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todays post show in images how its not a single layer of materials in use.
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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that I had an email outreach campaign going before the outage at the Mars Society server that revealed our software was out of date.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.
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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!
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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.
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For SpaceNut ....
The weekly Google meeting is coming up. Please see if you can find time to run the experiment I requested.
You have more experience than anyone ease as Admin, so your guidance will be helpful!
Please go through the cycle I requested, document the results.
1) Select a banned id
2) Show the membership status for that id (eg, member?)
3) Unban that id using your manual method.
4) Show the membership status for that ID
I'm hoping that the unbanning process does NOT change the membership, but your test will find out.
My theory is that kbd512 can write a MySQL command that will convert every ID in the bans table to inactive.
Then we would empty the bans table (ie, set contents to null)
If my theory is correct, we should then have every member who was banned showing as inactive.
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For SpaceNut ... I decided to look at the Bans list again, and this time it appears that a moderator can edit the entry or remove it.
I chose this ID to work with: Maryjane
I performed the remove operation and Maryjane is now showing up as a member.
This appears to answer the question.
What is NOT clear at this point is what actions occur when the Remove command is executed.
I did find the php file that is executed when the Remove command is issued: del_ban=####
where #### is the number of the entry in the ban table.
kbd512 might be able to run a MySQL script to execute del_ban for every entry in the bans table.
There are 10 pages of bans, which might be 500 or it might be more depending upon page size.
I did see one note where a person was banned by James Burk. We want to keep that one banned, obviously.
I see SpaceNut banned a member at their request
Here's another that SpaceNut banned...
I found another banned by James Burk
OK ... now I'm pausing to rethink this.
I found 3 id's banned by kbd512
Most are banned by SpaceNut but I even found JushNH4H in the list and one ban by RobertDyck.
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The username and the banned are 2 seperate tables of information.
The usernames are also linked to the user profile table which contains the email and other information.
There are some usernames that should not be removed as these would not follow simple rules.
The list of banned have 490 ish usernames that can be converted if we would desire to remove them from the banned.
The user profiles will need the username changed as well as the email content as well as putting it into the inactive list.
Changing the username to the group to inactive first does not change it from the banned as it remains banned as its the table of control for that user.
I see that poster seemed to be spamming a link of the same for every discusion as to why it got banned.
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For SpaceNut ... re #3857 ... thanks for getting back to me...
Now that I understand the situation better, I'm dropping the whole idea.
There are only (about) 500 names in the banned table, and they don't seem to be the ones I was wanting to contact.
Thanks again for giving some time to the question.
Please feel free to drop in this evening. We have nothing major on the agenda (that I know about).
An update on your home project would be welcome.
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For SpaceNut re email setting in Administration menu...
By any chance, can you see the email address that is used by our email service?
I ask because the service is not working, and it may not have been working for some time.
If you can spare a few minutes, please open your Admin window and see if you can see an email address that might have been set up when James Burk was Webmaster. My guess is that whatever that email address was, it may no longer be in service.
We might be able to create a Gmail account for the service, and use that instead of the one that is there now.
If you can handle this it would be great, because kbd512 is in the midst of a very demanding project.
If you would be willing to take a look and send the email address you find to newmarsmember@gmail.com, that would be helpful.
I do not want to use newmarsmember for the outgoing email service, because that account is dedicated to serving our members.
Here is a message I sent to kbd512 today:
For kbd512 re email subsystem of forum ...
The email subsystem does not appear to be working. It may not have been working for some time. My working theory at this point is that the email address we have set in the database may not be enabled. I'll try to find out what field is of interest. My guess is that the field is in the configuration table in the MySQL database. If the email address is not working, we might try an experiment of using our existing contact email address, or perhaps we could create a new Gmail address and simply use that.
If you want to (and have time to) look at the log, I ran a test this morning at UTC 12:15.26.0
The test was from my tahanson43206 user ID to the newmarsmember user ID.
The log would show the attempt to send an email, and that log entry should show the email address attempted.
The PHP module is misc.php and the parameter was ?email=431019
Update: I wonder if you as Admin might be able to look at the settings for the email service directly from your Admin window.
I'll ask SpaceNut.
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In the Admin, options the ser ver is blank but I do not remember if there was one.
SMTP server address
The address of an external SMTP server to send emails with. You can specify a custom port number if the SMTP server doesn't run on the default port 25 (example: mail.myhost.com:3580). Leave blank to use the local mail program.
still researching
sent other information to you.
AI Overview
PHPMailer is a popular, open-source library for sending emails in PHP applications. It provides a robust and feature-rich way to send emails compared to the native mail() function in PHP, offering support for SMTP, attachments, HTML emails, and more secure handling of email sending.
