Private Messages Enhancements - SMS Capabilities (Text Messaging to Cell Phone from Forums)

I am discontinuing this modification while I redesign it. If you need support or want information, email me at rob@robwoelich.com.

[robwoelich]

Originally Posted by jerx

Can you please tell us how we can help you guys? I think everyone is interested in this feature and also is willing to provide some help. The only problem is that we do not have any clue.

I thought that text messaging is a paid service. Does this cause any costs to the forum owner, the user who wants to sent a text message or the user who receives the text message?

The way this works is more or less explained in the description. Most cell phone companies have an email address for their subscribers where if you email it, it will turn the email into a text message and send it to their phone. For example, I have Alltel and their email for this is xxxxxxxxxx@message.alltel.com (xxx being your Alltel phone number). All that's happening here is that your forums are emailing the user at their cell phone company's email address like above, which in turn sends them a text message.

Most all cell phone companies provide this service for free, and the messages sent to your phone through the email address don't cost you anything or count toward your messages. And of course, it's free for your forums to send email. It usually makes it free for everybody, even people who don't have a text messaging plan. Some carriers are different, though... particularly smaller ones outside the U.S., and they may charge for those messages. That's a small chance, though.

How can you help? If you'd like to see a company added that isn't on the list yet, go to their website and do some research to see if they have an email address like the one example I gave above for their subscribers which will send a text message to their phone for free. Then, send me the company name, country of service, an example phone number (so I can program the script for the number's length) and the email address and I'll get it added.

[okhissabigfish]

I know you're working like a wild man to get 3.7.0 to work...

I can't wait to use this on my forum...I vote this Mod of the Year!

gs

[bigtime]

Excellent! Installed and works great.

How can I get the text "Send a text message to -user-" appear when clicking the username while viewing their post?

Thanks for a great mod!

Tim

[robwoelich]

Originally Posted by bigtime

Excellent! Installed and works great.

How can I get the text "Send a text message to -user-" appear when clicking the username while viewing their post?

Thanks for a great mod!

Tim

I had meant to add this but forgot. I'll add it next release. The location of that menu when you click on the username should be in the postbit (or postbit_legacy depending on which you use) template.

[bigtime]

I tried this code in the postbit template but it didn't work:

<if condition="$userinfo['smscontact'] == '1' AND $userinfo['cellemail']">	
		<tr><td class="vbmenu_option">
		<a href="sendmessage.php?$session[sessionurl]do=mailmember&amp;type=sms&amp;u=$prepared[userid]" rel="nofollow">
		<phrase 1="$prepared[username]">$vbphrase[send_message_via_sms_to_x]</phrase></a></td></tr>
	</if>

If it's not too much trouble, could you post the correct code?

Thanks,

Tim

[robwoelich]

Originally Posted by bigtime

I tried this code in the postbit template but it didn't work:

If it's not too much trouble, could you post the correct code?

Thanks,

Tim

I plan to update with the next release either tonight or tomorrow night at the latest. I'll include this change then. I'll have to look into it after getting vB 3.7.0 compatibility.

[SALIMUS]

installed succefuly
thanks a lot .
i want to ask u if u can add API for this future
i have an ilimited sms with my provider and i want that all sms transit from a gsm gatway directly from my forum .
i mean user's will not be charged for this service.
thanks a lot .

ps: even its payed service im ready for that ;-)

[robwoelich]

I have to say, I'm quite excited about my plans for this. I've been working on the 3.7.0 compatibility and have thought of some other cool features to add along the way.

I'm working hard on getting the next release ready to go by tonight, but it may not be until tomorrow... just FYI. I do have to sleep before work in the morning.

[SaltyOnionBalls]

Are there future plans to be able to reply? Would be nice if it replied in a PM or something.

[SaltyOnionBalls]

Also the Edit SMS Options link is not showing up, the template was modified and I can clearly see the coding in the template.