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Disable user email

Emails sent from forum sites are often filed directly to spam. Sometimes they are straight blocked altogether. This leads to user complaints they aren't receiving notifications or cannot reset their own password. 

Add to that some user privacy concerns. Many use disposable emails for registration or simply don't register at all. 

Rather than have users believe they can rely on email notification, I think it may be easier to disable the forum email requirement. What changes would be necessary to achieve this? Thanks!

Re: Disable user email

Reply #1

Yup ... email can be a PITA !

The disposable stuff you can use https://addons.elkarte.net/admin/Block-Disposable-Email.html (shameless plug, but I've not tested it in a bit)

Generally blocked emails is a fact of life from shared/VPN hosting.  You must enable all of the email checks (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) but even then it can be ugly.  You have to check your bounced email and "comply" with whatever demands the bouncer may have.  AOL and SWB have always been a PITA and I'm still shocked how many of those are still out there.  

Then even if you get everything squared, you will get some users who leave a site and instead of disabling emails, instead mark them as spam in their mailbox and you get blocked again ... ARGH!

You can of course use admin approved registration to "bypass" the need for a valid email, of course that could break password resets and any email notifications.  You would  then have to do turn off email for all uses (sql update) and "remove" the option to enable emails via PM or from other users or as notifications.  I know all those are NOT available in the ACP so you would have to do some hacking.

Re: Disable user email

Reply #2

Sing it brother! Lol!

I'm actually launching a new project. At least it wouldn't be necessary to disrupt anything *existing*. The anticipated audience would likely prefer anonymity anyway, when possible. Either way everyone signing up would understand up front the absent email requirement, including the usual associated functions. 

Ideally the new project would continue using the same antispam the current projects have successfully used for years. A clever question reduces spam to nearly zero! 

Re: Disable user email

Reply #3

To be honest I can't imagine a forum without email. How will you handle the password recovery?

Off-topic
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
 
sorry for my bad english

Re: Disable user email

Reply #4

Quote from: radu81 – To be honest I can't imagine a forum without email. How will you handle the password recovery?

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 Password recovery can be obtained through the contact form. On the million + post forum, it happens that way more often than not anyway, likely due to the email issues already stated. Password recovery is infrequent, and manual recovery is orders of magnitude less hassle than dealing with the email issues and complaints.


Re: Disable user email

Reply #5

I understand, but I still have my doubts. What if I write you through contact form and ask you a new password for my account named @Spuds‍ ‍? How do you handle this?
sorry for my bad english

Re: Disable user email

Reply #6

One would assume that the email you'd put in the contact form is the same email that would be in the account details.

Re: Disable user email

Reply #7

ok, but let's say I know Spuds email address
sorry for my bad english

 

Re: Disable user email

Reply #8

Quote from: Arantor – One would assume that the email you'd put in the contact form is the same email that would be in the account details.
 
 Yes, and that has been one checkpoint in the past. Combine that with "knowing" users, many in real life. That said, radu has a good point. The new project would nullify that situation. That would require some form of security question. Perhaps that could be an intentionally fictitious email addy! Lol

Re: Disable user email

Reply #9

Well, this is also solvable; you can trigger a password reset without even email if you set up a secret question/answer in your profile... but that's not the default.

Re: Disable user email

Reply #10

@Arantor‍ that make sense, but as you said need to be coded
sorry for my bad english