Mod Name / Version - Contact Form 1.3 Version 1.1 moves the AutoReply Subject String to the Language File - thanks Astaran Version 1.2 adds support for the $tbopen and $tbclose table wrapper in UBBThreads 6.2 - Thanks Dalantech Version 1.3 fixes a few template issues with Table Wrappers - thanks Dalantech.
Description - This replaces the email link in the footer with a link to a "contact us" page. This hides the email address from Spam Bots, and allows you to request all the needed info from your users (browser type, OS, nature of problem, etc...)
Sick of getting the generic "I can't login" or "I can't post" questions via email, only to have to write back and request more information (like Username, Browser type etc...)? This Contact Form will request as much information as possible... and even send along their IP address and User Agent info.
Features -
- Template Based, so you can easily modify the form
- Language File dependant, so you can easily modify the text, options and messages
- Offers them a link to the FAQ of their language before they ask their question
- Automatically grabs the username if the user is logged in
- Automatically grabs their email address if the user is logged in
- Verifies the email address they give for a response is valid
- Passes their IP Address and User Agent information to you
- Requests specific troubleshooting information
- Requires the email, type of problem, and details of problem to be filled in
- Choose to send emails to All Admins, or a list of specific users
- Choose to send an "auto reply" confiming that the email was received
- Auto reply message can be easily customized in the language file
- Uses the PHP's built in mail() command - no sendmail settings to configure
- If mail fails, user is given a message, and the direct email link to the admin
- Only touches one template file in threads - NO SCRIPTS ARE MODIFIED
- Preserves the "Cat" variable passed from Threads.
- Super Simple install
- Optional step so that Who's Online shows the user's location when they are filling out the form
Files Altered - ubbt_footer.tmpl, (optional - online.php language file)
Database Altered - none
New Files - contactus.php, docontactus.php, /templates/default/contactus.tmpl, /templates/default/contactusconfirm.tmpl, /languages/english/contactus.php
Any other info - Using this will save you tech support time, as you'll have as much information as possible when people contact you. No more generic emails saying "I can't login". It will also reduce spam, as you admin email address is removed from the page (and hidden). Also.... this is more of an add-on (all new files) than a mod. It's really just one line of template editing needed. No threads scripts are touched.
Thanks to Dave_L and Gardener for helping me to find glitched line returns in my templates.
Note: To use this mod with 6.1, you'll need to comment out all the "get_input" lines at the top of docontactus.php.
I've been using an older version of this (I never released because I was so new to it I was embarassed to show anyone my code ) for some time. It's worked very well... and cut down on all the spam and viruses I would get from the Contact Us Link.
Test something.... make a new email address that you use ONLY for the "Contact Us" link. Give it a few weeks... you WILL get all sorts of spam, viruses etc.... to that address.
Just one little improvement: Put the subject of the AutoReply Mail also in the language file.
Maybe this one could be enhanced to send the mail to different recipients depending on the problem type? Different AutoReplies for each problem type would also be an nice thing. I get many mails regarding the "invalid host" error message. The auto-reply could provide instructions for NIS etc.
Would be some kind of support ticket system, but it would save a lot of time i think.
Version 1.1 moves the AutoReply Subject String to the Language File - thanks Astaran and verifies that this works and is tested with a live UBB.Threads 6.2 site.
I've modified your script and templates to use the $tbopen and $tbclose variables. Check out my contact link, and if you like it I'll zip up the files that I changed and email them to you
P.S. Had to do it cause it looks better with my table wrappers mod
Thank you.... good point. That had been changed in 6.2.... but when I wrote it, I geared it towards user numbers to be ready for 6.2. Yeah, if you zip it, I'll add it to the first post.
Try adding this to the docontactus.php file just after the require statements at the top.... let me know if it works. I think this has to do with Register Globals being on or off.
I added also a german contactus.php language File!
Sorry, I had complety forgotten to add the file. Because of this I deliver now two
The first one is for the german DU which can be used in a hobby environment. contactsus_Du.php The second one is for a company site and called contactus_Sie.php
Rename the one you want to use and copy it to /languages/german.
I've also made some changes to the browser and operating system list to fit on the german market
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) for some time. It's worked very well... and cut down on all the spam and viruses I would get from the Contact Us Link.
man o man, i've reinstalled all the files and still no luck. checked permissions as well. I really appreciate the mod/help josh!
