[ALPHA] MultiMail - Community Newsletter MOD

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Dean
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[ALPHA] MultiMail - Community Newsletter MOD

Post by Dean »

Hi.

EDIT: Please see bottom of this post for info on how you can help me test this mod pre-release!

I just started dev on a requested mod which enables you to email board information and 'last 10 posts' and things like that.

Whilst at it, I was thinking it could incorporate optional HTML Email.

Another feature I was thinking would be 'Newsletter' functionality. You could run the mod in 'spam mode' if you wished, or only for people that have signed up for your newsletter, or only for people who have not visited the forum for over a month etc.

What do you guys think? Any other features that would be worth coding in?


Features / intended behaviour
  • Switchable HTML / Plain Text Email Format
  • Subscribe / Unsubscribe, default 'subscribed' on signup
  • Admin override for essential emails
  • Stats blocks/plugins
  • Configurable Search Criteria (see below) (plus exportable/downloadable csv file of mailing information?)
  • Your suggestion here?
Search Criteria Wishlist
  • Signup Date
  • Last Login / Visit -DONE
  • Activated / Not Activated -DONE
  • Number of posts (range)
  • USER GROUPS
Dean, later on wrote: Anyone interested in helping me test (basically just getting spammed by my knackered emails a few times) then please signup on my test board -

http://www.listentothesock.com/phpbbmods/

If you are interested in testing the code yourself (this wont be until I am happy with it!) then please apply for the usergroup 'Beta Testers' and I will distribute the code that way.

Cheers to everyone who has already offered to help.
Last edited by Dean on Tue Mar 22, 2005 4:36 pm, edited 7 times in total.
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dkklein
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Post by dkklein »

Heres a few:

- target users selectable by: signup date, last logon, number of posts, active / inactive, user groups

- optional html / text

- users able to subscribe / unsubscribe but default to subscribe and admin able to override
Best regards Tommy
Dean
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Post by Dean »

That makes sense (the last one) will aim for them all.

I will edit my top post to include a 'feature-list' to try to keep things straight.
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dkklein
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Post by dkklein »

This looks good. I am loking forward to this :D
Best regards Tommy
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scoobie
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Post by scoobie »

sounds fantastic
You can have it all if you like... but you can pay for it the rest of your life.
emv
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Post by emv »

"Headlines:" Include post titles and summaries / abstracts from any or all forums, selectable by the admin.

Auto Send: this could be done WITHOUT a cron job or WITHOUT a winScheduled page that automatically launches at a certain time everyday:

if the last post on your board is approximately* the scheduled send time (which means a modification to the posting function of phpbb to check the latest post against a "sending-schedule" db-table)
-- send the email according to admin's selected criteria (by groups, selectable content, blah blah blah)
-- update the send database so that the last sent email is NOT repeated

*approximately should be definable by the admin

I realize that you just started this mod, but I am wondering how long you think it would take to complete...?

Thanks and good luck w/ this...
Last edited by emv on Tue Mar 04, 2003 9:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Dean
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Post by Dean »

I am thinking 3-4 weeks maximum for a stable beta. Would be a week maximum but I gotta go to work :(

Good suggestion, tho.
PeteBest
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Post by PeteBest »

This sounds good, nice 1 mate, phpBB has been needing something like this for quite awhile now
Dean
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Post by Dean »

Status: Arguing with myself on whether to amend the phpbb emailer class (better for me, quicker, means harder to install for user :( ) or write my own . Hmm.

Its getting there.
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scoobie
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Post by scoobie »

can you do it so that it sends emails in batches rather than all at once. THis would be better suited to those with a large number of members (like me - 5000)

I don't really like the phpbbs built-in mass email function so I'd say thumbs up to doing a better one!

Good work Dean. Can't wait for this one.
You can have it all if you like... but you can pay for it the rest of your life.
Dean
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Post by Dean »

Actually, I was planning that. basically batches (definable) that either auto-refresh the next page or you do it manually, you choose.

I think the first beta won't have this tho I do plan this feature for the Full Release.
Dean
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Post by Dean »

Update: I have written the 'plugin' system for the stats. Also, the 'search' fields are plugin powered.

So, a week or two more for a beta :)
emv
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Post by emv »

Dean wrote: Update: I have written the 'plugin' system for the stats. Also, the 'search' fields are plugin powered.

So, a week or two more for a beta :)

You may ACTUALLY get me to donate for this one...!

And I'm serious too...! Got Paypal?
Dean
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Post by Dean »

No need. Open source, right?

If I was writing it for a 'paid' product, I would consider your kind offer. But as it is, thank you! but no need.

Alpha soon :o
Dean
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Post by Dean »

First alpha is neally ready.

First release will prove/test -
  • Search plugin feature
  • Stats plugin feature
  • text/plain & text/html inter-operability
  • text/html template system
The advantages of this is that whilst I continue to work on the rest of the features, people can help with the stats/search plugins.

They are very simple. The search plugins have three sections, 'what do I look like in a form?', 'what sql is necessary to pull my results?', 'what do I look like in the email?'. Pretty damn easy :)
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