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
***

[BadgerDog]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

That's quite easy to add in the Admin options in the existing mod. Just create your email content to include the link. Mine provides specific details:

Hi ..

I'm just about to implement and try this....

You've used HTML coding, but the sample as delivered in the mod is "plain text". Do both approaches work when mailed to the member?

Is there some way I can test this on a single user (ie: myself), to see what it looks like when it arrives?

Thanks for any feedback...

Regards,
Badger

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by BadgerDog

You've used HTML coding, but the sample as delivered in the mod is "plain text". Do both approaches work when mailed to the member?

I'm using version 1.09 of this add-on which does send emails in rich text/html format. If you send a plain text email, the member would need to cut and paste the link into his browser.

[BadgerDog]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

I'm using version 1.09 of this add-on which does send emails in rich text/html format. If you send a plain text email, the member would need to cut and paste the link into his browser.

That's interesting.....

I downloaded v1.11....

So, if I'm creating an email to use with this version, I should format and use just plain simple text?

.... or, re-download v1.09 and use soething like your elegant HTML email?

Have I understood it correctly?

Thanks

Regards,
Badger

[djbaxter]

I think it's your choice.

If 1.11 is working for you and you're happy with it, then format the message for plain text.

Some people have found 1.10 and 1.11 to be buggy. To be honest, I've forgotten what didn't work well for me - I reverted to 1.09 which for me has always worked well.

I believfe Chris is still working on an update intended to address the issues with 1.11.

[BadgerDog]

Thanks ...

Well, I'm a virgin user, so maybe I'll go with something that you know works....

I'll uninstall v1.11 and install v1.09, then I'll plagerize some of your HTML email and use it, if you don't mind?

Thanks again for the feedback....

Regards,
Badger

[djbaxter]

Be my guest.

[BadgerDog]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

Be my guest.

Thanks...

I think just discovered what the "clarity" chatter was all about in v1.09, which I just installed....

I hope this makes sense.....

How many days a user can go without posting before they are considered inactive.
Product Active? 60
(Hasn't logged in for 60 days)

Is this product active? No
(I need to test it first)

How often to send a reminder email once a member has become inactive. 30
(In other words, remind him every 30 days?)

How many emails to send each time cron runs (Lower means faster board, but longer to send all emails. Higher, vice versa.) 10
(I have no idea. I use a dedicated system with 800 members. Perhaps 10 logged in at a time)

I assume I set the cron up to run every HOUR or so?

Regards,
Badger

[djbaxter]

I have mine set to run hourly. I guess that would depend on how busy your forum is and server resources.

[BadgerDog]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

I have mine set to run hourly. I guess that would depend on how busy your forum is and server resources.

Ok, we have lift off.....

Set a couple of test accounts to be over 200 days old since last logged in.....

Went to cron job and said "go for it" ....

One was a Hotmail account which still hasn't arrived... I guess they don't like it, or for some reason it hasn't got there yet....

The other was to a regular domain and sure enough, arrived nicely formatted and looking remarkably like your work....

I reset the cron to send 10 at a time at 16 past the hour and to folks we haven't seen in 90 days. Let's go live...

Thanks again for your help ... :up:

Regards,
Badger

ps: Marked installed v1.09 ....

[BadgerDog]

Hmmmm.. the first automatic cron time came and went, nothing happened....

When I pushed the "do it now" button, 10 emails went out as planned....

Is there something wrong with v1.09 cron job?

I assume I can't out v1.11 cron (PHP) with v1.09?

Thanks

Regards,
Badger