Send an alert and/or email on a member's birthday

[Paul B]

OK, this is a totally pointless "feature" I agree, but it might just add a little personal touch if a member receives a "Happy Birthday" alert on their birthday

And/or an email.

A lot of forums list members' birthdays at the bottom of forum home but as we all know, XenForo is all about less is more, so this would just be a way of acknowledging those members who have gone to the effort of entering their full birth date in their profile, without bloating the forum home page.

Besides, everyone likes being wished "Happy Birthday", even if it is via an automated script

Don't forget to like vote for this post if you agree

 

[craigiri]

How lovely! A machine or program remembering me. I'm getting all warm and fuzzy inside. When can the forum run an orgasmatron?

 

[steven s]

How lovely! A machine or program remembering me. I'm getting all warm and fuzzy inside. When can the forum run an orgasmatron?

Like being +liked+ by people you've never heard of and who don't know you.

 

[EQnoble]

<sigh>

 

[Adam Howard]

Happy Birthday

(I lol'd in this thread)

 

[DRE]

Severe sarcasm detected.

 

[SchmitzIT]

Ant,

How about a mod than mails people on random days from your forum telling them that the forum is delighted at the user's existance?

Not just on their birthday, but just a random day of the year. "Hello, you are awesome! We, ate ... hope you have a great day!", something like that.

Make it customizable to enter the text, throw in some replacement values like |{site} and {user}, and we have a whole new way to remind people our forums exist.

 

[Lisa]

Ant,

How about a mod than mails people on random days from your forum telling them that the forum is delighted at the user's existance?

Not just on their birthday, but just a random day of the year. "Hello, you are awesome! We, ate ... hope you have a great day!", something like that.

Make it customizable to enter the text, throw in some replacement values like |{site} and {user}, and we have a whole new way to remind people our forums exist.

Oh the fun that could be had with that!

 

[Rob]

That sounds like fun

 

[DRE]

Ant,

How about a mod than mails people on random days from your forum telling them that the forum is delighted at the user's existance?

Not just on their birthday, but just a random day of the year. "Hello, you are awesome! We, ate ... hope you have a great day!", something like that.

Make it customizable to enter the text, throw in some replacement values like |{site} and {user}, and we have a whole new way to remind people our forums exist.

If you alter to the message of this mod it might work: http://xenforo.com/community/resources/inactive-user-mail-notifier.517/

 

[psTubble27]

Ant,

How about a mod than mails people on random days from your forum telling them that the forum is delighted at the user's existance?

Not just on their birthday, but just a random day of the year. "Hello, you are awesome! We, ate ... hope you have a great day!", something like that.

Make it customizable to enter the text, throw in some replacement values like |{site} and {user}, and we have a whole new way to remind people our forums exist.

This could be used as a User Discourager (similar to already built-in features) on a massive scale.

 

[Panupat]

Ah yes I received about 70-ish birthday mails last month. I didn't even realized I was member on that many forum . . . I guess some of them were not forum.

But anyway, they all go to my spam folder. Thanks vB. You look pretty in my trash.

 

[SchmitzIT]

This could be used as a User Discourager (similar to already built-in features) on a massive scale.

lol. Like a "oh good lord, we still found your mail address in our forum database. Please, please, for the love of everything that is holy, just have admin delete your account?".

 

[Smooth]

Precisely why I blooming LOVE the notices area - you can easily set this to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY and base it on date criteria of the users birthday.

Negates the need for an email IMO - and wishes our loyal participants (who even visit on their birthday! ) a good one.

 

[dutchbb]

Those emails are annoying...

I think it's a mixed thing. I know many of our members like them as they reply to them to say thanks. On the other hand I personally don't care about them and would like to disable them as I know they are automated and so there isn't actually someone caring about my birthday on forums where I am registered. This is a good example of a feature that needs the on/off switch in the member's control panel.

 

[Paul B]

One day, I hope to receive such an email from many xenforo powered forums

Your thread has been merged with an existing one.

 

[Morgain]

I think it's a mixed thing. I know many of our members like them as they reply to them to say thanks. On the other hand I personally don't care about them and would like to disable them as I know they are automated and so there isn't actually someone caring about my birthday on forums where I am registered. This is a good example of a feature that needs the on/off switch in the member's control panel.

I agree that this whole area has pros and cons.

First I think a generic display on the forum is much more acceptable as an auto message than an email. Notices, or blocks of sidebar info, or stats at the foot, are all recognisable as auto info.
One option might be a Today's Birthdays link, with a further option on its page for members to send all those members an HB message - with the member adding a custom message. Possibly a privilege by usergroup to do it to cut spamming. Admin requires custom message of 50 characters to deter spamming?
Wouldn't suit all boards but could be fun.

Secondly for those who don't want an HB email this needs a Pref disable.
For me although I know it's automated I still like getting an HB email. On that one day clutter in my inbox is warm n fuzzy. All my contacts should celebrate ME on that day!
There is a personal element though and could be more. The personal element is that the admin bothered to enable the service and added their own message. Mine for example when I used another forum software was an old traditional Celtic blessing which people loved. (May the road rise up ...)
This suggests that customising the birthday message to fit type of forum is important, not just a generic HB, and
perhaps further customisation by usergroup as an admin option.

Third option to show a birthday Notice to the member is great. With graphics n stuff. Poss customised to usergroup.
Only they have to visit to see it so why not make the email tell them it's waiting for them?
Plus I think an option to see it for a 3 day period would be good to help reclaim inactive members. Birthday celebrations and visits easily extend over several days, or even a week. So, finally, a 24 hours reminder if member does not visit gives a double whammy on the reclaiming inactives.

This could be a power Birthday addon.

A variation could do something similar on the anniversary of joining the board. Different options for active and inactive users.

 

[speedway]

I do like the idea of sending out B Day emails, VB currently does it and I get so many replies on them, even the ones that say "Thanks for remembering"

 

[14DH01]

This add-on is useful (also) to revive a member who forget our forum

 

[Adam Howard]

I'm completely for this, but as an option.

 

[maszd]

+1 this, 89 like perhaps in xf 1.6