Admin option to force member to change e-mail

[Vatoloco]

I have a large board and the number of members now with outdated e-mails is getting annoying because of all the bounce backs I get every day.

Currently, when I get a mailer-daemon I've been loading up the adminCP, finding the member then running these SQL queries to delete them from e-mail tracking:

DELETE FROM ibf_tracker WHERE member_id=9999

DELETE FROM ibf_forum_tracker WHERE member_id=9999

Of course changing the 9999 to whatever there member number is. And I'm not really sure how the PM tracking works, so when I get a bounceback for new pm notifications, I just go in and find all the PM's where the mt_tracking field is 1 and change it to 0.

SELECT * FROM ibf_message_topics WHERE mt_tracking=1 AND mt_from_id=9999 SELECT * FROM ibf_message_topics WHERE mt_tracking=1 AND mt_to_id=9999

SELECT * FROM ibf_message_topics WHERE mt_tracking=1 AND mt_owner_id=9999

Then, I'll usually get on the forums and send them a PM asking that they either update their e-mail or stop subscribing to topics/etc.


Needless to say it's a major PITA. It would be awesome if there was an option in the AdminCP where you could force the member to update their e-mail and unsubscribe them from all trackers in one step.

[Wolfie]

I know this isn't the solution you are looking for, but along with what you are doing, you could do this as well to encourage some rabit email updates..

Create a forum that only you and a new member group called "Deactivated" can access. Set up the new member groupto not be seen by other members anad the only forum that they have access to is that new forum. They can't do ANYTHING except for read that forum and that's it.

Name the forum something like "Deactivated Members Forum" or something

In there, post, pin and close 1 topic. In there, basically state that their account has been deactivated due to an expired/no-longer-valid email address, and if they wish to revive their account they will send an email to you with their member name and the email associated with the account (to verify that it's them), along with the new email address that they can be reached at. What you will do is change their email address -AND- their password, so the next time they try to log in, their password won't work. They will need to do a password reset. So basically, if they want their account back, they need to make sure that they give you a correct new email address.

It sounds like a lot of work, but in a way it's not. My *hunch* would be that they can't get updates from topics/forums that they don't have access to. And if they don't have access to any forums, then they can't receive any further updates, thus no more bouncebacks (and you don't have to manually delete their subscriptions).

Once you update their account with a new email, you restore their account status. If you get any more bouncebacks, then just set them at deactivated where it'll sit for the rest of its life. (They no longer have the pw, they can't reset it, the account is dead).

;)

[Vatoloco]

That is a really good idea! I think you are right that they would stop getting the notification from all the topics they don't have access to anymore.

Thanks for the suggestion! I'm going to set it up. I think I could even skip the step of having them send me an e-mail from their new address because they could still have access to the control panel where they can update their e-mail and then that sends out another validation mail.

Of course, for the future I am still interested in having an admin option to just force an e-mail change and stop or unsubscribe all tracked topics.



Oh, and I found out I was wasting my time by doing this:

And I'm not really sure how the PM tracking works, so when I get a bounceback for new pm notifications, I just go in and find all the PM's where the mt_tracking field is 1 and change it to 0.

SELECT * FROM ibf_message_topics WHERE mt_tracking=1 AND mt_from_id=9999 SELECT * FROM ibf_message_topics WHERE mt_tracking=1 AND mt_to_id=9999

SELECT * FROM ibf_message_topics WHERE mt_tracking=1 AND mt_owner_id=9999

Here's what I should of been doing instead to make sure I got the PM's and also any auto-tracking of topics:

UPDATE ibf_members SET auto_track=0 WHERE name="MemberName";

UPDATE ibf_members SET email_pm=0 WHERE name="MemberName";

[Wolfie]

The problem with letting them change their own email... How would you know that they changed it? If they just send you an email (which could be from anywhere really) saying that they did, they really might not have. Also the idea was to make it more of a chore on them so that in the future they'll keep their email information up to date if they know that they'll have to wait on you to update their email information to gain access back to the forums.. And then on top of that to have to do a password reset to finish it up.

Unless I'm overlooking it, there's no way to confirm that they changed their email address. Even if they forward a copy of the form to you that they get it's not a guarantee that they didn't forge it. Just some of the things I considered when writing that post. :)

[tomek__w]

I know this isn't the solution you are looking for, but along with what you are doing, you could do this as well to encourage some rabit email updates..

Create a forum that only you and a new member group called "Deactivated" can access.  Set up the new member groupto not be seen by other members anad the only forum that they have access to is that new forum.  They can't do ANYTHING except for read that forum and that's it.

Name the forum something like "Deactivated Members Forum" or something

In there, post, pin and close 1 topic.  In there, basically state that their account has been deactivated due to an expired/no-longer-valid email address, and if they wish to revive their account they will send an email to you with their member name and the email associated with the account (to verify that it's them), along with the new email address that they can be reached at.  What you will do is change their email address -AND- their password, so the next time they try to log in, their password won't work.  They will need to do a password reset.  So basically, if they want their account back, they need to make sure that they give you a correct new email address.

It sounds like a lot of work, but in a way it's not.  My *hunch* would be that they can't get updates from topics/forums that they don't have access to.  And if they don't have access to any forums, then they can't receive any further updates, thus no more bouncebacks (and you don't have to manually delete their subscriptions).

Once you update their account with a new email, you restore their account status.  If you get any more bouncebacks, then just set them at deactivated where it'll sit for the rest of its life.  (They no longer have the pw, they can't reset it, the account is dead).

;)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Now THAT is a neat trick!!

I don't need it now but I will 'file it away' for future reference.

Thanks very much!

TTFN

[Vatoloco]

The problem with letting them change their own email...  How would you know that they changed it?

I guess I was thinking that when they change it, it would put them in the validation group and then when they actually responded to the validation e-mail it would put them back to the members group -- but I forgot it would just throw them right back to the deactivated group.

[Wolfie]

I don't think it would move them at all.

Edit: It does move them to the "Awaiting Authorization" member group.

I suppose it would just be a matter of figuring out a way to make it so that you can set up a member group that will go "Invalid Emails" -> "Awaiting Authorization" -> "Default group after validation" As it is, it does return to the previous member group.

Either that, or more preferred, maybe the option to log validations..

• New sign ups (date/time, email, validation code, IP from, etc)
• Email changes (same information and group switched from)
• Completion of all validations (date/time, IP from, switched to)
  

That would be nice and would definitely serve the purpose desired.

Ideally, both options (click an option to require an email address change -and- logging for validation attempts and completions).

:D

[Wolfie]

Vatoloco, I have a gift for you...

It's not *quite* what you are looking for, but it's a very very simple modification that will allow you to move members to 1 group for members with invalid emails, then when they successfully change their email, it will move them to another group you specify.

Only have to modify 1 .php file and add 2 settings in the AdminCP and it's done.

(w00t)

forceemail.txt

[Vatoloco]

Very nice! Thanks!