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
***

[Amman-DJ.CoM]

Hey Man,

How i can delete this copyright ???

it makes the footer look like pig nose

i'll put ur copyright manually , just tell me how to fix this

[djbaxter]

Admin CP | vBulletin Options | Inactive Users Reminder Emails

[deezelpope]

A pig nose??? WHERE do you see that????? Utter nonsense.

[C Braithwaite]

lol

can be disabled in admincp options.

[djbaxter]

I have no idea what that meant either, deezelpope. I honestly cannot believe the amount of whining that people do about a simple credit to the author. And for anyone who actually bothers to read the instructions for the add-on, removing it is as easy as going into the Admin CP and checking the options. It's not rocket science.

Frankly, I think Chris has gone out of his way to be accommodating - I wouldn't have bothered.

[deezelpope]

I agree 100%! I have both enabled...the copyright and the credit...and I looked at the copyright, and I just don't get it! The way I see it, and like you said, Chris was nice enough to provide this for us, so I will GLADLY keep the copyright and credit right where they should be...PLUS, I don't think removal should even BE an option.

So, STOP the whining, PEEPS, cuz some of us grateful people are damn tired of it!

Ok, someone stick a fork in me, cuz I'm done.

[C Braithwaite]

I'm just ignoring any complaints from now on - I got MOTM, so that says something about the hack doesn't it?

I had a crack at coding again today on latest version of vbulletin, but didn't get very far i'm sorry to say peeps...

[deezelpope]

Damn straight it does!:up: I agree...just ignore them.

Hey, you've nothing to be sorry for.

[flindersredclaw]

Thanks for the hack works well and gets the members to come back and say something lol.

One thing I noticed in the emailed report is it is all one line text so no formating at all. Says everyone it has sent an email to and it is all just bunched up. I am sure there must be a way to set the formating for this to be easier to read. Not high on the priorities though if you do have time can you please assist?

Paying it forward - thank you.

[deezelpope]

How odd...mine came formatted...have a look...

PHP Code:

<p>Hello, $username!</p>
<p>We've noticed that you've not been active on $bbtitle for quite some time now, 
  and we miss you!</p>
<p>Could we not tempt you back?</p>
<p>If you don't remember your password, you can request it here: <a href="$forumurl/login.php?do=lostpw">$forumurl/login.php?do=lostpw</a></p>
<p>We hope to see you soon</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Kindest Regards</p>
$bbtitle
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you have received this email it is because you have elected to "allow this site to contact you via email. If you would like to opt out of future contact from this site, you can change your notification options here: <a href="$forumurl/profile.php?do=editoptions">$forumurl/profile.php?do=editoptions</a> and uncheck the box next to "Receive Email from Administrators." You must be logged in to change your options.</p>
<p><a href="$homeurl">$homeurl</a></p>