don't have to manually edit the product each time it's updated.

Unless, of course, he comes up with a better idea -- and I still have hopes for that.

Peace,
Gene

for the moment i will add support for ezbounce. but once im happy with the workings of the inactive reminders i will start to add my own functionallity for bounced emails.