autoresponder-like question
Joel Dudley
plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
Sun, 3 Feb 2002 10:50:39 -0700
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Procmail.
-----Original Message-----
From: David P. Schwartz [mailto:davids@desertigloo.com]
Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2002 1:33 AM
To: plug
Subject: autoresponder-like question
I send out some reports attached to emails each
week. Invariably, a few people complain that they
can't open the attachment and they need me to
re-send it. It's really a major PITA! I'm
looking for some solution that can handle these
sort of requests without administrative
intervention on my part.
Here's one idea I've got. To put some meat on the
example, suppose I'm sending out a new recipe each
week in an email, and there's an attachment with
some related stuff in a ZIP file.
So, let's say there's an email address added to
each distribution list that goes to a "bucket",
eg., backuplist.recipe@thedomain.com (maybe a
regular POP3 mailbox is fine). Then, when people
can't read an attachment, they'd simply send a
request to another email address (eg.,
resend.recipe@thedomain.com) specifying the name
of the desired recipe's file attachment (or recipe
name) in the subject header.
At the other end, "something" would intercept all
emails addressed to a users matching the pattern
"resend.*@thedomain.com" and search through the
emails in the bucket (or mailbox) for one that
contains the specified attachment. If found, it
would be sent out to the sender's email address.
If not, an error mail would be sent back along
with a list of all the files it DID find.
A bonus feature would be that it checks the
request to be sure that the sender's email address
is contained somewhere in the header of the mail
containing the attachment. That way, only people
who are on the distribution list could ask for
files to be re-sent.
Does anybody know of anything that behaves
remotely similar to this? Or that handles this
problem in a different way?
TIA!
-David
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<TITLE>RE: autoresponder-like question</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Procmail.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>-----Original Message-----</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>From: David P. Schwartz [<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:davids@desertigloo.com">mailto:davids@desertigloo.com</A>=
]</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2002 1:33 AM</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>To: plug</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Subject: autoresponder-like question</FONT>
</P>
<BR>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>I send out some reports attached to emails =
each</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>week. Invariably, a few people complain that =
they</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>can't open the attachment and they need me to</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>re-send it. It's really a major PITA! =
I'm</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>looking for some solution that can handle =
these</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>sort of requests without administrative</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>intervention on my part.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Here's one idea I've got. To put some meat on =
the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>example, suppose I'm sending out a new recipe =
each</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>week in an email, and there's an attachment =
with</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>some related stuff in a ZIP file.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>So, let's say there's an email address added =
to</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>each distribution list that goes to a =
"bucket",</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>eg., backuplist.recipe@thedomain.com (maybe a</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>regular POP3 mailbox is fine). Then, when =
people</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>can't read an attachment, they'd simply send =
a</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>request to another email address (eg.,</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>resend.recipe@thedomain.com) specifying the =
name</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>of the desired recipe's file attachment (or =
recipe</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>name) in the subject header.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>At the other end, "something" would =
intercept all</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>emails addressed to a users matching the =
pattern</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>"resend.*@thedomain.com" and search =
through the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>emails in the bucket (or mailbox) for one =
that</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>contains the specified attachment. If found, =
it</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>would be sent out to the sender's email =
address.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>If not, an error mail would be sent back =
along</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>with a list of all the files it DID find.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>A bonus feature would be that it checks the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>request to be sure that the sender's email =
address</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>is contained somewhere in the header of the =
mail</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>containing the attachment. That way, only =
people</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>who are on the distribution list could ask =
for</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>files to be re-sent.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Does anybody know of anything that behaves</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>remotely similar to this? Or that handles =
this</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>problem in a different way?</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>TIA!</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>-David</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT =
SIZE=3D2>________________________________________________</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>See <A =
HREF=3D"http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml" =
TARGET=3D"_blank">http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml</A> if =
your mail doesn't post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to =
write mail.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>PLUG-discuss mailing list - =
PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2><A =
HREF=3D"http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss" =
TARGET=3D"_blank">http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-=
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