How To Make an Email

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Post to your blog using email

Post to your blog using email
WordPress can be configured to use e-mail to post to a blog. To enable this functionality, you need to:
1. Create a dedicated e-mail account to be used solely for posting to your blog,
2. Configure WordPress to access that account, and
3. Configure WordPress to publish messages from the e-mail account
You can blog by e-mail using most standard e-mail software programs or a Weblog Client -- a program specifically designed to send posts via email.
Setting Up Post via E-mail
Step 1 - Create an e-mail account
1. Log in to WordPress with the administration login you use to administer your WordPress blog.
2. Go to Options > Writing.
3. Read the instructions under Post via e-mail at the bottom of the page. At the end of these instructions, WordPress will suggest three random strings of numbers you may want to use for the login name of the new e-mail account you'll create.
4. Create a new e-mail account on your web host's mail server or a separate e-mail server, using one of the suggested numeric strings (or your own secret word) for the username (also called a "login name"). A mail server receives e-mails on your behalf and stores them for retrieval. Do not use public, free e-mail servers like Yahoo, Hotmail, etc., for this account.
Note: It is strongly recommended that you use a "secret" address - that is, an e-mail account name that is very difficult to guess and known only to you, such as those suggested by WordPress. Any e-mail sent to this address will automatically be posted to your blog. Be aware, however, that some e-mail servers do not allow numbers-only e-mail accounts or accounts starting with a number. Please check with your web host.
Step 2 - Configure WordPress to access your new account
1. When you are done creating the new e-mail account , return to the Writing Options panel and fill in the name of the mail server and port number your web hosting provider uses. (If you don't know these, refer to your web hosting provider's FAQ or manual pages. The port number is usually 110.)
2. Next, enter the login name and password for your new e-mail account .
NOTE: In the Login Name field, use the full e-mail address (e.g., user@example.com).
3. Choose the default category that will be assigned to posts submitted via e-mail.
4. Click Update Options .
NOTE: If you are using the Administration > Settings > Writing > Post via e-mail section to specify the e-mail address before you've actually created the e-mail account, remember to use the same login and password when you create the account as you specified in the section.
Step 3 - Publish Your E-mail Posts
You've created the new e-mail account and configured your WordPress blog to accept e-mails from that account, but you still need to set up WordPress to publish those e-mail messages on your blog. Do one of the following:
Manual Browser Activation
Go to the following link http://example.com/installdir/wp-mail.php immediately after you send an e-mail to your new e-mail account. (Note: You must do this every time you send a new post.)
Automated Browser Activation
An alternative to manual browser activation is to add the following iframe code to the footer of your blog:

Edit the above line of code so that it refers to the location of your wp-mail.php file. Add this line of code to the footer.php file in the directory for whatever theme you are using (don't include it within an HTML paragraph).
You may have to refresh your blog to see the new post. New users may find this method the most helpful.
If you're using or would like to use the Postie Plugin for WordPress, use the following iframe code, which will call Postie's check mail commands:

Add this code to your footer, and the next time anyone goes to your blog, your new emails will be automatically posted, so you need to do nothing but send them. You may have to refresh the blog to see the changes.
WP-Cron Plugin Activation
Download, install, and activate the WP-Cron Plugin. It will work in the background without user intervention to update your site about every 15 minutes.
Cron Job Activation
Set up a UNIX cron job to have your blog periodically view http://example.com/installdir/wp-mail.php using a command-line HTTP agent like wget, curl or GET. The command to execute will look like:
wget -N http://example.com/installdir/wp-mail.php
If you use a different program than wget, substitute that program and its arguments for wget in this line.
Note: Another possibility is to run "php /full/path/to/wp-mail.php" in a cronjob. This will run the php-script using php, without the need for an extra program to run. (You are more likely authorized to run php than wget.)

Monday, May 11, 2009

How to send mass email legally

Can I legally send targeted email?
The question, "Can I legally send targeted email?", is a common question and the simple answer is YES.
The more difficult question is HOW?

If you are sending targeted email - even to your own customers who really want to hear from you - you could be at risk of losing your account with your ISP or be subject to fines of up to $11,000 by the FTC.

Who is your ISP?

Chances are you have more than one ISP. We might host your site and your email, but we may not be your ISP for your connection to the internet. We only offer that service to our customers in the Santa Monica area, and most of our hosting customers are not located in the Santa Monica area. We are not the only ISP even for our customers who have their internet connections through us - at some level there is a telco involved.

ISPs may not allow their customers to engage in SPAM practices. If they allow such practices, they can lose their ability to do business. Therefore, if you are the customer of an ISP and you engage in spam practices, your ISP has the right to turn off your service without notice.
Check the policy of your ISP

The acceptable use policies of ISPs tend to be a bit vague. They tell you more what not to do than what you can do. PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR ISPs for specifics. You may use this page is a guideline. However, since we are not your only ISP, you could follow the instructions on this page and still experience a termination of services!

Acceptable Use Policy
A User may not use the services provided by CompanyV.com Corp to transmit unsolicited commercial e-mail messages or deliberately send excessively large attachments to one recipient. Any unsolicited commercial e-mail messages or a series of unsolicited commercial e-mail messages or large attachments sent to one recipient constitutes Unsolicited Commercial E-mail "UCE" and is prohibited. In addition, "spamming" or "mailbombing" is also prohibited. Use of the service of another provider to send UCE, spam or mailbombs, to promote a site hosted on or connected to our network, is similarly prohibited. Likewise, you may not use the services provided by CompanyV.com Corp to collect responses from mass unsolicited e-mail messages.

If we detect unacceptable use by any of our customers we may halt services without notice. A $250.00 service charge will be billed for halting services plus $125.00 per hour for any and all actions required by us for resolution.
So, what CAN you do?

NEVER send mail with lists in the "TO:" or "CC:" line

ONLY send to addresses you obtained through honest means.

If you are sending targeted email from an account provided by CompanyV.com, do not send to more than 10 recipients at a time - and make sure that all those addresses are in the "BCC:" line
Follow the laws and use good Netiquette...
Good Netiquette

Everyone's time is valuable. One person's "cause" or "concern" may mean nothing to the next. People who have no interest in your message may consider it spam, become upset and complain. With this in mind, the basic rule is, Do not send a message to anyone unless you absolutely know that he/she wants to receive it.

Do not send large attachments.

Do not send lengthy content when you can send links to information online.

DO NOT USE ALL CAPs

Do Not use all BOLD Don't use many colors and fonts either. Make sure your message is not hard sell, or the recipients' spam filters will probably eat it.

Test your own OPT-OUT system. Make sure you have a policy and procedure in place and that everyone understands how important it is to adhere to it.

Ideally, your message should consist only of properly formatted text. If HTML is required, it should not simply be pasted in from a web page, but should be prepared specifically for the purpose. Also, if HTML is used, there should also be an equivalent text section with the same message as text only.

Professional list management practices:
Email should be addressed specifically to the addressee and no one else. Your email database should contain the name of the addressee as well as the email address itself, so a mailing system can easily personalize the message in the body of the email.

Best Practice:
Provide an automated unsubscribe link that puts people directly into the "remove" database. Keep records of where an address came from and records of addresses that have asked to be removed.

Professional preparation: Targeted email should be composed and formatted at least as carefully as any other marketing material that a company would produce.