vBulletin & Integrated Email Question

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  • DHewes
    Member
    • Sep 2005
    • 81
    • 3.0.8

    vBulletin & Integrated Email Question

    This topic has popped over over the last 6 years several times, but I have not seen it in awhile. I figured I would post this to see if anyone has any new experiences with the latest versions of everything...

    I have been trying to provide a completely seemless, integrated email account for my registered VB users for sometime. So far, the results have not been encouraging. I would appreciate any feedback and suggestions you guys may have. Here are some details:

    GOAL: When a user registers on VB, he/she is given a free web-based email account at the same domain name as the VB. The user is required to verify a seperate email address, but then the user's "VB email address" seen by others is the local email account. There should be a skinable interface so that all email functions appear fully integrated. The standard VB control panel should be the ONLY tool needed by the users.

    BONUSES: The system can use a catch-all, but an integrated POP3/SMTP server would be a bonus. Full groupware functionality is not really needed, as most of that is in VB itself. A high-end email composition interface would be nice. The ability to go out and check other POP3 accounts would also be nice.

    TRIED SO FAR:

    HIVEMAIL - The cleanest interface I believe, but it is basically long since dead. Even when it was alive, most users felt it was dead.

    SOCKETMAIL LITE: Nice package - I actually bought it - but VB integration is a joke. It works in reverse, you have to register in SocketMail and then a cron job or other mechanism created the VB account. Too many integration issues to list here. FOr about 6 months they have promised further integration development, but it has not happened. At this point I do not beleive it will ever happen.

    WORLD WIDE MESSENGER: I have not tried this, but the integration appears great. The features are on the lite side and I am not real fond of the interface. Anyone have experience with it?

    GOSSAMER MAIL: Way too expensive for anything but commercial applications. Never tried it for that reason.

    Thanks for any feedback in advance...

    So far, nothing is perfect. By the way, two facts to consider: Since early 2000 the VB Development Team has been promising this functionality (along with a CMS) - just search the forum. Also, almost every other BB includes this functionality or has a number of free/low cost plugins. So why doesn't VB have it? I still believe VB is the best BB, and so I plan to stick with it - but just need this to work someday. :-)
  • Steve Machol
    Former Customer Support Manager
    • Jul 2000
    • 154488

    #2
    When did the Devs 'promise' this? I've been around a while and am not aware of this promise.

    Also I wasn't aware that almost every other BB system has this option. Interesting.

    Have you tried posting on vbulletin.org to see if someone is interested in making an add-on?
    Steve Machol, former vBulletin Customer Support Manager (and NOT retired!)
    Change CKEditor Colors to Match Style (for 4.1.4 and above)

    Steve Machol Photography


    Mankind is the only creature smart enough to know its own history, and dumb enough to ignore it.


    Comment

    • DHewes
      Member
      • Sep 2005
      • 81
      • 3.0.8

      #3
      Steve....slow down. I clearly said that I felt VB was still the best BB around...I am not bashing anyone here for anything....

      I have used VB for my personal site as well as about 2 dozen sites through work for years...so I too have been around. Do a search through the forums for an email add on and for a CMS add on and you will find numerous examples...some official, many not so much, dating back to 2000.

      That said, email and CMS are not JelSoft's business - they do BB and they do it very, very well.

      Regardless, I am not looking to debate anyone...just looking for an email add-on. Yes, I posted months ago on vb org...while there were many private replies to me asking if I had found anything, no one seemed interested in building an add-on. Which reminds me - there was one additional system I tested and have installed - http://www.webdesignforums.net/ - which works well but doesn't do everything I was hoping form.

      Comment

      • Steve Machol
        Former Customer Support Manager
        • Jul 2000
        • 154488

        #4
        No offense taken. I was serious when I said I've never heard any vB Dev saying that we were going to create an Integrated Email Add-on and before other people assume they that had I thought it would be helpful to get some verification of this promise.
        Steve Machol, former vBulletin Customer Support Manager (and NOT retired!)
        Change CKEditor Colors to Match Style (for 4.1.4 and above)

        Steve Machol Photography


        Mankind is the only creature smart enough to know its own history, and dumb enough to ignore it.


        Comment

        • Webnower
          Senior Member
          • Sep 2004
          • 189
          • 3.7.x

          #5
          Promised or not, it'd be a very welcome addition. There was something for the 3.0.X series called vBMS that somebody made. It's not compatible with the 3.5.X series, but I think the guy is working on it.

          Comment

          • Andrew111888
            Senior Member
            • Mar 2003
            • 2288
            • 3.0.5

            #6
            filburt is doing a major overhaul on his site so I doubt he has time right now to work on it.

            Comment

            • filburt1
              Senior Member
              • Feb 2002
              • 6606

              #7
              DHewes, could you please PM me the e-mail addressed you used to buy vBMS? I can't seem to find you on file.