Key features and uses of PHPMailer:
SMTP Support:
PHPMailer allows sending emails through an SMTP server, which is generally more reliable and secure than using the local mail() function. This is crucial for ensuring email deliverability and avoiding spam filters.
HTML Emails:
It facilitates sending emails with rich HTML content, including images and styling, for a more engaging user experience.
Attachments:
PHPMailer makes it easy to attach files to emails, such as documents, images, or other media.
Authentication and Encryption:
It supports various authentication methods and encryption protocols (SSL/TLS) for secure communication with SMTP servers.
Error Handling:
PHPMailer provides comprehensive error reporting, making it easier to diagnose and troubleshoot issues during email sending.
Flexible Recipient Management:
It allows setting multiple recipients, including CC and BCC, as well as reply-to addresses.
Using PHPMailer in a project typically involves:
Downloading and Including:
.
Obtaining the PHPMailer library (e.g., from GitHub or via Composer) and including the necessary files in your PHP script.
Instantiating PHPMailer:
.
Creating an instance of the PHPMailer class.
Configuring SMTP Settings:
.
Providing details for your SMTP server, including host, port, authentication credentials (username and password), and security settings (SSL/TLS).
Setting Sender and Recipient Information:
.
Specifying the sender's email address and name, as well as the recipient(s).
Composing the Email:
.
Setting the email subject, body (plain text or HTML), and adding any attachments.
Sending the Email:
.
Using the send() method to dispatch the email and handling potential errors.
Troubleshooting PHPMailer issues often involves:
Verifying SMTP server settings: Ensuring the host, port, and authentication details are correct.
Checking network connectivity: Confirming that your server can connect to the SMTP host.
Reviewing error logs: Examining PHPMailer's error messages for clues about the problem.
Consulting documentation and community resources: Referring to the official PHPMailer documentation, GitHub page, and online forums (like Stack Overflow or specific hosting/framework forums) for solutions to common issues.
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For SpaceNut re #3860
Thank you for checking the email server field, and for looking into the options that might be available.
The email service was working before the crash that took down Mars Society and NewMars. We came back up in limping mode, thanks to kbd512 working with James Burk. Eventually we upgraded the software to prevent failure if another crash occurs. The reason we could not come up immediately was that our software was a decade out of date.
My guess is that while we were in limping mode we lost access to the Mars Society SMTP server, and the lack has not been a major inconvenience. A couple of members have commented upon the lack of the service. The same problem exists at the phpBB3 site. I've never set up an SMTP server there.
I wonder if Gmail might permit sending? We Gmail users presumably are activating that functionality every time we send an email, but our browsers handle the transaction so we never see the details.
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For SpaceNut re interesting idea in Wind Capture topic ...
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 27#p234427
You put a loaded question in that post! ** If ** the images are important ....
To whom might they be important?
How would I (or anyone for that matter) determine if the images are ** important ** enough to a reader to be worth the investment of time needed to make the uploads to the staging platform, and then create links to our forum. The readers would ** still ** have to click on the links.
It seems to me the only humans to whom the images might be important are the folks at Airloom.
They are ** valuable ** to me, as a reader of the original email, because they add substance to the words in the article.
However, my ** time ** is valuable, and I try to allocate it between competing demands.
Right now, I am allocating time to this email, because it seems to me your post is deserving of a thoughtful reply, and of the investment of time needed for a reply.
One definite outcome of your feedback is the hint that it might be worth my time to investigate to see if the monthly email is available from the web site. I went to the web site today and did not find a link to it.
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For SpaceNut re email service in forum...
I ran another set of tests today, and got a 50% success rate ...
The test from tahanson43206 to NewMarsMember did not work, but the test from NewMarsMember to tahanson43206 ** did ** work!
20250921 test email
New Mars Forums Mailer
To: me
·
Sun, Sep 21 at 8:14 AM
Message Body
NewMarsMember from New Mars Forums has sent you a message. You can reply to NewMarsMember by replying to this email.The message reads as follows:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Test
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
New Mars Forums Mailer
If you have a few minutes, please send test messages to both accounts.
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I sent to both a test message
signing it
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For SpaceNut re #3864
Thanks for helping with the email testing!
It occurred to me that the email from NewMars might have gone into the newmarsmember spam filter, and sure enough! There the test messages were.
I told the filter to admit mail from NewMars in the future.
good Grief! Well, I'm glad the problem resolved itself. Whatever might have been preventing our use of the Mars Society email server seems to have cleared up, or perhaps it's been working all along and I just didn't run the right combination of tests.
