Using PHP Mail Function

[Nixon]

Hi all,

I am having a slight dilema. I want start a mailing list so that I can send email to all my members of my website. The only thing is I don't know how to? Shoud I get a program (must be free) or shoud I use the PHP Mail function. I ahve tried the mail function but I don't know what SMPT server to user etc....

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[stolzyboy]

do you have an smtp server yourself, or can you use your isp's etc... have you tried any code?

[Nixon]

I have my NTLWorld SMTP but I want to specify my Hotmail address for them to reply to would this be a problem. Also would it affect my NTL mail server, would ntl think i am spamming?

[stolzyboy]

i wouldn't worry about the spamming, unless you have read somewhere that they disallow it, and as long as you use the From parameter in the mail() function, you can use your hotmail addy in there for peeps to reply to

[Nixon]

I have the script below:

<?php

include("connectdb.inc.php");

$mailarrayquery="select email from outwarinfo";

$mailarray=mysql_query($mailarrayquery);

while ($row=mysql_fetch_array($mailarray) )

{

$mailuser=$row["email"];

mail( $mailuser,"Outlink Update","Outlink Update, Dear Outlink Member - Outlink has now been updated !! Visit us at [url]http://outlink.coolfreepage.com[/url]") or die ("Could not send email to user $mailuser"); 

}

?>

and my php.ini file says:

[mail function]
; For Win32 only.
SMTP = smtp.ntlworld.com

; For Win32 only.
sendmail_from = [e-mail]

---

I have not recieved any email through although it did not give me any problems. How long does it normally take?

[stolzyboy]

it shouldn't take that long, but i think this line

mail( $mailuser,"Outlink Update","Outlink Update, Dear Outlink Member - Outlink has now been updated !! Visit us at <a href="http://outlink.coolfreepage.com" target="_blank">http://outlink.coolfreepage.com</a>") or die ("Could not send email to user $mailuser");

should be more like this

mail( $mailuser,"Outlink Update","Outlink Update, Dear Outlink Member - Outlink has now been updated !! Visit us at <a href=\"http://outlink.coolfreepage.com\" target=\"_blank\">http://outlink.coolfreepage.com</a>") or die ("Could not send email to user $mailuser");

[Nixon]

I didn't put in that link vBullitin must have done automatically, do you knwo of any smpt servers thatare free and work with PHP mail function?

[stolzyboy]

there is a free edition of mailtraq you can use, it is pretty good

https://my.mailtraq.com/

[Nixon]

Will this allow me to send bulk email?

[stolzyboy]

yes, cuz you run it on your machine

[Nixon]

Is there an easy way to add members? e.g

[e-mail],[e-mail],dfsd,sdf

[stolzyboy]

to add members to what?

[Nixon]

the mailing list or does it work a different way?

[stolzyboy]

i would do it the way you are doing it, send the email to each person seperately, i mean for each loop in the while