Pre-Sale question

[seymourjames]

Make a pdf and email it!

[Lhotch]

Originally Posted by seymourjames

Make a pdf and email it

I have tossed around this idea for a module actually. The problem is that no 2 servers seem to offer the same optional pdf libraries. Its getting better now that php 5 seems to be the norm but when people were half on 4 and half on 5, the common pdf libraries were different between the versions.

[Eric Barnes]

What about creating a text file or html file and zip it then have the zip as an attachment.

[seymourjames]

This is definitely on our list of future modules but in order to make it really powerful you need a great emailing solution (I have been looking at email marketeer from interspire.com). Text file would work but it is boring. Email rejecting html will be a problem as well. The point is to be able to target the file with just the ads which are relevant. spamming people with a thousand adverts is not going to be clever and can you end up in the dock.

[Eric Barnes]

We run an older version of Interspires email marketer. I think before they changed the name of it. So far it has worked pretty well.

[seymourjames]

The new one is tempting but I do find their products expensive.

Wow, thanks for all the responses! Looks like it's time to clarify what I'm doing. My site would be for the members and regular attendees of our church only. Just a way to share and help each other out. We're talking about 75 users max, and of those, maybe 10 or so would have email only, no web access.

I have no idea at this point how much it will be used, but I'd be surprised if there would be more than a couple hundred items listed at once. I was thinking the listings could be sent as text file attachments of some sort (zipped if necessary) and would not include pictures. I figure if they want to see pictures they can get full web access. So size shouldn't be an issue. This text file would also be printed out weekly for the few that don't even have email.

If there is a good way to just dump all the listings to a file, maybe I can have something else (or somebody??) pick up the file and email it if 68 doesn't have a good way to do it. Any more ideas on how this could be done? Even if it means logging in and clicking a button every day to make it happen, that would be okay, at least short term.

Thanks,
Brian

[Eric Barnes]

Originally Posted by seymourjames

The new one is tempting but I do find their products expensive.

Yes I agree with this. If I had to do it again I would probably go with awebber, campaignmonitor, or constant contact. Which brings to another idea. I have seen some of the email services allow you email rss feeds. Which might the quickest and easiest option to get the desired effect.