              Originally posted by Andrew111888
              filburt is doing a major overhaul on his site so I doubt he has time right now to work on it.
              It's a mix of WDF v5, vBMS, and school (finals this week), plus Christmas stuff. What really hurt me was vB 3.5.0. Given a huge amount of the architecture changed, it broke vBMS. I would have had a version faster, but I can only see the stable 3.5.0 code at the same time as everybody else, not before (hence my suggestion of a developer license for vBulletin).
              Last edited by filburt1; Thu 15 Dec '05, 8:14am.
              --filburt1, vBulletin.org/vBulletinTemplates.com moderator
              Web Design Forums.net: vB Board of the Month
              vBulletin Mail System (vBMS): webmail for your forum users

              Comment

              • Kurisu
                Member
                • Aug 2002
                • 36
                • 3.6.x

                #8
                Nice that you started this discussion again, DHewes.
                I'm looking for such a script, too.

                At the moment I think the only option is Socketmail.
                But I wonder if they are still working on their products as the forum is as good as dead -> bad sign.
                Furthermore, I'd like to have a script that uses ajax. There are a few free ones out there but none of them really satisfies me.

                So I think I will go with Socketmail Pro since it has most to offer.

                Comment

                • mackers8923
                  Senior Member
                  • Dec 2002
                  • 144

                  #9
                  The Socketmail website is quoted as saying the following:

                  " With SocketMail, you can integrate with popular bulletin board systems such as vBulletin, phpBB and Invision Power Board. You can integrate with multiple bulletin board simultaneously and the bulletin board can be located locally on your server/domain or on a different server/domain."

                  Is there an integration or is this information not accurate? Are they talking about a hack over on .org ?

                  Comment

                  • Kurisu
                    Member
                    • Aug 2002
                    • 36
                    • 3.6.x

                    #10
                    For 3.0.x the integration works.
                    The new version of Socketmail will support vb 3.x too

                    Comment

                    • DHewes
                      Member
                      • Sep 2005
                      • 81
                      • 3.0.8

                      #11
                      Yes, from what the developers have said there are many improvements in SocketMail in regards to vBulletin integration. It is supposed to now include a lot of AJAX functionality, it's own POP3/SMTP server (most likely on non standard ports to allow people hosted on ISP's that do not have root access to use) and full vB integration. It should be the perfect product with every feature I have ever hoped for in an email package for vB. The development is slow, but if you check the SocketMail forum weekly you will see they are making progress.

                      Comment

                      • mackers8923
                        Senior Member
                        • Dec 2002
                        • 144

                        #12
                        The more I look the more I like Socketmail. I have been looking at 2 others vbms and Hivemail which I believe to be a dead product now which is a shame.

                        Vbulletin should perhaps looking at adding their own versions of these external add ons. With their experience and wealth of knowledge these guys should be able to knock out these products for us and support them too which is what we need.

                        Now I'm not taking away the glory for those great guys over on .org who are great with their hacks. I just think that it is time for Vb to start adding their own versions of great products like their own Photo Gallery, Email System and such like. I for one would be willing to pay for these products providing they were cheap enough in the first instance knowing that the support would be behind them.

                        So come on Big Brother Vb pull the finger out.
                        Last edited by mackers8923; Mon 10 Jul '06, 4:06pm.

                        Comment

                        • Kurisu
                          Member
                          • Aug 2002
                          • 36
                          • 3.6.x

                          #13
                          It is still rumoured that vb is working on a blog and cms. Who knows when they will be released...

                          Forget VBMS and Hivemail.
                          Socketmail is the only serious consideration.

                          No, vb can't support Socketmail products. The Guys from socketmail wrote it. vb can't give support for THEIR hack.

                          I often chat with one of the admins from socketmail and the new version will definately be great.
                          But the vb 3.6 integration is planned to come at August at earliest.

                          Comment

                          • mackers8923
                            Senior Member
                            • Dec 2002
                            • 144

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Kurisu
                            It is still rumoured that vb is working on a blog and cms. Who knows when they will be released...

                            Forget VBMS and Hivemail.
                            Socketmail is the only serious consideration.

                            No, vb can't support Socketmail products. The Guys from socketmail wrote it. vb can't give support for THEIR hack.

                            I often chat with one of the admins from socketmail and the new version will definately be great.
                            But the vb 3.6 integration is planned to come at August at earliest.
                            No no. I would never look for Vb to support a product that is not their own. What I'm saying is they should create their own and support it. More people would be interested simply because of the level of support that would be available.

                            Comment

                            • simsim
                              Senior Member
                              • Nov 2005
                              • 1625
                              • 3.6.x

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Kurisu
                              Forget VBMS and Hivemail.
                              Socketmail is the only serious consideration.
                              What's wrong with vBMS? I don't have it & didn't try it on any site yet, but it looks quite professional. I'm planning to purchase it for a commercial project I'm working on right now.

                              Actually, I prefer a solution that is developed solely to vBulletin over soultions that support many platforms because support & development will be concentrated on a certain environment & hence would be faster & more stable.
                              You're spending millions of dollars on a website?!

                              Comment

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