I see the mailinglist module being built with dual uses, both with admin side and user's side (fully supporting xoops's groups rights) :
1.
A tool for keeping contacts lists (supported by a custom fields ability, and custom made groups/lists - not XOOPS groups) ... can be similar to an advanced phonebook.
2.
An advanced mailiglist tool for working with those contacts lists, with an archive ability.
If you take a look @ Phplists or @ some commercial mailinglists, you'll find most of the following features, but usually not orgenized or presented good enough.
In the described mailinglist, the phonebook tool will takecare of dealing with the contacts on those lists, and the mailinglist tool will take care of sending emails, maybe even folow their arrival/bounces of the emails and of course the mailings archives.
Features:
THE ADDRESSBOOK (or shell I say the contacts lists manager)
1.
Groups (maybe even sub-groups)
2.
Import-export contacts from-to xoops-users-database + csv(outlook/excell/... friendly)
and/or pdf (maybe even MySQL table ofyour previeous mailinglist).
2a. there should be very strong and stable "user import" function - It's very important that the Import-export tool will do it's actions in packets, for avoiding the script-execution time (php.ini) which is set to minimum on a shared environment.
2b. import of XOOPS groups users will be made into a selected contact's list
3.
opt-in and opt-out feature.
4.
Predefined fields (name, family name, primary Email, secondary Email, phone, mobile phone, address, etc')
5.
Extra Custum fields (or hard coded, but with the ability to show/hide/change name + field kind).
5a. for each field, checkbox for showing it at list view and/or at extended view.
6.
phonebook presentation for the user's side (backed up with ability to show-hide contacts lists for each XOOPS group, and with show-hide fields for each contact list)
- Contacts dividing by groups
- Alphabetic sorting.
- Users Can search phonebook
-
printer version will be available for clean prints without the template
- - subscribe / unsubscribe as in the folowing lines:
- XOOPS users can add themselves to the phone book/mailinglist.
- Anonimus users can/cannot add themselfs to the phonebook-mailinglist.
- an updated disclaimer b4 the add user thing. (we won't give your address to a third party thing
)
- Users can update info if tied to a XOOPS user (after loggin in)
- users cad get out of the lists (admin approval or not at all)
7.
option (for admin)
to add , edit , delete , move to another list - users
8.
duplicated user records in lists.
9. -
Admin Can approve or allow auto approve for users who add entries in specific groups.
10.
Groups with admin rights for the mailinglist module (as for all XOOPS modules) and for each contacts group.
11.
Blocks: Phonebooks categories(groups) , subscribe-unsubscribe-update my details ...
MAILINGLIST SIDE (sending mails and Archiving)
1.
Sending Emails in sessions (packets) with the ability to choose no. of emails at one session - not booging shared servers , maybe even choosing how many users from a domain will get email from the mailinglist at a time interval.
2.
Html and text emails in the same time, with wysiwyg support (xoops wysiwyg class)
3.
Templates ( editable will be nice ) for the newsletters.
4.
Ability to send to groups and/or individuals.
5. Function for
not sending duplicated emails if user is in more then one group.
6.
Pre defined vars for using in the emails
( first name, family name, Email , direct link for unsuscribe, direct link for updating user'sdetails
7.
Each sent mail can be included in the archives (or not), and the can be deleted and edited by admin .
8.
Newsletters archive with categories/subjects.
9.
Search archive feature.
10.
Blocks for individuals archive categories.
I'll update this list with some more .... my kids drive me crazy right now
