Cannot find instructions on unsubscribe setup.

[NoteSeller]

From our own MacPro where our list is stored, we wish to email to members of our association, of which we, of course, are also a full member. We are not using our website, but we wish to have an "unsubscribe" on our email.

Apparently MLM needs activated somehow, but your link states in the first paragraph, "MLM is a script running on your web site 24 hours...". We just wish to email people and have an Unsubscribe capability. How do we do that?

Associated questions demonstrating our total ignorance:
What do you mean by the term "server"? Server implies a network, but we have a home office small peer to peer type network using our MacPro as the main computer.
What do you mean by "remote list"? Our list is resident.
When we put in the "Tag" of Unsubscribe it does not show up on preview.

We have MaxBulk Mailer V 7.6-US installed but have not yet installed MLM because the above instructions seem to say MLM runs only on a web site and we just want to do the above on our local computer.

Thanks

 

[NoteSeller]

Maybe we are not supposed to use MLM for our purpose described in previous post?

The only reason we went to MLM is because we could not get an "Unsubscribe" link placed in our email?

We just want to be able to have an unsubscribe link that will "hopefully" keep our "resident" (our local office computer) lists updated.

 

[stanbusk]

Server means 'Web server'. You have to install MLM in your Web Server. With 'Remote Lists' we refer to the lists stored on that Web Server. A list can in fact be local (on your computer) or remote (on you Web Server). You can use the Unsubscribe tag with local and remote lists alike. Make sure the text to be inserted for Unsubscribe tag is correct in the preferences, in the tag panel. By default is is 'Unsubscribe'. Also make sure MLM is properly installed in your Web Server and the URL of the lm.php file has been entered in MaxBulk Mailer preferences.

 

[NoteSeller]

In other words, if we wish not to use "remote lists" and use our local computer to manage (house) our list, do we still need to install MLM on our Web Server.

We have a website, but are not using it in any way for sending, managing, or linking our email broadcasts. I guess our website is our "Web Server"? I guess, if we are not using our website in any way and we have our lists managed locally, we still need to configure MLM on our so-called "Web server"?

Finally, if we are just broadcasting emails, what does the URL have to do with anything? What URL do we use since we are not using our website, only broadcasting email?

Do we have a "Web server"? We have a cable high speed access to the world-wide-web. We also have a local ISP which is not the cable company. Who is our "Web server"?

We use the web to broadcast our email only, so, I guess we must configure, for that reason, to the "Web server", is that correct?

Sorry to be so ignorant of the nomenclature. Thank you for your help.

 

[NoteSeller]

Stan, you probably need not reply to my prior email. I got the picture "mentally" when setting up MLM.

We believe all went very well first time using "Install MLM...". It did accept the data to our web site so that MLM can work with that data.

We are a bit concerned that other people can get to our data however. Is there a way to prevent that? Or is it being just in a folder on the server OK, posing very little risk?

 

[stanbusk]

If you are worried about security use mySQL for storing the data. You can activate mySQL from the lm_settings.php file. It is explained there.

 

[NoteSeller]

Thanks. Should I be worried? That is, is it a likely problem?

In set up of MLM, very little explanation of what mySQL is so I went to Wikipedia, the web, studied and studied. The best I could find was that it was "a relational database for large enterprises" solutions; I felt this single MacPro with small network was not mySQL candidate.

I searched Apple Software and did not find where or how to find out if mySQL was a choice? I felt mySQL choice in MLM setup was better, but had no information to decide in MLM setup explanation.

Again, I will not rock the boat unless mySQL helps prevent being blocked as well as provide good security?

How do I locate the lm_settings.php to even see the explanation?

Thanks, your help has always been appreciated and good.

 

[stanbusk]

Saving lists to text files is simple and handy. However if your web is popular you may get hacker attacks. It is much easier to retrieve data on a file than on a database because the latter is password protected.

mySQL is indeed a database engine. Most web servers offer the possibility to use mySQL databases for free. It uses to be includes in the web hosting package. Look at your web hosting package help files, messages or control panel. You should find help about that. Or simply ask your web service support.

To use mySQL with MLM is easy, you just need to edit the lm_settings.php file. This file was uploaded and it is inside the 'lm' folder, on your server. You need to edit the mySQL settings as explained in that file. It looks like this:

// -- Storage Type ---------------------------------------------------------

$use_mysql  = 1;               // 0 = Raw Text files   1 = mySQL Database

// -- mySQL List/Stats Handling Settings -----------------------------------
// Set the following parameters if you have selected to use mySQL above

$dbhost = 'MYSQL_SERVER_ADDRESS';  // mySQL Host Name
$dbusername = 'USER_ID';      // mySQL User Name (For Full access!!)
$dbuserpass = 'PASSWORD';   // mySQL User Password (For Full access!!)
$dbname = 'DATABASE_NAME'; // mySQL Database Name

 

[NoteSeller]

My ISP, where I have my website, has a "Databases" tab when I log in. That tab has a choice of "add A Database" in addition to mine and gives the following choices: MySQL 5 or MySQL 4 or PostgreSQL, each with the word "Database" after their names.

Should I add this? Which one?

Then what is my first step...maybe I can go from there?

 

[stanbusk]

Add either a MySQL 5 or a MySQL 4 database. Better if you use MySQL 5. Once you are done with that, modify your lm_settings.php file.

 

[NoteSeller]

I did not convert to MySQL yet and decided to run my first broadcast. It went very well, BUT...see my post at:

http://www.maxprog.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3070

it seems my ISP blocked my transmissions?

Would switching to MySQL lessen the chances of this happening? Also, what can I say to my ISP if I call them. I have four web sites and 20 year history with them. I am Incorporated if that helps. Work out of my home/office.

 

[stanbusk]

MLM has no relations to sending bulk messages. MLM is a system to manage lists and get statistics. MLM only uses your SMTP server to post admin messages to you and your recipients. As a result, using mySQL to store lists has no relations with your problem.

Also there is no such thing such as a 'mySQL conversion'. If you switch to mySQL you will have to reimport your lists manually.