From address on member to member emails

[harnser]

Hi.  Sorry, I have searched, but I can't seem to find an answer to my problem I have with my SMF forum...

When a member sends and email (not a pm) to another member via the envelope icon on memberslist, the From address on the email is set to "member's email address" <Webmaster Email Address> and consequently all replies are being delivered to admin rather than to the member as desired!  What do I need to change to correct the From address on the initial email?  Thank you!

[Chas Large]

This should not happen, the from e-mail address should be the sending member's address.

If you as admin send an e-mail to yourself, does it have your or the forum "webmaster" e-mail address?

Do you use phpmail or SMTP?

Do you have any mods installed which may affect e-mail addresses?

[harnser]

Chas thanks for your reply.

The Webmaster and admin email addresses are both the same - web@mydomain.  I'm also a regular member of the forum, and if I send myself an email logged in this way, I can replicate the problem.

The mail type is currently set to '(PHP default)', so I guess I'm using phpmail?

I don't think I have any mods that might be causing the problem.  I have the following installed:

1.    SMF 2.0.2 Update    1.0    [ Uninstall ]
2.    Downloads System    1.4.1    [ Uninstall ]
3.    Send Locked Topics To Bottom    1.0    [ Uninstall ]
4.    SMF 2.0.1 Update    1.0    [ Uninstall ]
5.    InLine Attachments    1.11    [ Uninstall ]
6.    Alternate User Posting    1.0.1    [ Uninstall ]
7.    SMF Gallery Lite    3.1.1    [ Uninstall ]
8.    Custom Fields On Memberlist    1.0    [ Uninstall ]

[Oldiesmann]

It should be setting the Reply-To address to the address of the member who sent the email. It does set the "from" address to that of the webmaster though. However, mail clients should respect the reply-to header, so either users are starting new emails and sending them directly to the address the original message was sent from, or they're using email clients which don't respect standards.

This change should make it set the from address to the other user's address though.

Sources/Subs-Post.php

Find

Code Select Expand

$headers = 'From: "' . $from_name . '" <' . (empty($modSettings['mail_from']) ? $webmaster_email : $modSettings['mail_from']) . '>' . $line_break;

Replace

Code Select Expand

$headers = 'From: "' . $from_name . '" <' . (!empty($from) ? $from : empty($modSettings['mail_from']) ? $webmaster_email : $modSettings['mail_from']) . '>' . $line_break;

[referee77]

Hi,

I am having a similar issue (or maybe the same).

When a member sends an email to another member through SMF, the recipient sees the following in the email:

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: February-08-12 11:46 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Test

This is a test email from the "box" on the forum!
------------------------------------------

Notice how the [email protected] is then re-coded as [email protected]

How can I fix that so that the member's proper email shows on the email that is sent?

[Oldiesmann]

This change should make it set the from address to the other user's address though.

Sources/Subs-Post.php

Find

Code Select Expand

$headers = 'From: "' . $from_name . '" <' . (empty($modSettings['mail_from']) ? $webmaster_email : $modSettings['mail_from']) . '>' . $line_break;

Replace

Code Select Expand

$headers = 'From: "' . $from_name . '" <' . (!empty($from) ? $from : empty($modSettings['mail_from']) ? $webmaster_email : $modSettings['mail_from']) . '>' . $line_break;

[harnser]

Thanks Oldiesmann.  I've tried your suggested change, but sadly it's not made any difference.

[CapadY]

Harnser, are you sure the email option is used and not the PM option ?

[harnser]

Yes, unfortunately!  I'm selecting an envelope icon beside a member's name on the memberslist, which results in a 'Send Email' page.

[harnser]

Anyone?  Thanks.

[harnser]

I've just reapplied the change suggested above, to make sure that I had done it correctly, and it has still not fixed the problem.  Please can someone suggest an alternative cause and/or solution?  Thank you.

[Kermit]

When you click on the envelope icon,do you see the correct Recipient's name:  and Recipient's email address: ?

Because i tested recently to send mail in the way you described and it worked well

[harnser]

Kermit, thanks for your reply.  It shows my email address correctly, and the recipients user name only (i.e.: not their email address).

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

Have you had any progress with this?

[harnser]

Have you had any progress with this?

Sorry, I haven't visited recently

No, no progress at all... 

[ziycon]

Are you running a fresh install of or is it an upgraded version and what version of 2 are you on?

[harnser]

Thanks.  It's upgraded and I'm currently running SMF 2.0.2.

[Arantor]

The thing is, if you change the sending address as proposed, a lot of email handlers will treat it as spam because the sending domain won't match the domain in the address.

[harnser]

@arantor

That may be, but then surely this facility should be removed, as it's no use if it isn't working correctly as is the case at the moment.  Besides, I understand that it is working correctly for some people?

[Arantor]

It depends on your definition of 'properly'.

The way it currently works is pretty much the only way it won't be stopped by spam traps, and is exactly how the developers intended. Given those criteria, it is working properly.

The fact that the way it works is not how you think it should work does not mean it is broken. Though personally I think it should just be removed anyway.

[harnser]

OK, I wasn't aware that the developers intended for the return address to be incorrect (i.e. Admin's address), given the earlier responses in this thread.  In that case, the facility should be removed for privacy reasons if for no other reason.

[Arantor]

That's only an issue if you leave your own personal address as the webmaster's email - which I don't

[harnser]

I don't use a personal address, but given that I'm receiving the replies to emails sent by my forum's members, their privacy is not being respected.  I.e.: Member 1 sends an email to Member 2, Member 2 replies and the reply is delivered to Admin's email address not Member 1's.  Clearly that's not right.

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

I simply set up a black hole address as my "webmaster" address... Fixed it nice and easy

[Arantor]

Right up until you don't get the 'database error' emails...

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

True, but my forum users and staff make sure I know faster than the email would ever reach me :p

[Arantor]

You, perhaps, but most people are not necessarily so well equipped