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
***

[bryanb]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

Why did you need to "shut this off" because of AOL? I don't understand the problem. We all know that AOL filters email aggressively but so what?

Because I have hundreds of newsletter subscribers and forum members who use AOL. If my server is receiving spam complaints from AOL, then that is a big issue for me. My domain could be blocked from AOL and that would not be a good thing.

I am hoping that someone could assist me in coming up with a solution for this. Thanks!

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by bryanb

Because I have hundreds of newsletter subscribers and forum members who use AOL. If my server is receiving spam complaints from AOL, then that is a big issue for me. My domain could be blocked from AOL and that would not be a good thing.

I am hoping that someone could assist me in coming up with a solution for this. Thanks!

The solution is to include opt-out instructions in every email. Edit the message from your ACP to do so. Here's a sample:

Hello, $username!

<p>You are receiving this email because you previously registered at {name of your forum here} with the following information:</p>

<p>Member name: $username<br>
User number: $userid<br>
Email address: $email</p>

<p>It's been some time since your last visit to our community.</p>

<p>You might be interested in having another look. We have added several features and enhancements to the forums, and many new topics and new members are added every day.</p>

<p>If you don't remember your password, you can request it here: <a href="http://{forum URL here}/login.php?do=lostpw">http://{forum URL here}/login.php?do=lostpw</a>.</p>

<p>We hope to see you back soon.</p>

<p>If you do not wish to receive further emails of this nature, please log into your UserCP at <a href="http://{forum URL here}/profile.php?do=editoptions">http://{forum URL here}/profile.php?do=editoptions</a> and uncheck the box next to Receive Email from Administrators.</p>

<p>Administrator<br>
<a href="http://{forum URL here}">{forum name here}</a><br></p>

I include opt-out instructions in every email sent out by my forum. I've had notices a few times (I think 3 or 4) about my emails being blocked as spam at the ISP level. Each time, I hjave forwarded a copy of the email pointing out that only registered forum members ever receive the emails and that opt-out instructions are included - I have had the block removed every time.

[bryanb]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

The solution is to include opt-out instructions in every email. Edit the message from your ACP to do so. Here's a sample:



I include opt-out instructions in every email sent out by my forum. I've had notices a few times (I think 3 or 4) about my emails being blocked as spam at the ISP level. Each time, I hjave forwarded a copy of the email pointing out that only registered forum members ever receive the emails and that opt-out instructions are included - I have had the block removed every time.

Thanks a million! I think that will do the trick :up:

[Job4Suprmn]

Not sure if anyone else experienced this. I saw people saying it sends e-mails to banned users. But on my board, banned users came back...unbanned.

Does this mod inadvertently un-ban people? Maybe when they click the link to change their password? I'm not sure how he got back, he just e-mailed me bragging saying that he got back because of the reminder e-mail.

[CMGU]

great .. thanks

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by Job4Suprmn

Not sure if anyone else experienced this. I saw people saying it sends e-mails to banned users. But on my board, banned users came back...unbanned.

Does this mod inadvertently un-ban people? Maybe when they click the link to change their password? I'm not sure how he got back, he just e-mailed me bragging saying that he got back because of the reminder e-mail.

No, it doesn't unban banned members.

1. You can select which member groups to email in the ACP under vBulletin Options | Inactive Users Email | Usergroups:

Usergroups
List the usergroups that you wish to send the emails to here. (Seperate by commas) eg. 2,3,4,7

Make sure that banned members aren't included.

2. How was the member banned? I don't know whether it's yet fixed but in version 3.6.6, I believe, or eerlier, there was a vBulletin bugged where members banned via the infraction system were able to return after one of their infractions expired, even when one of the infractions resulted in a permanent ban.

3. You say he emailed you. Did he return to the forum and post anything? If no, he's probably yanking your chain.

[Fungsten]

I can't get it to work in 3.6.8.

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by Fungsten

I can't get it to work in 3.6.8.

It works fine in 3.6.8.

What happens when you install it? Which version are you installing? It helps if you provide a bit more information beyond just "this doesn't work".

[Fungsten]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

It works fine in 3.6.8.

What happens when you install it? Which version are you installing? It helps if you provide a bit more information beyond just "this doesn't work".

Sorry. Using your latest version. When I ran it no reminders were sent out. Yes all the appropriate usergroups are added.

[djbaxter]

Version 1.11 should be labeled "Beta", in my opinion. Try uninstalling that version and installing 1.09.