Auto Email Inactive Ordinary Users

[rsw686]

Link to Mod

AUTO EMAIL INACTIVE ORDINARY USERS v1.7
Originally by Karl Benson
Taken over by Ryan Wagoner

Compatibility
For SMF 1.1.x and SMF 2.0 Beta 3 / 3.1

Introduction
Automatically email inactive users to try to remind/tempt them to come back.

~ Warning ~
Remember to Backup BOTH your DATABASE (structure & data) and your FILES BEFORE installing this mod.
Due to the way this mod works, it MAY affect performance/resource usage/mail servers.
Although currently its working perfectly fine on some very HUGE forums (with 50,000+ members).

How The Mod Works
=> User has not visited for 21 days or more
==> An Initial Email Sent
===> Another 21 days passes and user still has not visited
====> A Final Email Sent
=====> Another 21 days passes and user still has not visited
======> (Optional for SMF 1.1.x) Delete User Account (With a Threshold setting eg Delete users only if they have made less than 10 posts)

Features
o Adds a new section in the admin area
- Admin > Features & Options > AEIOU (SMF 1.1.x)
- Admin > Modifications > Email Inactive (SMF 2.0 Beta 3 / 3.1)
- Note: The mod is disabled straight after installation to enable you to customize the emails and settings.
o Includes Settings
- Customize Initial Email Subject (text-only) [with replaced variables]
- Customize Initial Email Message (text-only) [with replaced variables]
- Customize Final Email Subject (text-only) [with replaced variables]
- Customize Final Email Subject (text-only) [with replaced variables]
- Enable/Disable Deleting of Users (Only SMF 1.1.x)
> Set a Post Threshold
o Other Settings (But NOT recommended to alter) (Only SMF 1.1.x)
- Chunksize
- Max Emails To Send Per Hour
- Max Emails To Send Per Day
o Panel showing stats and status of the mod
o Panel showing last 10 inactive users emailed
o Tries to prevent overloading your mail server
- Uses hourly / daily mail limits (SMF 1.1.x)
- Uses the mail queue if enabled (SMF 2.0 Beta 3 / 3.1)
o Anti-spam prevention
- Sending times/periods are hard-coded and cannot be changed
- Limits the no. of emails to be sent out by this mod to TWO.
- User who return after receiving an email have the email process reset (back to 0 email sent)
o Supports Languages
- Note: I welcome translations for other languages. Please post the translated language strings in the Support Topic.
- English/English-utf8
- English_British/English_British-utf8 (Only SMF 1.1.x)

Installation
Any previous versions of this mod MUST be uninstalled BEFORE installing this version.
(Note: Existing database settings will remain. However existing custom emails created in pre-v1.3 will be reset)

Install the mod via the Package Manager to install on ALL themes.
As there are no theme edits for this mod. It only affects Source Files.

If your using a different language than those supported by this mod (listed above), then you will need to add (and translate as necessary) the

language strings to your Modifications.{language}.php and/or Modifications.{language}-utf8.php for each theme (The language folder can be found at Themes/{themename}/languages/).

Common Questions
o Can the periods before and between sending emails be changed?
- No. The periods are hardcoded.  However the periods are ONLY minimums. On large forums, it could be longer.
o Whats the minimum period between becoming inactive and user deletion?
- 63 days minimum
- Minimum 21 days to become inactive for sending the initial email
- Minimum 21 days before sending the final email
- Minimum 21 days before deleted user (Optionally with SMF 1.1.x)
> Note however, it may take longer in each stage depending on the no. of users to email/delete.
o Emails are not being received. Why is it not working?
- A 5 point checklist
1) Get users to check their spam/junk folder. The users mail provider may believe it to be spam.
   > If so, this is not a bug with this mod.  It could be being labelled as spam for several reasons.
2) Even though the mod takes care not to overload your mailserver, it is possible it may have been by SMFs other emailing functions.
   > Email yourself using SMF, if you don't receive the email then it is likely your mailserver is overloaded or not functioning
   > Most hosts have limits (not always publicised) on the no. of emails per hour/day - Contact your host and find out what they are.
   > Sending Newsletters and announcing topics are common ways to overload your mail server.
3) Is the Last 10 Inactive Users Emailed showing recent emails?
   > If it is, then as far as the mod is concerned its working properly.
4) Are there any errors related to it in your error log?
5) Alternatively I am willing to consider it could be a bug. See Support.

