monthly newsletter help

[stiltman]

Hi All,

I'm looking for a way to capture email addresses into a database, excel file or text file, Then be able to send one email but it's actually sending to all the email address in the database. Does that make sense?

What I need in cgi or java

website form to insert your email address
website form to remove your email address
Some way to send to one specific email address that in turn sends to all in the database.

Is this possible? I looked at some mailing lists, but they are way too much for what I need, and I don't want the people in the database/mailing list to be able to email the rest of the names like in a mailing list. I want to use this for a monthly newsletter. So far I've been capturing everything to a text file, then pasting all the names into the BCC field. The problem is I would like to make it easier, control double entres, have a way for them to remove there name.

Thanks

[tito13kfm]

don't know of a way to do this directly, but to at least speed it up a little bit get a program called clipmate http://www.thornsoft.com/clipmate6.htm

It's an AWESOME clipboard extension that allows you to store multiple cut's into a list, then paste them in all in order. You could just add something to the end of the email address like if i register with me@here.com and then I want to quit it sends you me@here.com.delete

then sort alphabetically, clear all the .delete 's then paste as usual..

there has to be a way to automate it, but until then this should work out nicely...

or write a vbs script to run on your database, something like it cycles thorough the records to find the ones that end in .delete, trims off 7 characters from the right, saves the entry into a list, deletes that record, then compares the list against the list and delete's duplicates.

If i had written a script in the past 4 years i'd be glad to help, but it's been WAY too long.

maybe.
declare x
declare y as list
declare z
declare n
z=1
for x=1 to 100
if RTrim 7 (list.record.x) = .delete 'Not correct command or syntax
let y(z) = list.record.x
z = z+1
delete list.record.x
endif
for n = 1 to 100
if list.record.x = y(n)
delete list.record.x
endif


something like that.. you'll have to clean it up alot, and it will take a LONG while, but it's off the top of my head.. so..

[sterno]

Yes, this is possible, and not really all that hard. But it would be reinventing the wheel.

Most reasonably capable mailing list software can do what you want for exactly the reason you want, it's usually called a "moderated" list or something similar - only certain people (like you) are able to send messages through the list. A lot of mailing list software also has ready-made web-based subscription forms now, too.

Of course, all of this assumes that you have a UNIX-based system to host the list software. Things are a little more complicated if you don't.