You are not logged in.
todays post show in images how its not a single layer of materials in use.
Offline
Like button can go here
For SpaceNut ...
This post is about the banned members and the (currently suspended) email outreach campaign.
You may recall that I had an email outreach campaign going before the outage at the Mars Society server that revealed our software was out of date. We updated the software and the forum is working, but the email service is apparently not working.
Thanks to your advice, we understand that the names/ID's in the "banned" table are currently "unbanned" by a manual procedure that you have to execute. At one time you were attempting to perform that service, and were able to restore a number of people per day, but I am hoping we might be able to find a way to automate that process. One option might be to simply empty the bans table.
That is something kbd512 could do with a (relatively simple) command (after a bit of research).
Please think about that to see if it makes sense to you?
Related to that idea, is the idea of running a MySQL command to set the membership status of all ID's on the banned list to Inactive.
We need to perform ** that ** operation before we clear the bans table.
I have a homework request for you!
Please see if my theory of how this would work is correct.
Please choose one ID from the banned list, and report on your experiences:
1) View the membership of the banned ID (I'm assuming most will be listed as "member").
2) See if you can change the membership of that ID to "Inactive" while the member is still banned
3) Finally, unban the ID
If my theory is correct, the ID should now be listed as Inactive and NOT banned.
In the next post, I will show you how Google might be able to automate the contact operation using our NewMarsMember account.
(th)
Offline
Like button can go here
This post is for SpaceNut and kbd512. All are welcome to study this and comment upon it.
The purpose of the conversation with Gemini was to see if Google can do something similar to what Mail Chip does.
The answer appears to be yes, and my first reading of the guidance is that this is something we could do, with a bit of study.
Our plan is to send only one email a day. That approach allows us to manage responses which would otherwise be overwhelming. Please re-evaluate your answer to see if there is a mechanism that would allow me to select an email address to receive a standard message? I developed an automated procedure using the web site email service, but that service is no longer available.
I understand. Your goal is to send a single, personalized email per day to your list of 1000 contacts and a new method to do so since your previous one is no longer available. This revised approach of a one-email-per-day sends is much more manageable and significantly changes the options available to you with Google's tools.
The solution that fits your needs best is using Google Apps Script with Google Sheets. This allows you to create a simple, automated, and personalized email sender that you can control and monitor directly from a spreadsheet. It essentially allows you to build your own mini-mail merge application.
Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how this can be set up:
1. The Google Sheets "Database"
First, you'll need a Google Sheet to serve as your mailing list.Create a new Google Sheet: Open a new sheet and set up your columns.
Columns: The columns should include all the information you need. At a minimum, you will need:
Email Address
First Name (for personalization)
Last Name (for personalization)
Email Sent (This column is crucial for tracking. You will use it to mark which emails have been sent and when.)
2. The Google Apps Script
Google Apps Script is a JavaScript-based coding platform that lets you automate tasks across Google products. This is where you'll create the mechanism to send your one email a day.Open the Script Editor: In your Google Sheet, click on Extensions > Apps Script.
Write the Script: You will write a short script that performs the following actions:
Reads the data from your Google Sheet.
Finds the first row that has a blank "Email Sent" column.
Gets the email address and name from that row.
Sends a personalized email to that person using the MailApp.sendEmail() function.
Writes the current date and time into the "Email Sent" column for that row.
Example Script:
JavaScript
function sendOneEmailPerDay() { const sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getActiveSheet(); const dataRange = sheet.getDataRange(); const values = dataRange.getValues(); // Find the first row that hasn't had an email sent let rowToSend = -1; for (let i = 1; i < values.length; i++) { if (values[i][3] === "") { // Assuming "Email Sent" is the 4th column (index 3) rowToSend = i; break; } } // If there's a row to send, process it if (rowToSend !== -1) { const emailAddress = values[rowToSend][0]; // Assuming "Email Address" is the 1st column (index 0) const firstName = values[rowToSend][1]; // Assuming "First Name" is the 2nd column (index 1) // Draft your message const subject = "Update: Our Organization Is Back in Operation"; const body = `Hello ${firstName}, We are writing to you today with some good news. We have successfully completed our recovery from the recent hacker attack and our services are now fully back in operation. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this caused and appreciate your patience during this time. Sincerely, The [Your Organization] Team`; // Send the email MailApp.sendEmail(emailAddress, subject, body); // Update the "Email Sent" column to track that it's done sheet.getRange(rowToSend + 1, 4).setValue(new Date()); } }3. Setting a "Time-Driven Trigger"
This is the key to your "one email a day" plan. You don't have to manually run the script. Apps Script can do it for you on a schedule.Create a Trigger: In the Apps Script editor, click the clock icon on the left-hand menu (Triggers).
Add a new trigger:
Choose which function to run: Select sendOneEmailPerDay.
Select event source: Time-driven.
Select type of time-based trigger: Day timer.
Select time of day: Choose the time you want the email to be sent (e.g., between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.).
Save: Click Save and authorize the script to send emails on your behalf.
Advantages of This Approach
Automated and Controlled: The script automatically runs once per day, sending only one email at a time.Simple and Free: It uses only free Google services (Sheets and Apps Script). There are no additional costs or third-party add-ons required.
Personalization: The script allows you to use a template and personalize each message with the recipient's name.
Tracking: The "Email Sent" column provides a clear, real-time log of which emails have gone out, which allows you to manage the incoming responses at a manageable pace.
Bypasses Daily Limits: Because you're only sending one email per day, you are well within the daily sending limits for a standard Gmail account.
This method gives you the best of both worlds: the simplicity and security of the Google ecosystem with a custom, automated solution tailored specifically to your needs.
***
Thank you ** very ** much! This sounds quite practical! I'll report your suggested procedure to our currently active membership! Bravo!
***
That's fantastic to hear! I'm glad this solution works for you. Using Google Apps Script with Google Sheets is a great way to handle this specific task, and it gives you full control over the process without needing to rely on a third-party service.Please let me know if you or your team have any questions as you begin to set it up. I'd be happy to help clarify any part of the process. Good luck!
(th)
Offline
Like button can go here
NewMars is back up after an outage... The site was down at 8 AM New Hampshire time, but back up a few minutes after 10 AM.
(th)
Offline
Like button can go here