Support
Please use the modification thread for support with this modification.
(Please don't ask me to do the edits for you)

Changelog
1.7 - 8th May 2008
o Added support for SMF 2.0 Beta 3 / 3.1
1.6 - 1st May 2008
o Fixed hourly/daily stats not resetting (when down to the last few people)
o Few comment changes
o Few re-ordering of code changes
o Moved call of subs-post.php to only when needed
o Checked works for SMF 1.1.5
1.5 - 28th April 2008
o Fixed issues where the mod stops (removed lockkey)
o Fixed so admins don't get emailed (even though they wouldn't get deleted)
o Fixed differences between admin vs actual query (takes dateRegistered into account)
o Fixed undefined aeiou_stop
1.4 - 4th March 2008
o Fixed times to take users times
o Fixed emails to strip_tags as html would break sending email
o Altered install.xml to reduce conflict with other mods
1.3 - 3rd March 2008
o Removed - all non-english language strings (as most the strings have changed)
o Changed the no. of emails sent from 3 to 2 and the dates
o Fixed so doesn't set to max sent, instead uses a different variable
o Added Stats/Status
o Added Last 10 Users emailed
o Added ability to edit BOTH emails
o Added re-activation - so if stopped and admin views aeiou page and theres emails, restart
o Fixed email replacement variables to use preg (so can use mixed case)
o Changed install.php to delete old email variables
o Changed install.php to support manual install using ssi
1.2 - 16th January 2008
o Fixed so don't email members awaiting account deletion by admin
o Fixed not resetting amount sent per hour/day at same time
o Improved checks for reaching limit
1.1 - 13th January 2008
o Fixed lost password link (action=reminder) (Thanks HugoDiaz)
o Added check to only email activated users
o Added check so don't email banned users (by username only)
o Altered order of to whom it send emails.
o Fixed default message/subject on install (to use current language)
1.0 - 7th December 2007
o Initial release

[Eliana Tamerin]

Finally approved, eh? Good job and thanks for taking over for Karl, Ryan.

Good luck.

[jossanaijr]

Great. Thanks.

EDIT: BTW

Enable/Disable Deleting of Users (Only SMF 1.1.x)

means that in 2.0 users will be automatically deleted or they will not be deleted?

[L.G.S]

I don't like the idea of 2.0 users being forced to delete members?

Or did I mis read it?

[Eliana Tamerin]

I just installed it on a test site, and that's confirmed, there is no optional deletion for 2.0. If it is a feature, it seems to be something that one cannot turn off at this time.

[rsw686]

The 2.0 version of the mod does NOT delete any user accounts. I will have to reword the package readme so it is more clear. I plan to add it as an optional feature in the future.

[Eliana Tamerin]

Thanks for the clarification, Ryan.

[karlbenson]

Its not surprising.
My version modified a 1.1.x function which is likely to have changed considerably for 2.x

[kizer]

Just to make sure. Theres no changes to "SMF 1.5" "Email 1.6 to 1.7" right? So this is just basically a release for the "SMF 2.0 beta 3" users right?

The reason I ask its just confusing if you carry on the same release for both SMF versions, but just keep upping the release ver number of the mod.

[Eliana Tamerin]

I believe Ryan stated that 1.7 did not upgrade the features for 1.1.5, and the changelog seems to reflect this. However, I'm sure that further updates will be used to correct bugs in the 1.1.x line and/or add new features/tweaks in addition to expanding 2.0 support.

[rsw686]

kizer, are you suggesting that I create two packages, one for 1.1.x and one for 2.x? I thought this would be more confusing as people might think the 2.x version is newer and try to install it. The way I have it now there is no harm from installing the 1.7 version. If you view the changelog you will notice that there are no changes for the 1.1.x version.

[kizer]

rsw686,
I wasn't really suggesting two seperate packages, but I guess it did sound like it in my post up above.

Man Im not really sure how to suggest what you should do. hahahaha, I was just asking a question to find out if us SMF 1.1.5 guys need to upgrade and I said what I said to clarify for myself. I guess as long as you point out in your change log SMF 1.1.5, no changes from 1.6 to 1.7 or something like we would know there isn't a change and do not need to download that particular version.

I as well as others understand that its tough doing two versions, but just want to limit the confusion because I myself would hate to uninstall and resinstall over and over to find out that what Im doing is the same code because that particular update was for 2.0 beta 3. I will eventually move over to it like others because it has so many possibilities.

[rsw686]

I don't plan on having to release that many updates. I know I will release one more for 2.0 that will include the ability to delete users. With it using the schedules tasks and mail queue features there isn't much that can go wrong.

[Eliana Tamerin]

Probably compatibility fixes for continued 2.0 versions.

You're lucky that Karl essentially worked out the bugs for the 1.1.x version line. Although, if you're open to features suggestions, I have a few.

[rsw686]

Sure I'd like to hear your ideas.

[Marcus Forsberg]

Yes, it does not matter when you install the mod, it will email all users inactive for 21+ days since the beginning of your forum.

You should address all future concerns to the new topic for the mod, as rsw686 has taken over development and support. New thread is here: http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=238929.0

But if the user has been active for more than 63 days before I install, will he/she get 3 mails?

[Eliana Tamerin]

No, they will get 1 email, and then a 21 day interim period before they receive the second.

[Harvester]

I do NOT want this mod to delete ANY of my accounts. How can I set it to make sure that NO ACCOUNT gets deleted by it. I am running it on 1.1.5

The mod installed fine but I want to be sure of this issue before I enable it.

[Eliana Tamerin]

Simply uncheck the delete accounts checkbox. It should be unchecked by default.

[rsw686]

Also on the AEIOU admin page it will state Users Awaiting Deletion: Disabled