Answer a PM via E-Mail

[ipser]

Hi,

if you have turned on E-Mail Notifications for PMs, it would be very nice if you can also answer via E-Mail (if you got a new PM notification in your Inbox - reply to it).

-- at0m33

[Kev@ITK]

This would be a great feature! Would possibly take traffic away from the board itself though?

[Katsuma]

This would be a great feature! Would possibly take traffic away from the board itself though?

Agreed. Owners whose IP.Board community are supported partially or fully by ads will feel the pinch.

Second, anyone who has access to the receiving account can reply and that could be a security risk.

[Haku2]

Agreed. Owners whose IP.Board community are supported partially or fully by ads will feel the pinch.

Second, anyone who has access to the receiving account can reply and that could be a security risk.

If someone else is able to access a user's emails, replying to a PM should be the least of that user's worries as anyone else with access to that user's email account can just reset the user's board password and then reply to the PM via the board.

[AtariAge]

I would LOVE TO SEE THIS, as people constantly reply to the PM Notification Emails instead of the PMs themselves.

..Al

[Hexsplosions]

This could actually prevent one of the problems where those who are less than au fait with the private messaging system reply to the e-mail, thinking it will be seen by the other person. I literally had to edit the e-mail template to remove the message contact because I just could not stop them doing it. The worst part was, I got all the replies and thus could see the responses!

The ideal method would be to specify an incoming e-mail address to check for PM responses.

[Dmacleo]

actually was looking on how to edit the template myself for this.

can you share how you did it?

[RObiN-HoOD]

I think this is done in IPNexus for ticketing purposes.

[Misi]

I think this is done in IPNexus for ticketing purposes.

Not very helpful for the forum.

[Hexsplosions]

actually was looking on how to edit the template myself for this.

can you share how you did it?

It's under the langauge packs.

Look & Feel > Manage Languages

If you want to edit the default language pack you must put the board into DEV mode (edit conf_global.php and change define('IN_DEV', 0); to define('IN_DEV', 1) :smile:

Edit the language pack.

Under System look for public_email_content and edit that.

There are two entries to change;

1. personal_convo_new_convo
2. personal_convo_new_reply

Enjoy mails without PM content. :smile:

Here are my templates (they work well);

personal_convo_new_convo

<#NAME#>,

<#POSTER#> has sent you a new personal conversation entitled "<#TITLE#>".

You can reply to this personal conversation by following the link below:

<#BOARD_ADDRESS#><#LINK#>

personal_convo_new_reply

<#NAME#>,

<#POSTER#> has replied to a personal conversation entitled "<#TITLE#>".

You can reply to this personal conversation by following the link below:

<#BOARD_ADDRESS#><#LINK#>

[GreenLinks]

It is not a feature i will like to see n IPB.

Important thing you should always consider is keeping users visiting your site. If they have ability to respond things , without visiting your site , you are basically loosing money.

In all our installations , we customise e-mail notifications for PM's so that only title of the PM will be displayed. So users will always visit your site for responding PM's.

[Hexsplosions]

I guess it's something that would need to be under admin control, something we can enable or disable.

If you don't monetise your forum (as I don't) then you've probably got less of an issue than if you do.

[DChiuch]

I think this is necessary because no matter how many "DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL" things you have, people still think that they can.

[Hexsplosions]

I think this is necessary because no matter how many "DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL" things you have, people still think that they can.

Unless you do what I suggested above or IPS removes the text by default. :)

[Dmacleo]

problem I have is they just right click the email and click reply or click reply in email toolbar, its not them clicking anything in the message itself.

so its replying to whatever is in the smtp header.

having this option would also allow us to set a specific reply address such as noreply which could then bounce back to the person replying.

[AtariAge]

It is not a feature i will like to see n IPB.

Important thing you should always consider is keeping users visiting your site. If they have ability to respond things , without visiting your site , you are basically loosing money.

In all our installations , we customise e-mail notifications for PM's so that only title of the PM will be displayed. So users will always visit your site for responding PM's.

As long as it's an option, you won't need to use it.

Interesting, though, in not displaying the content of the PM. I don't think that's very user friendly, and I'd receive a ton of flack if I removed the PM content.

..Al

[Millipede]

I personally would prefer it they couldn't reply by email. There used to be a feature for members to send emails to members, but it was removed, perhaps for security reasons? Some people might not want their email address made visible to other members, preferring to reply by PM. If someone replies by email, what are they then to do if they don't want to reply by email - send another PM?

[Millipede]

As long as it's an option, you won't need to use it.

Agreed.

[Hexsplosions]

As long as it's an option, you won't need to use it.

Interesting, though, in not displaying the content of the PM. I don't think that's very user friendly, and I'd receive a ton of flack if I removed the PM content.

..Al

You've got to consider which is the lesser of two evils, remove the PM content from the e-mail or watch members reply to the e-mail which means the reply goes to the wrong place (a black hole or an admin mailbox (or one and the same!)).

[Alfa1]

In general its a valuable feature to have email to post functionality, because it opens up an array of possibilities. If email to post functions would exist then IPS basically has functionality for mailing lists. This would be a good thing to have. Many people still use mailing lists.

[AtariAge]

You've got to consider which is the lesser of two evils, remove the PM content from the e-mail or watch members reply to the e-mail which means the reply goes to the wrong place (a black hole or an admin mailbox (or one and the same!)).

On my system they go to the admin email address and I respond with a standard "blah blah blah you've responded to a PM notification email..blah blah..recipient did not see your message..blah blah..please login to the forum to respond to the PM directly". So they aren't lost, but I do have to waste my time with this, and I don't really want to see anyone's private messages.

..Al

[• Jay •]

On my system they go to the admin email address and I respond with a standard "blah blah blah you've responded to a PM notification email..blah blah..recipient did not see your message..blah blah..please login to the forum to respond to the PM directly". So they aren't lost, but I do have to waste my time with this, and I don't really want to see anyone's private messages.

..Al

Your username takes me back to my childhood E.T., Asteroids, and Pac-Man days.

Thank you.

[Hexsplosions]

On my system they go to the admin email address and I respond with a standard "blah blah blah you've responded to a PM notification email..blah blah..recipient did not see your message..blah blah..please login to the forum to respond to the PM directly". So they aren't lost, but I do have to waste my time with this, and I don't really want to see anyone's private messages.

..Al

Pretty much what I did the first few times. Then I changed it! Admittedly, I do not like repetition and it really grated on me.

[Danny Michel]

I'd love this as well.