Re: html newsletter generation module

>
> -m
>
> Shane Hill wrote:
> > Folks,
> >
> > I have included a description of our newsletter module below along
> > with the things that need to done before it can be released.
> >
> > if someone or some group in the community wants to step up and
> > generalize the module let me know.
> >
> > if anyone has a better idea than what is described below, please speak up.
> >
> > if I hear nothing, at some point, when time allows, we will generalize
> > and release the module.
> >
> > peace,
> >
> > -Shane
> >
> >
> > ===================
> > Tasks
> > ===================
> > # the data and presentation layers in the code are all mixed together
> > which makes it impossible to use templates at the moment. so those
> > layers need to be abstracted from one another
> >
> > # I would like to include a few templates that are known to be "safe"
> > in major email providers like google, yahoo and AOL.  The big
> > providers will strip and mess with the css and other html elements and
> > it can be a real pain to get things working well.  so providing some
> > basic vanilla templates that work well with the the big email
> > providers might be nice.
> >
> >
> > ======================
> > Module Overview
> > ======================
> >
> > The module allows for certain node types to be included in a mailing.
> > in our system currently, this is facilitated through two categories
> > (vocabularies), a "newsletter" node type and custom module code
> > called, you guessed it, "newsletter":
> >
> > newsletter issue (category)
> > newsletter section (category)
> > newsletter (node type)
> > newsletter (drupal module)
> >
> > to make a node available in a mailing, the node type must be added to
> > the categories.
> >
> > the process for creating a newsletter goes as follows:
> >
> >    1. Add a new term to the newsletter issue category (vocabulary)
> > that correlates to the mailing that will be sent (we have 12
> > predefined that are the monthly newsletters)
> >
> >    2. The user creates node content of the various types that have
> > been assigned to the above mentioned categories.
> >
> >    3. When the node is saved, the user chooses to assign it to a
> > particular newsletter issue and a particular newsletter section in
> > that issue.  This is done for all of the nodes that will be included
> > in a particular newsletter.
> >
> >    4. next, the user creates a newsletter node that would serve as the
> > actual newsletter.  when they do this they are given a list of choices
> > that are the terms in the category that have *not yet* been associated
> > with a mailing.  the user chooses the appropriate term (mailing) and
> > saves the node (newsletter).  when the node is accessed in the future
> > it aggregates all of the node content that was assigned to the
> > newsletter issue and displays the content (there are ways to define
> > article teasers, etc.)
> >
> >    5. next the user will use the custom newsletter module to create
> > HTML and text versions of the newsletter.  the html version is "safe"
> > for google, yahoo. and aol such that the css ans styling are not
> > stripped.   the flow for this is pretty simple.
> >
> >           * the user is presented with a list of newsletters in the system,
> >           * the user chooses a newsletter and a version(text or html)
> > (at some point there will be a choice for a template here)
> >           * the user clicks the generate button and they are presented
> > with a textarea that is filled with the newsletter content from start
> > to finish
> >
> >    6. The user needs to copy the content of the two newsletter
> > versions (text and html) and create two files that will be loaded into
> > civicrm.  these two files can be tweaked as necessary for presentation
> > reasons.
> >
> >    7. the user then goes though the standard civimail process for
> > sending the emails.
> >
> >
> > On 8/23/07, Shane Hill <shane@...> wrote:
> >
> >> On 8/23/07, Emily E Frazier <emily.e.frazier@...> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Hey Shane,
> >>>
> >>> I was just wondering if this has gotten released yet?
> >>>
> >> no.  not  yet,   we are very busy getting ready to launch the SMTP
> >> service.  we will get to it as soon as possible, lots of orgs want
> >> this.  :)
> >>
> >> we will announce when it is ready.   :)
> >>
> >> -Shane
> >>
> >>
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