The NewMars Google meeting is quiet tonight. GW is probably busy there at the farm in Texas... it is evening and time to round up the critters.
kbd512 has been busy with family activities for the past couple of months, and the demands on his time are peaking right now.
the time freed up is good for catching up on posts you've added to the forum recently.
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For SpaceNut re email testing...
Here is the email that arrived from the Mars Society email server, sent from the forum email service:
Re: 20250915 Test email
tahanson43206
To: me
·
Mon, Sep 22 at 7:54 AM
Message Body
20250921 Reply to message from New Mars Forums Mailer via vps31385.dreamhostps.com
(th)On Mon, Sep 15, 2025 at 8:15AM New Mars Forums Mailer <webmaster@marssociety.org> wrote:
tahanson43206 from New Mars Forums has sent you a message. You can reply to tahanson43206 by replying to this email.The message reads as follows:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------This test is from tahanson43206
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
New Mars Forums Mailer
This is good news, because reliable email service from within the forum is an important part of the service we try to offer.
However, I ** did ** learn (or re-learn) that email can be marked as spam, and that is what happened when the email arrived at newmarsmember@gmail.com. Google recognized the mailer as a non-person, and flagged it.
** That ** could be a problem!
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For SpaceNut re post in topic for offtherock...
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 82#p234482
I appreciated that post ... it reminded me of the Startrek vision and the matter replicator. we are still some way from achieving that, but your post reminds us all of the long term objective.
***
I am following up on your test of email. Which account did you send to? I did not receive anything in either one. I wonder if Yahoo has a spam filter tthat things email from Mars Society is spam?
I did not receive anything at newmarsmember, but should have if you wrote to the newmarsmember account!
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I sent to both of yours through the mailer system.
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Hi SpaceNut .... I did not receive either test message. I looked in the spam folder for NewMarsMember and nothing was there.
Here is the 2023 information you sent me by ordinary email: <newmars@vps31385.dreamhostps.com>
Here is the Mars Society email URL as of now: vps31385.dreamhostps.com
I did not think of looking at the source code for the message. That would have revealed the name of the account. It is probably still "NewMars". That would make sense.
I'm concerned that neither of your email tests got through.
If anyone else in the active membership would have time to help with this investigation, please send a test message to newmarsmember via the forum email feature. To do this, call up NewMarsMember in the user directory, and select "Send Email".
(th)
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For SpaceNut re post about Mars landing...
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 87#p234487
You can ask your aI assistant to prepare output for display in the forum.
It takes a bit of effort on your part, but the result is worth it. You have to coach the AI to deliver in BBCode with equations rendered in text format. The default (as you can see) is a format that the AI thinks you can use. You have to tell it we are limited.
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I replaced it with the update but its still putting extra junk in posts above 3870 link
it does not know how to do subscript
such as methane = CH4 it shows its as CH_{4}
exponents are another
its the text limitations of math
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For SpaceNut re #3871
Please include the post you want me to look at in your comments. All I have seen so far is the failed attempts.
You have to tell the AI very specifically what you want, and I have found it helpful to ask the AI to redo the attempt if it is not satisfactory. I can also recommend Gemini.google.com. Gemini has improved dramatically in recent months, let alone years. If you give it a try, it will do a better job than the simple Google Search Engine that it looks like you might have been using.
When you want to present math to our forum, you have to specify BBCode and text format for equations.
If you are not clear on those points, Gemini (or any aI) will try to use software such as LaTex to format the equations, and that looks to me like what happened in your posts with math. Our forum does not support LaTex (or any comparable font generation package).
*** Update on email service
Now that I have the spam filter adjusted to accept traffic from newmars, I got fast service in a test this morning.
20250923 Test Email
InboxNew Mars Forums Mailer via vps31385.dreamhostps.com
8:32AM (0 minutes ago)
to me
tahanson43206 from New Mars Forums has sent you a message. You can reply to tahanson43206 by replying to this email.
The message reads as follows:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------This is a test from tahanson43206
Send time is8:31 EST 12:31 UTC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
New Mars Forums Mailer
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For SpaceNut re email testing....
NewMarsMember just sent you a test email.
If you don't receive it, please check your spam filter.
Gmail may not recognize the NewMars email service as a legitimate sender.
(th)
Recruiting High Value members for NewMars.com/forums, in association with the Mars Society
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You sent 1 on the 15th and the other 20250921 for the newmarsmember
both were in the spam folder.
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For SpaceNut re #3874 and multiple other posts...
Thanks for the good news you found the emails in your spam folder.
This is further confirmation that the usefulness of the email service appears to be limited. I wonder if all those emails I sent out previously ended up in the spam filters of the intended recipients.
***
Thanks for that very nice set of visuals for the Artemis program.
Glad to see you back in active mode, with a ** real ** computer to work with!
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