EZ NewsLetter for vBulletin Version 1.0.3 Posted

[Greg]

Version 1.0.3 is posted which addresses any reported issues so far.

With the new release we have eliminated the eznlconfig.php and all the editing that goes with it. There is now a custom control panel for EZ NewsLetter SMTP Email Settings.

Now there can be separate send and reply to email addresses as well. Use the send account for bounce management and the reply to account as a normal account to respond to member replies without the clutter of the returned messages if any.

We have addressed a few feature requests too.

Big thanks to those of you that have provided us feedback and helped get past the 1.0.0 version.

[bigH2O]

Oh goodie! And it looks and works great! When are you gonna start a "Suggestions for the next version" thread??? I already have one good one :) Better ask me before I forget.

[Greg]

Oh, what is you suggestion?

[bigH2O]

Provide an automatic opt-out link in the footer of the message rather than instructions to go to the forum. Click the link, it takes you to a php page not controlled by vBulletin's security and asks you to confirm. If you click yes, settings are adjusted in the database.

I guess there are pros and cons to both types. Auto opt out makes it too simple for them to get out of it, forcing them to the board to do it brings them back at least once, but could be more annoying to the user than it is beneficial to the traffic.

Also, incorporation of a user's branding free licensing hook for vBulletin if they have one, as well as one for EZ-Newsletter if your users want to pay extra would be handy.

[bigH2O]

Changed my mind about the opt out. Just leave it the way it is under vBulletin's security. Thought about the problems with your kids or your wife reading your mail and having an oopsy, then thought about how neat it's gonna be to include the banned members user group so I can pester the **** out of them :)

Of course the branding free hooks are still a good idea.

[Sonnie]

Cool... already another upgrade.

I have never thought about sending banned members the newsletter... now that is a neato idea if I ever heard one. I knew I would end up learning something worthwhile if I hung around here long enough. http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/images/smilies/whistling.gif

[Greg]

I'm trying to get this moving so we can get the bugs out and move on to new features and stuff.

I want to be able to support vB 3.5 and 3.6 as well as php 4 and php 5.

The fixes are quick, less fields from the user table selected. The other fix was removing a php 5 only function. I missed 2 more instances of it the first time.

[bigH2O]

Is this the official question/answer/support thread for 1.04? If so I have a general question.

How well is the mailing list creation integrated with the usergroup security, ie: if I include my Staff Discussion forum to be mailed to the list of users, will those headers go out to everybody, or just to the staff members who have permissions to those groups? Obviously the users in Registered Users wouldn't be able to get to the actual Staff posts if they clicked on the link, but will the Registered Users even see that those Staff posts exist when viewing the newsletter?

[Greg]

The over head to do thread selection on each user is too much. That would be a post query for each user with their permissions lookup.

We can't sort out each user group separate because of the mix. It would be too difficult and lead us back to user permissions.

The way it has been done is just as the description says, thread selection is based on the admin forum selection, not user or group permission.

However, if someone clicks a thread they don't have permission to view if they receive a link and click it, they will get a no permission error.

[bigH2O]

Understood, and completely acceptable. It was just a question I asked that I hadn't seen addressed so I'd know what to include and what I might not want to include. I don't much like letting users know that staff areas even exist, so I'll just leave those out of the mailing options.

It's not that terribly difficult to create a separate newsletter for the staff anyway if there's ever a need, although if I need to send a newsletter to staff to get their attention, I need to be firing myself some staff :)

This information might be something to add to that user guide just so other folks don't ask this question.

[Greg]

I only spelled it out in detail because it will come up again. You phrased it so well it was easy to cover.

Anyway, no, this is not the 1.0.4 thread, it's the 1.0.5 thread.

The version check is in to decide what user fields to deliver.

There is a new feature that checks the last send page of the last EZ NewsLetter. IF it does not match the number of pages that should have been sent, you get a notice.

Set you perpage to one and send yourself an email. Most of us are userid 1. Send and email and after it sends to just you, start over from the menu. You will see the notice.

Thanks again for all the help ya'll have given. I really appreciate it.

[bigH2O]

LOL... It's only the 1.0.5 thread because you changed the title. The first line of the first post still says 1.0.3 (for now... bet ya change that too :) )

Maybe your next utility needs to be something to version release threads ;)

[Greg]

Good one!

Ok, I'll Start a new 1.0.5 thread and we can close this and we'll move over there. I'm sure you have a question.

[bigH2O]

Nah, I'm just jerking with you. You seem a bit tense after all this work. Let's move this thread to the Mosh Pit and start over.

Oops... you ain't got a Mosh Pit. Hmmm....

[Greg]

Done. Closed and new thread started.